The Benefits of a Virtual Receptionist for Small Businesses

woman with headphones and microphone working as a virtual receptionist

For many small businesses, hiring another full-time receptionist isn’t the only way to make sure every customer gets a prompt, professional response. A virtual receptionist can answer calls in your company’s name, schedule appointments, capture leads, route urgent requests, and handle routine customer communication without adding another employee to your payroll.

The benefits go well beyond simply having someone pick up the phone. The right virtual receptionist service can help you reduce missed calls, improve the customer experience, extend your availability, keep your schedule full, and give your existing team more time to focus on higher-value work. For home service companies in particular, that can mean capturing opportunities that would otherwise disappear while technicians and office staff are busy serving customers.

Below, we’ll look at the biggest benefits of using a virtual receptionist, where the potential savings come from, and when outsourcing your front-office calls makes more sense than hiring additional in-house staff.

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Hiring a virtual receptionist is one of the smartest moves a business can make in finding effective and cost-friendly communication solutions. The benefits of hiring a virtual receptionist are exponential. Given today’s world of 24/7 technology connectivity, businesses simply must have a communication strategy capable of keeping up.

By making a virtual receptionist the pivot point of an organization’s customer communication strategy, the organization gains a more consistent and reliable brand image, comprehensive customer care, and a well-rounded communication strategy to cover the multiple fronts of when and how consumers choose to correspond with their marketplace providers.

Such gains are quickly making virtual receptionists services, such as Front Office Solutions (FOS,) a popular choice for businesses of all niches and sizes. Some may just need to expand upon their in-house communication operations. Others may need to completely fill the void of in-house communication staff. Either way, FOS can fulfill whatever communication strategy a business finds themselves in need of implementing.

10 Benefits Of Hiring A Virtual Receptionist

A quick look at just 10 of the top benefits of employing a virtual receptionist service will demonstrate just what a prudent, cost-effective, and comprehensive decision it can be for businesses. By the end, it will be clear why so many businesses are abandoning traditional customer service models and turning to virtual receptionists to meet the growing consumer demand of how and when communication happens, and it should be noted that they’re actually meeting this more expansive demand with less cost than they had in the traditional communicative models.

In-house receptionists are rarely limited to sitting away from the hustle and bustle of the office, and they’re often inundated with other office tasks and distractions. This inevitably leads to poor and inconsistent customer service experiences. Virtual receptionists, however, are tasked with handling each communication on a singular basis, meaning no distractions, no inconsistencies, and superior customer service standards.

Hiring a good in-house receptionist doesn’t always mean that the employee is seasoned or knowledgeable about the business’s industry-specific operations, partners, and other such intrinsic factors. Front Office Solutions offers specially trained virtual receptionists. These individuals will be familiar with the applicable industry standards and practices to offer communication that’s equally consistent, knowledgeable, and friendly.

As mentioned above, a prudent business realizes that consumers are no longer only engaging businesses during standard working hours and via phone calls alone. Virtual receptionists offer the ability to reach beyond standard phone support. Visitors to the business’s website can conveniently engage in a web chat to get expedient answers to their questions, schedule services, and so forth. Imagine for a moment how this bolsters the business’s online presence and converts that presence into a powerful interactive sales tool.

Scheduling appointments and meetings can be time consuming and eat up in-house manpower hours that could otherwise be engaged. A virtual receptionist can handle scheduling services, and this leaves in-house staff to actually implement day-to-day operations and services.

Order processing is another time leech for in-house employees. A virtual receptionist can easily solve this issue. Whether by phone or through an e-commerce site, the virtual receptionist will be there to assist in order and payment processing and to answer any questions customers may have throughout the entire process.

Phone systems are by far the most essential and time consuming when it comes to most business’s communication strategy. There’s a lot to account for with an in-house phone receptionist – coverage of breaks and leaves, where calls go when he/she is on another line, hold time lengths, and so forth. If a consumer can’t reach a live agent, it affects the company’s brand and results in sale losses. This is where a virtual receptionist is an invaluable investment.

