Virtual receptionists work differently for each business they serve. After all, every organization that outsources customer communication over the phone has its own call handling needs and preferences. Some are looking for part-time or backup support. Others opt to have virtual receptionists answer all their calls.
That second option is what we’re talking about today. Many providers call it “full-time answering” or “full-time forwarding.”
Depending on the nature of your company, the definition of “full-time” can vary:
For some companies, it means virtual receptionist answer callers 24/7, 365 days a year.
For others, it’s similar to the hours a full-time employee may work: 8–6, 9–5, 7–7, or another set of pre-established businesses hours, including or excluding weekends and holidays. (In these cases, when the business is closed, calls would typically go to voicemail or an automated system.)
In either scenario, your business saves time and maximizes productivity while ensuring callers receive the immediate, personalized, human servicethey expect.
When answering full-time, virtual receptionists essentially take on the role of an in-house receptionist (at a fraction of the cost). They can…
Transfer calls to you or members of your team
Direct people to relevant information on your website
Handle customer service inquiries
Answer frequently asked questions
Gather insights about the people you serve
Assist with outbound calls
Onboard new clients
Schedule appointments
Qualify new leads
Make lasting first impressions
And much more!
You can choose to have calls connected directly to you once they’ve been answered, or have the caller announced so you can decide whether you’d like the call connected (an action called a “warm transfer”), have the receptionist take a message, or send the caller to voicemail.
No matter which option you choose, a quality virtual receptionist should act as the frontline of your business and ensure callers receive a consistent, personalized experience every time they call.
Benefits of full-time answering
1. Savings
It takes a considerable amount of time, money, and effort to manage one or more receptionists, or an in-house customer service department. And keeping those positions filled can be a stressful and expensive cycle, particularly during a labor shortage.
By using a virtual receptionist solution for full-time answering, you can minimize hiring headaches and management migraines, while reducing staffing costs.
2. Improved customer experiences
On top of cost savings, there are the benefits to customer experience. A high-quality virtual receptionist solution ensures you always have a friendly, capable professional handling communications with your customers, clients, or patients.
Third, using virtual receptionists for full-time answering protects your team’s attention and productive ability. It insulates your business from unexpected questions and conversations that eat up time, energy, and focus.
What kinds of organizations use virtual receptionists for full-time answering?
Any company can use virtual receptionists for full-time answering, and many companies do. These organizations include countless small businesses and solo practitioners, as well as larger businesses without dedicated in-house receptionists.
We’re talking about…
Medical providers
Law firms
Plumbers, HVAC technicians, electricians, and other home services providers
Accounting firms and financial advisors
Marketing firms, consultants, and other business services professionals
Educational institutions
And numerous other organizations
Not sure if having a virtual receptionist answer full-time is right for you? Consider the following questions:
Do you or your team prefer to respond to client calls on your own time?
Do you or your team like to have time to prepare before answering calls?
Is it important that you or your team have uninterrupted time to focus?
Does your organization receive calls at various hours?
Is it important that your callers speak to a real person whenever they call?
Are you struggling to hire and retain in-house customer service team members?
Do you need to minimize your customer service costs?
Do you need qualified call handling help right now?
If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” having a virtual receptionist answer full-time is a smart choice for your organization.
Learn more about how virtual receptionists work and how the right solution maximizes efficiency and customer happiness:
Supercharge your growth with a virtual receptionist
In this stress-free guide, you’ll learn how a virtual receptionist solution like Ruby makes it easy for you to optimize your customers’ experience, streamline your business tools and system, and master your sales funnel.
Missed connections translate to lost revenue. With Ruby, you have a partner in gaining and retaining customers. Plus, we’re so confident you’ll love our service, we offer a 21 day money-back guarantee*.
*Ruby is delighted to offer a money-back guarantee to first time users of both our virtual receptionist service and our chat service. To cancel your service and obtain a full refund for the canceled service (less any multi-service discount), please notify us of the service you wish to cancel either within 21 days of your purchase of that service or before your usage exceeds 500 receptionist minutes/50 billable chats, as applicable, whichever occurs sooner. Some restrictions may apply.