When Should You Use a Virtual Receptionist?

Virtual Receptionist

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Running a business requires a lot of work, and often there is more work than hands. However, hiring new employees is expensive, and the process can often be quite a hassle. New hires also require training, onboarding, and time to get settled in before they become efficient.

One way to reduce the workload without hiring new employees is to outsource to a call center. One of the best outsourcing options for small businesses is to contract a virtual receptionist. If a virtual receptionist is a proper fit for your business, this move can reduce workload, increase customer service, reduce stress, and make the office more efficient. Below we will discuss how to know if a virtual receptionist is right for your company.

The Bulk Of Your Calls Are Straightforward

One way to know that a virtual receptionist is a good fit is to look at the type of calls you deal with on a regular basis. If the calls are mostly simple to resolve, then that is an indicator that a virtual receptionist would be beneficial. Some of the types of calls that are good for a virtual receptionist include:

  • Answering Basic Questions
  • Placing Orders
  • Scheduling Appointments
  • Offering Customer Service
  • Taking Messages
  • Transferring Calls

Having these calls handled by a virtual receptionist frees you and your staff up to work on other tasks. Since virtual receptionists work off of predetermined scripts you also introduce consistency to your customer service.

Multilingual Clients

If your company has a lot of multilingual clients having a virtual receptionist can be a significant advantage. Rather than have one person who needs to be able to communicate in multiple languages, you can have calls routed to a receptionist fluent in your clients’ language. They will then use your scripts and profile to complete the transaction the same as any of your employees would.

Additionally, having the ability to utilize a multilingual receptionist and being able to advertise it can lead to new clients. A business can use the services provided by your virtual receptionist to open up leads in different communities and even multiple countries.

After Hours and Emergency Phone Coverage

If your business requires after-hours phone coverage, a virtual receptionist can provide the service. This service can be an extension of your regular business hours, where customers can continue to get questions answered, schedule appointments, or place orders. It can also be to provide emergency contact information based on your company’s needs.

A virtual receptionist can take information for a call back from regular staff during business hours or complete the request using your CRM. In an emergency, the receptionist can dispatch to the appropriate team. They can also triage the information and make calls or notifications based on criteria you set ahead of time.

Free up internal resources

One of the most significant advantages of utilizing a virtual receptionist is the ability to free up internal resources. In most hiring situations, you would hire one of your current staff members over a new hire, if possible. You would do this mainly due to the current staff member’s training and experience with your company and the brand.

So, when you need more help in the office, your employees’ ability to take on additional responsibilities is a significant advantage. By utilizing a virtual receptionist to remove the bulk of calls, your staff is fielding each day you free them up to take on the additional tasks.

By prioritizing higher-paid in-office staff to work on more financial lucrative assignments, you increase your bottom line without extending additional capital. Additionally, by removing incoming calls from your staff’s daily routine, you will boost productivity and improve morale.

About Endicott Call Centers

Endicott Call Centers is a national call center company with omni-channel services. We are fully equipped to help you with your business and any special circumstances. We draw on decades of experience to help you make the right decisions for your business.

Endicott offers full-service virtual receptionists and a wide variety of other services that can help you run your business more efficiently. With Endicott, you have access to:

Request a quote or call 800-947-3227 to learn more about our solutions for creating exceptional customer service experiences for your clients. We’re happy to offer our insight into what your customers and employees seek from your company.