The business will always have a trained professional answering each and every call with a virtual receptionist. No missed opportunities and call gaps. No distractions. No unreasonable waits that cause hang ups. And, the virtual receptionist can act as a customizable filter to transfer calls exactly where they need to go and only when they need to go there.

From benefits, salary, work space and equipment allowances, time off, replacement costs, and training costs alone, hiring a full-time in-house receptionist is a costly endeavor. That’s not to even mention the costs from employee-related workplace injuries and lawsuits.

All the above expenses are avoidable. Take a moment to compare the average salary of a receptionist in your area to the virtual receptionist services provided by Front Office Solutions. Not only is the business getting more comprehensive and attentive communication services, the cost of doing so are far less than hiring an in-house employee.

Again, a look at the overhead in operating costs with an in-house receptionist shows many unnecessary expenses. There’s equipment to buy – fax, phone, copiers, hands-free sets, computers, etc.. There’s maintenance costs of the equipment. Standard office supplies like paper and pens are a constant restock. Work space alone can be an issue for small companies. Outsourcing a virtual receptionist removes all these unnecessary standard administration costs.

The best part is that there’s absolutely no paying an employee for idle time or busy work. With POS, client’s only pay for the minutes they need.

Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world, meaning a huge section of any business’s client pool and target demographics is likely Spanish-speaking. Countless opportunities and sales are lost simply because a consumer can’t communicate with a provider because of a language barrier. A virtual receptionist allows a brand to have a bilingual voice to reach the entire pool, not just a limited portion. The result is measurably improved customer service and conversions.

So far, virtual receptionists have saved a business money, time, and energy and expanded and perfected the how and when of communication. Now, it’s time for the virtual receptionist to actually make the business money.

A virtual receptionist can bolster revenue by simply being there. A business now has a professional available 24/7 to consistently represent their brand. This fact automatically translates to yielding more sales leads through online and offline exceptional customer service experiences. Other customers and investors are automatically more inclined to choose the business with an exceptional consumer reputation over competitors demonstrating poor customer service through their subpar communication strategies.

In closing, these are just ten of the many ways that a virtual receptionist can create the most efficient, effective, comprehensive, and beneficial customer communication strategy that doesn’t just save money… it will actually make you money.

Contact Front Office Solutions today to learn more about how a virtual receptionist communication solution is the right strategy for your business.

“They are very upfront with their services and offering, plus their reporting is VERY detailed for an answering service. You have complete transparency into their operation and the call receipts they send are very detailed allowing you to pick up a conversation seamlessly. Highly recommend them for service businesses looking at an answering service.”

Josh C.

14 Profitable Reasons Your Small Business Should Be Using an Answering Service

There’s only one first impression to be had, and if it’s not impressive, it’s often the last and only impression. In today’s business world of rarely being unique and having a competitor on every corner, it’s more important than ever for a small business to both make a stellar first impression and keep that as a consistent and lasting impression. A key component of this is how customers are greeted when they contact your business.

Can potential and returning customers easily, 24/7, without delay, with full devotion to their call, and with a knowledgeable person on the other end reach your business? If there’s anything other than a resounding “yes,” then here are 14 reasons a telephone answering service will be an invaluable & profitable addition.

answering service for small business

Although online business is booming, many still like to speak to a live person, especially for technical matters, emergencies, complaints, large purchases, and new business relationships.

Whether it’s someone trying to schedule a service or place an order to someone calling for more information, every single call matters to profit margins, marketing dollars, reputation, and every single other facet of business. Businesses that can’t be reached are impeached from the caller’s mind, and the caller immediately moves on to a competitor who is accessible.

Answering services can take the full load of call volume or be set up to take on the overflow for busy, call volume spikes, and/or after-hours call volume. Businesses can also use the call forward system to have calls forwarded to a designated person outside business hours.

In most cases, a single extra sale from this type of assured availability pays for the answering service. The same can’t be said of hiring an extra in-house employee.

