What is a Virtual Receptionist Service? How does it help businesses? And, do you truly need a virtual type of service when traditional ones exist? Before diving into those questions, let us first familiarize ourselves with the ins and outs of business operations.
Today, missing a single customer call can mean losing potential revenue and damaging your professional reputation. In fact, this study found that corporate reputation heavily affects customer loyalty, with missed phone calls being the culprit for damaging reputation.
Unfortunately, many businesses struggle to balance efficient call handling with cost-effective operations.
You can’t keep customers waiting just because you’re busy, right?
If your business is bursting at the seams, you need a virtual receptionist service.
A skilled virtual receptionist can carry the heavier workload in your operations while you focus on your core business tasks.
If you’re looking to hire a virtual receptionist this year, read this guide:
What is a virtual receptionist service?
A remote receptionist service provides businesses with remote receptionists who can handle incoming phone calls, messages, and administrative tasks.
Their services can include introductory call answering and more complex tasks like scheduling appointments, answering customer inquiries, and making outbound calls.
Benefits of using a virtual receptionist service
There are many benefits to hiring a virtual receptionist, such as:
Cost-efficiency
Hiring a virtual receptionist can help you save more compared to employing a full-time, in-house receptionist. You can cut salary, benefits, office space, and equipment costs.
24/7 availability
Because remote receptionists can work at different locations, they can also work at a later or earlier timezone than yours. This helps ensure you’re not missing any customer inquiries when resting or meeting your clients.
Professionalism
Don’t let the digital setup underestimate virtual receptionists. They are trained professionals who know how to handle customer interactions, ensuring you’re always putting up a polished image.
Focus on core activities
Outsourcing call handling can help you focus more on core activities that grow your business. For instance, your virtual receptionist can entertain your inquiries on your social media page while you go on sales calls and meetings.
Scalability
With virtual receptionist services, you can easily scale your business. As your call volumes increase during peak times, you can rely on your virtual receptionists to handle them without hiring additional staff.
Flexibility
Do you need someone to do other tasks in your business? Your virtual receptionist is no one-pony trick. They can answer incoming calls, handle emails, and even manage your social media pages.
Choosing the right virtual receptionist service
What to look for in a virtual answering service
If you want to hire the best virtual receptionist service, here are some qualities or features you need to check in a provider:
1. 24/7 availability
Look for providers who can round-the-clock phone answering services to handle calls outside your business hours. Remember: missed calls and inquiries could mean missed revenue.
Professional virtual receptionists are trained to manage after-hours calls according to your business protocols. If you want, you can allow them to share basic information, take messages, schedule appointments, and handle urgent inquiries.
2. Call routing and forwarding
Services should be able to forward incoming calls to the appropriate employee seamlessly. Professional virtual receptionists usually use pre-defined protocols to forward incoming calls based on the type of inquiry, urgency, and availability of the intended recipient.
Virtual receptionists typically use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems such as RingCentral, Vonage, and Nextiva. They also manage internal and external calls using Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems, whether hosted or on-premise.
3. Customizable call scripts
The provider should also allow tailored call scripts that align with your company’s communication approach.
Usually, this process starts with them understanding your needs and preferences. From there, they adjust the basic templates for different types of incoming calls. For instance, they can tweak templates for general inquiries from customers, appointment scheduling, and customer support calls.
4. Appointment scheduling
Your virtual receptionist should be able to integrate with your calendar system, so they can easily manage your appointments and meetings.
Professional virtual receptionists use different types of scheduling software to manage appointments seamlessly. For example, some use Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, or Doodle. Other business owners prefer their receptionists to go the simple way and manually schedule appointments using Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook.
5. Bilingual or multilingual support
Bilingual virtual receptionists will help you cater to a more diverse customer base and tap into foreign markets.
The best virtual receptionist services typically undergo cultural sensitivity training, where they learn to understand and respect the norms, communication styles, and etiquette of a diverse customer base. They also use translation tools such as DeepL or iTranslate if needed.
6. CRM integration
They should be able to integrate your existing CRM system for efficient data management and tracking of customer interactions.
It’s a bonus when they are familiar with using your CRM. But if they’re not, they should be able to learn and navigate it when you onboard them quickly. For example, they should be able to learn how to enter call logs and set appointments using your CRM.
7. Call recording
Assistants who can record calls will also be beneficial, as you can easily check the quality of your receptionists’ calls.
Professional virtual receptionists are well-versed in recording laws in your locality and country. Many regions require consent from one or all parties involved in the call. To record incoming calls, they also use Talkdesk, Five9, or Zendesk.
8. Follow-up services
Find providers that offer follow-up services. They often send email confirmations or reminders to increase your chance of setting appointments.
Most professional virtual receptionists are familiar with common scenarios such as appointment confirmations, inquiry resolutions, feedback requests, and post-service check-ins. They also use tools like MailChimp or Twilio to follow up with customers via email or smartphones.
9. Voicemail transcription
Choose services that can transcribe your voicemails into text for easier review and response. As the business owner, make sure you provide them with centralized access to your voicemail inbox where they can view the messages.
Professional virtual receptionists use speech-to-text software like Otter.AI or Rev to transcribe voicemails. They also create a voicemail greeting or an interactive voice response that encourages customers to speak clearly and leave detailed messages.
