Nowadays, many business functions can be completed online. This includes the work that would typically be performed by an in-house receptionist, like communicating with customers, associates, and vendors via the telephone. Many businesses have taken to outsourcing their telephonic needs to external virtual call answering services.
Could your business also benefit from a virtual receptionist? Here are seven reasons why an answering service might be right for your company.
1. 24/7 Availability
Most virtual call answering services offer around-the-clock service; that means that your business can be “open” at all times. This is important if you have customers who live in different time zones or can only call outside regular business hours. You will save your customers a significant amount of time and frustration if they can speak to a live person at any hour of the day, and they will likely be happier because of it.
2. Multilingual Operators
Many virtual call answering services have multilingual employees. For example, VoiceNation always keeps Spanish-speaking bilingual operators on staff, meaning that if you use their service, you will effectively communicate with the 41 million Americans who speak Spanish within the United States and the 463 million people who use it in Spanish as their native language worldwide. Having a virtual receptionist who can speak multiple languages will enable you to better tap into customer markets previously blocked by language barriers.
3. Call Screening
If you try to answer all the calls your business receives personally, you will likely end up missing important calls because you are busy handling menial calls that could have been fielded by someone else. Virtual receptionists can screen your calls in three main ways: first, they can resolve customer issues themselves or notify you if you should schedule a follow-up meeting with a particular customer; second, they can forward essential calls directly to you; and third, they can dismiss scam calls that could potentially cost your business thousands of dollars.
4. Live Text Chat
Some virtual call answering services offer live text chat options alongside their normal telephone services. For various reasons, many customers prefer to chat with representatives over text rather than the telephone. Some customers like to multitask while they mull over potential purchases; some like to browse through a website while being guided through product options; some have phone anxiety and find the texting process less stressful.
5. Order Processing
It can be challenging to enable customers to place and modify orders over the telephone, especially if your current systems are not built to accept verbally filled order forms. Virtual receptionists make this usually time-consuming process easy. This will benefit your customers who need extra guidance when choosing the correct product; it will also help customers feel more comfortable letting a professional handle the order process rather than navigating online forms themselves.
6. Customer Service
When customers contact you via a telephone call, they expect to speak to an actual human being, not a pre-recorded message. People find the sound of robotic voices annoying, become frustrated when waiting for phone tree options to loop back around, and feel undervalued as a customer when they cannot reach a live representative.
Live operators are trained to provide excellent customer service regardless of your industry type. Often, you can give outsourced receptionists important information about your products and services and answers to frequently asked questions. Because of this, your customers will be under the impression that they are speaking to an in-house secretary currently sitting at a desk in your place of business.
7. Convenience
The goal of virtual call answering services is to make your life more convenient. They enable this in two ways: first, they streamline the communication functions of your business; second, they generally offer flexible prices and plans. They will adapt to suit your needs, no matter what they may be.
Virtual call answering services offer many benefits that can boost the performance of the businesses they serve. In general, most services of this nature provide low prices, extreme flexibility, and excellent customer service, all of which will allow you to run your business more efficiently and effectively. If you believe that your business may benefit from the help of a virtual receptionist, investigate outsourcing options today.
