As they grow, businesses need to undergo a change and access a broader range of services in order to build a professional image and convert more leads into paying customers.
For this reason, receptionists play an essential role for every business looking to scale up and make progress.
However, the problem with start-ups and small businesses is that they cannot afford (or need) a traditional in-house receptionist that requires high employee costs.
As a result, the most affordable solution for small companies seeking ways to improve customer satisfaction rate, save time and money, and enhance business reputation is getting a professional virtual receptionist.
A virtual receptionist is an agent working remotely for an outsourcing provider.
A virtual receptionist has the same responsibilities as a traditional receptionist, such as answering and forwarding phone calls, scheduling appointments, taking messages, and performing basic administrative tasks.
The only difference is that virtual receptionists are far less expensive than traditional receptionists (for example, Business Services Melbourne offers virtual receptionists starting from $20 per month).
Virtual receptionists are perfect for start-ups and small businesses that want to convert more leads by offering a personalised customer service experience.
10 Most Obvious Signs A Business Needs A Virtual Receptionist
- The business is operating on a limited budget
Most start-ups and small businesses need to attract more customers and find opportunities to grow while operating on a limited budget. A virtual receptionist is perfect for these businesses as it allows them to control costs and free up capital to support other investments.
- Most people are reaching out for FAQs
A virtual receptionist is an excellent choice for businesses that receive a high volume of phone calls from people looking to get answers to FAQs. Otherwise, business owners and their in-house teams should handle phone calls themselves and lose time answering the same questions over and over (e.g., questions concerning the business working hours or delivery terms and conditions).
- Business owners do not have time to focus on more meaningful operations
Many small business owners believe they should handle as many tasks as possible in order to reduce costs. However, if they spend most of their time picking up the phone and answering FAQs or scheduling appointments, they risk neglecting more relevant business operations.
- The company needs to improve its reputation
Without the right tools and strategy, small businesses risk coming off as unprofessional. Virtual receptionists can help any business appear larger and more reliable as they deliver premium customer service. For example, with a virtual receptionist, customers won’t hear background sounds and voices, and the phone won’t drop calls – Any of these situations can occur when business owners manage phone calls themselves without using a professional call answering service.
- The business is running remotely
Remote companies running without a brick-and-mortar office do not need to invest time, effort, and money to hire a traditional receptionist. Nevertheless, they still need to build a professional business image by delivering outstanding customer service (which is exactly what a remote virtual receptionist does).
- Customers call outside of business hours
Businesses that receive after-hour calls risk losing meaningful opportunities if they do not deliver round-the-clock customer service. Therefore, one of the most significant advantages of a virtual receptionist is that they provide 24/7/365 coverage to avoid the risk of losing sales and credibility.
- The business is ready to scale-up
Growing businesses that attract new customers need to deliver professional, first-class customer service. When a company starts growing, business owners and their in-house teams should focus on other business operations rather than losing time on answering phone calls and scheduling appointments.
- The company is struggling to find qualified talent
When hiring, businesses always want the best candidates. However, finding good talent isn’t an easy task. In this case, a virtual receptionist is an excellent choice (because the outsourcing provider they work for makes sure they hire and train the best available candidates).
- The language barriers impact customer communication
Language and communication skills play a vital role when handling customer service. Therefore, many businesses with multilingual customers should be able to overcome language barriers. Most call answering service providers can help by offering bilingual or multilingual receptionists to deal with customers who are non-English speakers.
- Marketing leads don’t convert
It may happen that a business generating a myriad of leads cannot convert them into sales. This situation can occur when a company does not deliver the best customer service (because excellent customer service plays a crucial role in creating a revenue winning lead nurturing strategy). In this case, virtual receptionists can help as they are trained to deliver a first-class, personalised customer service experience.
Conclusion: Virtual receptionists can bring a myriad of benefits to start-ups and small companies that can rely on their experience to boost business growth.
Professional receptionists are able to build strong customer relationships that will increase sales, create a competitive environment, boost employee morale, and reduce customer attrition (because happy and satisfied customers will always come back).