Virtual Services

Virtual Receptionist Service for a Virtual World

 

Maybe you own a small medical, dental or legal practice or another type of small business, and you simply cannot afford to hire a full-time receptionist. Of course, you’d like to, and you feel that you need additional help, but hiring another staff member is not in your budget. Nor can you afford the switchboard and additional equipment that goes along with installing another phone line. You don’t even want to deal with all the cumbersome mass of wires and the space needed able to provide the necessary support services that come with owning that equipment. Is there a cost-efficient solution that can easily fit into your operations budget?

A creative and cost-effective alternative to hiring one or more additional employees is hiring a virtual receptionist. It’s a virtual world now, more than ever before. Companies specializing in a providing businesses with remote phone coverage and office services, like Virtual Receptionists, are becoming common outsourcing options.  A virtual receptionist can cover and handle your calls from a remote site and accurately relay your important messages to you in a variety of ways: via e-mail, phone, fax or PDA. You won’t have to get involved with buying telecom equipment or have to sign long-term service contracts when you decide to use a virtual receptionist.  

There are clear advantages of having a virtual receptionist. You can have multiple telephone lines, live call screening, and call transfer and forwarding options. In the event that your caller needs to wait to speak with your virtual receptionist, they never have to hear silence: music on hold service is available. Your business doesn’t need to hire a full-time telephone receptionist, or create an entire call center from scratch. You won’t be paying any payroll taxes on full-time salaries, and won’t have to cover half the cost of your employee’s benefits.  With a virtual receptionist, you’ll be spared all these payroll expenses. You can redirect the savings of time and money into building your business or practice, and spending more time with your clients, customers and patients. 

A virtual receptionist will enhance your caller’s experience when live operator answers your calls promptly and professionally in a friendly voice. Your business may be small at this point, but you certainly don’t want to give any caller the impression that you are very small business that’s just getting started. If so, you will find it very hard to compete against the bigger companies.  

The virtual receptionist service that you choose should be flexible. You should be able to choose when and how often you want to use the service, and you should never be pressured into signing a long-term contract. You should be careful to choose a virtual receptionist service with a long, successful track record. Some virtual receptionist companies are overnight startups. Other virtual receptionist services have long industry track records, companies like 1-800 We Answer and Virtual Receptionists.  

When you use a virtual receptionist, your business telecommunications will receive an instant-makeover. No longer will callers be transferred to a voicemail at your home office or to your cell. You won’t have to answer your calls in the middle of a store, walking down a crowded, noisy city street, or having lunch with a client. Non-business noise associated with home and mobile phones detract from the professional image that you want your callers to associate with you. When you use a virtual receptionist, your callers will hear a professional live operator who’s skilled in customer service and corporate reception. The operator will be articulate and ready to help your callers. Your virtual receptionist can take and deliver accurate messages for you at hour, any day of the week and can schedule and confirm appointments.  

In most businesses, how customers perceive the success and size of your business always matters. With a virtual receptionist your callers will be greeted consistently in a friendly and professional manner via a live operator, just like that large law firm or ad agency you may be competing against. Hiring a receptionist is no longer necessary in our new, virtual world, nor is paying the large associated expense of having one.