How to Find the Right Virtual Receptionist Service
If you're looking for a way to streamline your small business while
increasing or maintaining a high level of customer service, there's a good
chance you've already read or heard about virtual or off-site receptionist
services. A fairly recent development thanks to technological advances, a
virtual receptionist actually allows you to send all calls to your business
through a professional receptionist service - whether through a
"hosted" telephone number or by forwarding your current business
number - thus eliminating the need to hire a costly, in-house administrative
assistant.
This method offers small businesses a more personal touch than large,
impersonal call centre’s or limited-ability answering services. But how should
one choose the right virtual receptionist service? The typical
answer is that you should find the one that offers the most services relative
to cost. But there is much more to it than that. A remote receptionist will be
the first live representative that your customers will encounter, so ask
yourself, what type of greeting would you like your customers to receive?
The best virtual receptionist service will ensure that the person answering
your customers' calls is not a faceless, robotic voice but rather a warm and
friendly individual acting just like a member of your office staff. Some
virtual receptionist services go to great lengths to ensure this and employ several
methods to please both the companies they serve and their customers.
One method that ensures quality comes through encouraging businesses to work
hand-in-hand with their virtual receptionists, keeping them informed of their
products and services. Scripts are also created for the receptionists, allowing
them to aid callers in the most effective and quickest manner possible.
Quality assurance doesn't stop there, however. Be sure to inquire about the
hiring processes that each virtual receptionist company employs. Does the
company feature friendly people who can converse freely and easily with your
clients? Are their receptionists trained once hired and kept up to date on new
methods? Are their receptionists put through background checks? How much emphasis
do they place on customer service? And exactly what kind of options does each virtual receptionist service offer?
A friendly voice isn't much help if it can't direct your callers to the right
person inside your office, so a virtual receptionist must be able to transfer
calls to the correct extension. Further, does said service provide the ability
to take messages should you be away from your desk? What about the ability to
take simple orders over the phone or even schedule appointments (in the event
they know your schedule)?
As you can see, it's not as simple as price - though price is always a major
factor. Also, make sure that you're not roped into any contracts for services
you don't want or need. Be thorough - and be sure that your choice for a
virtual receptionist offers the services that make sense for your business
needs.
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