If your business is receiving more calls than youāre able or willing to answer, itās time to consider using a virtual answering service.
I realize that may sound daunting. When business owners first encounter the words āvirtual answering service,ā they frequently assume itās something highly technological and perhaps unaffordable. They figure weāre talking about an app or automated system that greets callers roboticallyāessentially a fancified answering machine you have to pay a steep monthly fee for.
In reality, virtual answering services are much simpler and more analog than many people realize. When you use a virtual answering service, youāre paying a company to handle your calls for you. The phone rings and a real person answers, communicating with customers, clients, prospects, and other parties on behalf of you or your organization.
If that sounds a lot like a receptionist, thatās because it is. In most respects, virtual answering services fulfill the functions of receptionists. The chief differences are 1. the person answering the phone isnāt an employee located at your businessās physical address, and 2. you only pay for virtual answering services when you need them. In other words, you get all the benefits of a dedicated, in-house receptionistāwithout the overhead.
Of course, that raises the question: Why pay anyone to answer the phone? In todayās digital world, is it even necessary to have a person pick up? The answer is an undeniable yes. Data shows that phone calls are more important to businesses than ever. A majority (65%) of potential customers prefer to reach brands by phone. Theyāre tired of unresponsiveness and frustrated by lackluster customer service. They want and expect to connect with friendly, professional human beings. (By the way, weāre not just referring to phone conversations, but interactions across channels and touchpoints, including live online chat.)
For virtual answering services, human = effective.
āHumanā is the operative word here. For customers, clients, and prospects, the appeal of calling a business on the phone is immediate human engagement. Itās the ability to have an honest, pleasant conversation with someone who will listen, answer questions, and address concerns with understanding and empathy.
This requires skills and training that frankly not every virtual answering service can offer. Consider your callersā experiences. From their point of view, agents who lack conversational competency and rely on scripts arenāt much better than machines.
Here are a few elements that set the best virtual answering services apart from the rest. Keep these key ingredients in mind when evaluating options for your business. (And feel free to practice them yourselfātry them out in your next phone conversation and see how they transform your customer experience.)
Things only the best virtual answering services do.
1. Use warm greetings
The first words a caller hears are pivotal. TheyĀ set the toneānot only for the ensuing conversation, but for the callerās overall experience with the business.Ā
Effective virtual answering services delight and connect with callers immediately by using warm, friendly greetings that provide essential information and frame the conversation in terms of service. They combine a polite welcome (āGood afternoon!ā) with a mention of the companyās name (āThis is Dr. Gomezās office.) and an offer of assistance (āHow may I help you today?ā).
2. Practice active listening
All good receptionists are good talkersābut the great ones are even better listeners. They know that listening is one of the most important and powerful skills in customer service. And they know that listening doesnāt just mean sitting back and hearing what the other person is saying. Instead, they practice active listening by taking notes, offering small verbal cues (āyep,ā āthatās right,ā āmm-hmmā), reiterating what theyāve heard, and responding in ways that indicate theyāve been paying close attention.
What is a virtual receptionist?
See how virtual receptionists can help your small business grow.
3. Maintain consistent business representation and brand stewardship
The best virtual receptionists are chameleons. They can adapt their approach and conversational style to the needs of different businesses, callers, and contexts. This is founded in a deep respect for the businesses they serve and the brands those businesses have built.
An effective virtual answering service has agents who sound like expertsāpeople who know industry jargon, understand industry-specific issues, and can present an organizationās identity and philosophy in a concise way for newcomers.
See how we serve the legal services industryādownload Rubyās ultimate guide to virtual receptionists for attorneys.
4. Ask targeted questions
Asking questions is one form of active listeningāit shows youāre engaged and interested in what the other person is sayingābut those questions need to be relevant to the conversation and, more importantly, useful.
Effective virtual answering services train receptionists to use targeted questions when speaking to callers. Such questions often include the following:
- āHow may we be of service?ā
- āMay I ask who is calling?ā
- āWhatās the best telephone number for a return call?ā
- āWhen would be a good time for us to give you a call back?ā
The idea is to deftly weave targeted questions into the conversation to gather necessary information and guide interactions. If done right, the virtual answering service can obtain contact information; gauge a callerās compatibility with the business (i.e. determine the strength of the lead); and figure out how to best serve every personās interests, wants, and needs.
5. Focus on caller success
The goal of any virtual answering service is to lead callers through a dialogue that leaves them feeling-oriented, supported, and optimistic. Itās about emphasizing the callerās success at every opportunity.
Here are a few ways we do it at Ruby:
- Think about whatās going on at the business. Itās important to recognize the daily reality of each company weāre representing and act accordingly. For example, if thereās a certain time of day the business is busy and overwhelmed, itās probably not a good time to transfer the callābetter to take a message.
- Manage caller expectations. If a receptionist canāt answer a callerās question or manage their issue, they should at least be able to help that individual get a sense of how and when their issue or question will be resolved. We always make sure the person on the other end understands the timeline and the protocol for the next steps.
6. Make it as easy as possible to follow up
Our job is to inspire the caller to take the next step, whether itās making a purchase, showing up for an appointment they just booked, visiting the companyās website, calling back, or any number of follow-up actions. A virtual answering service should ultimately help people along the customer journey.
7. Understand caller needs
This is perhaps the most basic element of effective customer serviceāthe fundamental concern of every phone call. And yet many virtual answering services lose sight of it, instead paying too much attention to inconsequential conversational nuances (āShould I say āhiā or āhello?ā Am I addressing the customer by name often enough?ā Who cares!). Simply stated, your callerās needs are all that matters. Respect their timeākeep it quick. Help them, even if you canāt answer their questions directly (never say āI donāt knowā). Donāt go for the hard sell unless itās obvious that the caller is ready for it.
Virtual answering services, the Ruby way.
Letās review. A good virtual answering service is powered by trained, capable, experienced customer service professionals whoā¦
- use warm greetings
- practice active listening
- ask targeted questions
- focus on caller success
- understand caller needs
As the leading virtual answering service for growing businesses, Ruby does all of that and moreāproviding our clients with happier customers, generating better quality leads, and freeing time in the days of business owners and their employees.