Virtual receptionists Vs. Automated answering service
How can you determine if you need remote receptionists or automated answering service? Here are some factors you should consider:
1. Volume of calls
If your business gets a high volume of calls that need more personal interactions, hiring a virtual receptionist is a better choice. A live answering service provider can handle your calls professionally, plus read the nuances in each interaction. On the other hand, if you’re not getting a lot of calls in a day or a week, you can save costs by opting for an automated phone system.
2. Type of calls
Do your calls involve complex inquiries? Or do they need to share super detailed information? You’re better off hiring a virtual receptionist, as they can clarify and ask the caller to repeat what’s being said when it’s unclear or not the right answer. Meanwhile, if your calls typically ask for FAQs, you can settle for an automated answering service.
3. Business hours
Businesses that need to provide 24/7 support can benefit from a combination of a virtual receptionist and an automated phone system. Remote receptionists can cover the calls during business or peak hours, while an automated answering service can handle the calls during after hours.
4. Personal interaction
Does your business rely on or benefit from personal interaction? For example, if you work in consulting, medical, or luxury brand establishments, it’s better if you hire virtual receptionists. A live answering service provider can offer a personal touch that an automated answering service just can’t provide.
5. Budget considerations
Last but not least, you can consider hiring a virtual receptionist if you have the budget. A live answering service provider can often demand $12 to $20 hourly rates, depending on their experience.
That said, if you’re trying to cut costs, opt for an automated answering service, as they’re cheaper. On average, they can cost $50 to $149 per month. Other virtual answering service systems charge by the minute, which can start at $0.39.
Setting up a virtual receptionist service
Hiring a virtual receptionist indeed brings many advantages. That said, as the owner, you also have a responsibility to make sure your business is ready for a virtual receptionist.
If you’re planning to get a virtual receptionist service, you need to set up the following areas in your business first:
1. Service Providers
Choosing a virtual receptionist service
Find a business answering services that fit your needs. For example, some companies like DocVA exclusively offer virtual medical receptionists. Look for virtual answering services that employ accredited assistants and receptionists trained to work in your field.
Define your requirements
Create a list of tasks that you want your remote receptionists to handle. This can be answering calls, scheduling meetings and appointments, or addressing multiple customer inquiries. Don’t forget to identify the hours of operation and add additional instructions for handling customer calls.
Set up your communication channels
You can use VoIP technology to integrate the virtual receptionist service with your existing phone system. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) lets users make phone calls and other communication methods over WIFI, instead of a traditional phone line. Also, provide the virtual receptionist with access to your communication tools like Slack, Gmail, or CRMs like Hubspot or Pipedrive.
2. Call Analytics and Reporting
Develop call scripts
When you’ve chosen a service provider, work with them to develop your call scripts. To maintain consistency in your customer interactions, make sure the scripts align with your company’s brand voice.
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Next, identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) you want to track, such as call volume, duration, customer satisfaction, and first-call resolution. Remember to invest in a reporting tool to monitor your call reports and identify areas for improvement.
Regular review and analysis
Schedule a regular review of the calls to identify trends. Check the overall performance and use the data to make informed decisions in optimizing your call-handling processes.
3. Integration with Existing Systems
Assess compatibility
Check if your phone, CRM, or calendar can integrate the virtual receptionist service. Browse your providers’ websites to see if there are software or hardware updates. You can usually find these on their changelog pages.
Coordinate with the service provider
It’s safer to ask your software providers for assistance to ensure you’re performing the right integration setups.
Test the integration
Now it’s time to conduct a thorough testing of your systems. Check if they’re functioning correctly. Make test calls and emails to address any issues promptly.
4. Security and Compliance
Data protection
Make sure the virtual receptionist service provider followers stringent data protection protocols like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and secure password storage.
Access Control
Implement robust access control measures. Restrict your virtual receptionist’s access to ultra-sensitive information and make sure they are aware of that.
Regular audits
Schedule regular audits of your cybersecurity systems. If you want, consult a cybersecurity expert to conduct an audit. They can also help check if you’re following the best practices in data protection.
5. Customization and Flexibility
Tailored services
Work with the service provider to customize your plan or subscription. Make sure your most urgent needs are covered.
Scalability
Meet the service provider and share with them your vision of how your business can grow. For example, if you’re projecting to get more customer inquiries in the rest of the year, ask how their virtual receptionist service can support this trajectory.
Ongoing adaptation
Business requirements are dynamic, and so should your team. If you can, spend time reviewing if your virtual receptionist’s tasks are still helping become more efficient. Schedule this review or audit every quarter.
6. Bilingual and Multilingual Support
Get to know your customers
Which languages do they speak? If they speak Spanish, note this so you can find a bilingual virtual receptionist. Most providers can help you hire bilingual assistants, while others provide training independently, so you don’t have to spend on it.
Write multilingual scripts
Create call scripts, FAQs, and email templates in multiple languages. Ask for the assistance of the provider or independently hire a freelance translator. They should be able to help you translate English to the most commonly used foreign language by your customers.
Onboarding about cultural differences
Inform your remote receptionists about your customers’ cultural differences. Remind them of the nuances when dealing with your foreign customers. There are plenty of informative videos on YouTube that can help them become more well-informed.
Final thoughts
Hiring a remote receptionist service sounds advantageous for your business, right? They’re a more cost-efficient and flexible option, compared to an onsite receptionist.
That said, you also have a responsibility as a business owner. Make sure your operations are ready to hire a virtual receptionist. While they’re more affordable to hire, you must also be willing to spend on tools that make their jobs easier to do.
