As a small business owner, you probably don’t need scientific data to convince you that a little distraction-free time now and then would be incredibly helpful, but here’s a stat just for good measure: we accomplish roughly 50% less when we try to do two—or more—things at once. If you don’t have in-house phone help, a virtual receptionist service can be a life (and sanity) saver when you need to hunker down and get things done, giving you the freedom to focus without worrying about incoming calls. But a virtual receptionist service can give you a lot more than just a little peace and quiet—in fact, a quality service can improve the overall function of your business during crunch time and beyond.
Here are three ways a virtual receptionist service can increase your efficiency:
Improved customer service.
Pop quiz: When you’re interrupted in the middle of an important project, are you a) very likely to be friendly and upbeat, b) not particularly likely to be friendly and upbeat, or c) highly likely to be questioning why you chose this incredibly stressful career in the first place? In order to give your customers the service they deserve, you need to be in the right frame of mind. A good virtual receptionist is an expert trained in the art of customer experience, dedicated to making each caller happy. Let your virtual receptionist warmly greet callers, connect the calls you want, and take thorough messages for the rest, setting you up with the details you need to make informed follow-up calls—so you can catch up with customers when you’re ready, and they never have to see you sweat.
The ROI of personal connections!
Discover the real, meaningful impact of personal connections on your customer’s bottom line.
Streamlined day-to-day operations.
Remote reception services have come a long way from the answering services of the past, and they offer a heck of a lot more than, “The office is closed for lunch. May I take a message?” Sophisticated technology means a quality virtual receptionist service can make a powerful impact on your workflow. Look for a service that will work with you to create customized call handling instructions for different scenarios and employees. With the right setup, your virtual receptionist team can answer frequently asked questions, provide driving directions, weed out telemarketers, collect information from new customers, and much more—including differentiating between urgent and not-so-urgent calls, so you’re interrupted when you need to be, and only then. Many virtual receptionist services can make outbound calls on your behalf, too, so you can check “appointment reminders” off your to-do list for good.
Enhanced peace of mind.
One of the greatest things about a virtual receptionist service is it’s not a “service” in the traditional sense—it’s more like an extension of your team. The best virtual receptionists are truly invested in the success of your business, and knowing that your calls are being handled by bright, talented, real people is beyond reassuring. Just like an in-house receptionist, good remote reception services can adjust your call handling on the fly when you’re stepping into a meeting or taking a much-deserved break—and unlike an in-house receptionist, virtual receptionists don’t take breaks or lunches, or call out sick when you need them most. Instead, a virtual receptionist is reliably there for you and your callers—so that no matter what you’re focusing on in the moment, your business stays focused on thriving.
