Many small businesses today are sceptical about outsourcing their receptionist responsibilities. They are nervous that leaving this in the hands of someone else will cause them to lose connection with their customers and essentially lose business. However, what these small businesses fail to realise is that using a virtual receptionist service can actually have the opposite effect. Using a virtual receptionist can greatly improve your business, and here are some ways how. Many small businesses today are sceptical about outsourcing their receptionist responsibilities. They are nervous that leaving this in the hands of someone else will cause them to lose connection with their customers and essentially lose business. However, what these small businesses fail to realize is that using a virtual receptionist service can actually have the opposite effect. Using a virtual receptionist can greatly increase your business, and here are some ways how.
Never Miss a Call
Allowing a call to go to the answering machine is a great way to lose a customer, whether they’re new or returning. In today’s world, when a call goes to the answering machine, people are so much more likely to hang up and call somewhere else, rather than leave a voicemail and await a response. If it’s after regular business hours and nobody is around to take phone calls, you may be losing potential customers. By using a virtual receptionist service, a PA will be available around the clock to take calls and ensure that no potential customers are sent to an answering machine. Virtual receptionists will catch all the calls that you normally wouldn’t, which will greatly expand your business.
Professional and Efficient
The way a potential customer views your business is essential to their decision of whether or not to use your services. The first impression they get often comes from the way their initial phone call is handled. Instead of going through the stress of finding a skilled receptionist, or training someone in the ways of your business, you could hire a virtual receptionist – a professional who is already trained and ready to handle your calls. These PAs are specialists in customer service and can provide a personalized method of answering your customers’ calls in the most professional way possible. Their welcoming attitude over the phone will demonstrate to people that your business values their calls, basically inviting them back for more. These virtual receptionist services will boost customer satisfaction and inevitably result in growth in your business.
Cost
Rather than hiring someone to sit in your office and handle your calls and customer service responsibilities, choosing a virtual receptionist will save your business a lot of money. When you are only paying for the actual number of calls a PA will take for you instead of an hourly wage, the savings will start to build up. With all of these cost savings, you can start to focus on investing in ways to grow your customer base and begin to target different geographic/demographic areas.