From recruitment and insurance to workman’s comp coverage, hiring an in-house receptionist is an enormous expense, especially for newbie small businesses without the revenue and call volume to support a full-time hire.

Small businesses with an office staff often have in-house staff completing an array of duties that distract them from phones, which translates to callers not receiving full attention and employees being inefficient at both tasks.

Perhaps, most of the staff are remote employees. Why add the expense of hiring a full-time stationary employee just to organize and facilitate communications?

A telephone answering service is a communication solution that allows team-building without the above expenses and drawbacks. Businesses only pay for the services they need and calls they receive. Plus, there’s zero employment-related costs.

Unless hiring multiple shift employees to man the phones 24/7, calls go unanswered during non-business hours. Again, are these communication lapses that any business can afford?

With an answering service, a live agent is 100% devoted to answering calls 24/7, and they’re ready to handle all customer services needs – take a message, schedule a booking, place an order, or just answer a question.

While calls are always important, high call volume doesn’t necessarily translate to immediate priority. There are times when in-house tasks must take priority to ensure work output and projects go forward smoothly. Picking up the phone to determine if it’s an important client versus someone selling paper clips is nothing more than a distraction at such pressing times.

An answering service can be that filter to handle the day-to-day calls and get the important calls directly through to the business.

Opting for an answering service boosts employee productivity day-to-day, too. Multitasking is great, but not when it destroys workflow momentum.

Answering services free up staff from fielding every phone call when they have more pressing roles that require their undivided attention.

Whether it’s a switchboard service or to handle an appointment calendar, answering services can take charge of time-consuming administrative duties.

Choose from an array of service options designed to fit any business model and need. Basic services filter calls and take messages. From there, simply add on the services needed.

Choose a script and update it as needed, or choose to upgrade to a professional virtual receptionist with specific knowledge about the business’s niche, industry, and internal operations. Either option means that customers are none the wiser that they’re not speaking to an actual staff member.

There’s a lot beyond a salary that goes into a full-time employee. Recruitment and rehiring is an expense. The employee needs office space and supplies. Will insurance be offered? What happens if they have a workplace injury? What happens if they have a paid medical leave. Who covers vacation and time off from work?

Answering services eliminate all these stresses and headaches from the shoulders of the employer.

Most small businesses make branding a top priority. They want their name synonymous with reliability, reach-ability, friendliness, and knowledge-ability. Callers unable to reach a business, who are placed on hold forever, or who reach a business with a distracted in-house receptionist are not going to have a positive brand perception.

Maintain a consistent, reliable, fully-attentive, and knowledgeable brand image with an answering service. This gives the caller the illusion of an “it” brand and bolsters customer satisfaction.

How many calls get transferred about until they become lost? How many messages get shuffled around a desk for all to see and potentially get lost? How many get accidentally deleted and go unanswered? How much intellectual property gets nabbed from security breaches in messaging?

With an answering service, businesses can rest assured that messages are securely stored and never misplaced. Access messages anywhere, anytime. Instantly pull up important messages when dealing with vendors and clients. Coordinate messages to ensure nothing gets lost in translation and key players are always in the loop.

Small businesses sometimes use an answering machine as a makeshift receptionist. It’s a mistake for brand imaging, however. Most customers, especially if the business is supposed to be cutting-edge, will view an answering machine as a sign of failure to thrive, disorganization, and potentially equally antiquated services.

On the other hand, a live receptionist signals the business has invested in personalized customer service experience.

This may seem like an odd feature on the surface, but note how many big brands warn that calls may be monitored. First, call recording offers the ability to backtrack and jot down important call details that were missed. Second, it offers a business with a limited legal budget the ability to log transactions in case of a future dispute.

The main reason that most small businesses skip this feature is the cost. It’s expensive. An answering service, however, can provide this service at a mere fraction the cost of doing it in-house.

Order-line service allows customers to buy direct with the answering service. The answering service has all the business’s product data and can quickly and easily place a telephone order for customers in that moment of need, not ask them to wait for regular business hours.

