What are the benefits of using a virtual receptionist service?

What are the benefits of using a virtual receptionist service?

More time. Fewer distractions. More opportunities. Happier customers or clients.

These are a few of the benefits of using a virtual receptionist service. If you run a small business, virtual receptionists can be transformative for you and your organization. More and more growing businesses are using virtual receptionist services and other outsourced customer communication solutions to reclaim hours every day, save money, and optimize customer experience.

And these benefits aren’t limited to one industry, location, or company structure. Virtual receptionists can meet the needs of all sorts of businesses, from one-person operations to small and medium-sized teams. They can even be a great fit for companies with one or more employees already dedicated to communicating with callers.

Meeting a need vs. optimizing communication—and everything in between

Businesses new to virtual receptionist services are typically trying to solve a current problem. Often, they’re getting more calls than they have time for. They might be struggling to keep up, losing productive hours, and letting customers or clients down. And their bottom line may be hurting as a result.

In these cases, a virtual receptionist service is frequently the fastest and most cost-effective solution. Whether used full-time, part-time, or as backup, the service alleviates some or all the pressure the business is facing—without the need to bring in new employees or make significant operational changes.

But there’s another—and perhaps even more important reason—to consider using a virtual receptionist service: their service expertise. If you want to make sure the people who contact your business have the best possible experience, a virtual receptionist solution is the easiest way to make it happen.

That’s because the best virtual receptionists are 100% dedicated to delivering friendly, memorable customer experiences.

After all, a good virtual receptionist service does more than answer calls. It builds loyalty and drives growth by creating real, meaningful connections with callers. And if recent customer service trends are any indication, those connections matter more than ever.

Given the premium customers and clients place on personal connections, as well as the ways in which excellent customer service is a key differentiator, a team of virtual receptionists can be a serious money-maker and competitive advantage for your company.

And that’s not all. The right virtual receptionist service will also capture valuable data, reveal insights about your customers or clients, and uncover trends—all of which you can use to make better decisions for your business and the people you serve.

Let’s dig into some of the benefits a virtual receptionist service can bring to your business:

Virtual receptionist benefit #1: High-quality customer communication

When you use a virtual receptionist solution, you tap into a network of dedicated, trained customer service agents ready to delight your customers, clients, and prospects. There’s no need to spend time and money on in-house training—virtual receptionists are already equipped with the tools and skills they need. Plus, you have the freedom to tailor your service with personalized greetings, custom call-handling instructions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Your customers or clients get to know what they need to know—and they have a great experience with your business—all without any extra effort from you or your employees!

Many virtual receptionist platforms (including Ruby’s) offer services in more than one language. You can connect, for instance, with English and Spanish speakers—una necesidad in today’s bilingual society. As demand for bilingual talent (PDF) increases, finding an in-house receptionist with fluency in both languages can be challenging and expensive.

Best of all, virtual receptionists can increase your customer satisfaction rates. Report after report shows that human connections generate loyalty. For instance, Invoca found that 80% of consumers are likely or very likely to become repeat buyers after a positive phone experience.

Virtual receptionist benefit #2: A consistent experience across channels

Don’t limit your outstanding customer experience to a single channel. Some of the leading virtual receptionist services, such as Ruby, provide both phone and chat support. This means a customer, client, or prospect will receive the same professional, personalized attention whether they call your business or communicate via your website.

Learn more about multichannel and omnichannel experiences.

Virtual receptionist benefit #3: Real people always available for new and existing customers or clients

A virtual receptionist is a human being—not a chatbot, automated system, or answering machine. This distinction can make all the difference for your business.

Despite many companies’ reliance on automated customer service technologies, these tools have proven largely ineffective and irrelevant—not to mention intensely frustrating for customers.

Your callers and website visitors expect to speak to a real person. One of the key benefits of a virtual receptionist is the human-to-human connection it provides—without the expense of having one or more full-time employees on staff.

Virtual receptionist benefit #4: Serious savings

Hiring an in-house receptionist can be expensive, especially for a small business.

Depending on your region and market, a receptionist’s annual salary can range from about $25,000 to $40,000. In some industries, where receptionists need to possess specialized skills or fluency in multiple languages, salaries can reach six figures.

For a fraction of the cost, you can make use of a service that provides the same support and expertise, but only when you need it—including off-hours and weekends. Whether they’re replacing or supplementing your in-house receptionist function, virtual receptionists bring significant savings and flexibility to your business.

Four ways virtual receptionists increase revenue

1. Money saved without sacrificing quality: gain a team of model professionals who are never sick, late, or on vacation, at a fraction of the cost of a single on-site employee.

2. Freedom to focus on your business: funnel your energy toward the big picture while resting assured your receptionists are representing your brand with enthusiasm.

3. Human connections create client loyalty: build trust and meaningful relationships for a quantifiable ROI that takes shape in increased referrals and returning opportunities.

4. Business earned with every answered call: turn more callers and website visitors into clients or customers when you have virtual receptionists serving as an extension of your organization.

Virtual receptionist benefit #5: Insights you can use to grow your business

Wish you knew more about your existing customer or client base? How about your potential customers or clients?

A virtual receptionist service provides answers and insights into these questions. It collects real information from your callers and website visitors and synthesizes that information into actionable insights.

For example, a virtual receptionist service can tell you:

  • What people are really looking for when they reach out to your business
  • What states of mind your callers and website visitors are in
    What days and times are your busiest
  • Who your buyers and leads are
  • What concerns and objections people have before they try your service or product
  • What information might be missing from your website
  • And more

Virtual receptionist benefit #6: More time for you to spend on what matters

Every minute spent talking to customers or clients is a minute you’ve used to actually address those individuals’ concerns—such as improving a product or service. That’s invaluable—but you can also reclaim precious time in your day by outsourcing your calls and chats.

This is a particularly powerful benefit for legal and financial professionals, along with other service providers who need large chunks of uninterrupted time. It can make the difference between a productive and non-productive day. For a lawyer, for instance, a virtual receptionist service can increase billable hours by double or more.

The bottom line

Virtual receptionists are there for your customers—whenever (and why-ever) you can’t be.

By using a virtual receptionist service, you stand to save time and money while improving customer experience. You can rest easy knowing your callers and website visitors are connecting with real people, every time they reach out. And you can apply the insights virtual receptionists gain to implement customer feedback and make the right decisions for your business.

Virtual receptionists have helped tens of thousands of organizations deliver better customer experiences, stand out in the marketplace, connect with prospects, and maximize their potential.