Without a contract and featuring either fixed month-by-month or pay-as-you-go rates, businesses can opt for the answering services they need, when they need it.

Not sure about telephone answering service benefits? Accept a free trial and see the benefits up close and personal. Properly allocating and managing expenses is a make-or-break element for most small businesses, and a free trial means that value versus expense can be measured beforehand. A free trial will give you the opportunity to evaluate how the answering service performs.

When it comes to communication solutions for small businesses, these 14 answering service benefits are just a handful of examples. Front Office Solutions provides telephone answering and receptionist services customized to meet the needs of HVAC contractors, roofers, plumbers, electricians, pest control services, and more.

Are you ready to start your free answering service trial today? Give Front Office Solutions a call today and never miss out on another important call or message again. Increase your image and profits with our services. Give us a call! 855-208-8877

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The Top Seven Signs A Business Needs A Virtual Receptionist

Wondering if hiring a virtual receptionist is the right move? For those unfamiliar with answering services, a virtual receptionist is the person who answers the incoming calls to a business and acts as part of that business. Customers never know they do not work for you in your office. Virtual receptionists can also do scheduling, customer call backs, cover emergency & after hours calls, do billing, and many other tasks. Before thinking “that’s what in-house employees are for” or that a small business need not apply, consider the many benefits, cost savings, and increase in revenue the simple decision to hire an answering service brings to the table.

Businesses face a plethora of communication problems – business hours calls falling through the ‘hold’ cracks or going unanswered by otherwise busy employees (or owner), un-staffed after hours calls, staffing inconsistencies due to sickness, time off, varying call volumes, and so forth. All of these facets impact the growth, stability, and reputation of any business, especially small businesses trying to thrive in a sea of competitors.

old school wired red phone

While it takes effort, time, and energy to build a brand, it also requires functioning, healthy brain cells. Brains need to recharge in order for creative and skillful thinking to take place, and getting at least seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night is key to the cause. Are sleepless nights due to worry about what fell through the cracks for the day, tomorrow’s obligations, whether customers are calling and can’t reach anyone, or if voicemail is even something customers will utilize? If so, it’s time for some extra help from a virtual receptionist.

A virtual receptionist can help ease the above worries and work load. How? Answering services are available 24/7, meaning calls (aka opportunities) don’t go unanswered as a business owner and employees sleep and rest. Business owners can leave work at work when they get home. On occasions that a call is urgent or an emergency, the virtual receptionist can always be instructed to alert a designated in-house employee.

Those who can’t remember the last time they’ve taken time off of work because they feel it’s not feasible should consider a virtual receptionist. By time off, this doesn’t include taking five minutes to make a Starbucks run. Everyone needs real downtime to de-stress.

Worried that the business’s communication and customer service will go down or be out of reach if a vacation is taken? That’s the beauty of an answering service. There’s an entire crew ready to field and direct calls where they should go. The virtual receptionist can have a script to follow. Front Office Solutions also offers virtual receptionists with more targeted skill sets, including sales and niche-specific knowledge and expertise. You can also opt for a short term contract as a cost-effective way to handle downtime, vacations, in-house employee leave of absences, projected increase call volume times, or other temporary needs.

In addition to short term answering service needs like vacations and in-house employee absences, businesses commonly face a number of potential business endeavors that can leave them in need of a short term extra helping hand when it comes to communication. Answering services are versatile. They can be activated and deactivated quickly and without long term obligations to fulfill needs such as:

  • Product and services launches that increase call volume. Callers today demand calls with questions, orders, and customer service issues be answered quickly and efficiently. Setting up an answering service for this occasion allows virtual receptionists to handle all of the call volume or just the overflow.
  • Bad weather, emergencies, charity events, promotional activities, and other marketing-driven events bring an influx of callers. A virtual receptionist, again, is a means to ensure not a single caller encounters a busy tone or unmanned phone.
  • Product recalls can blow up a manufacturer’s phone and even the retailers selling the recalled product. Short term virtual receptionists can be deployed to tackle the overload of call volume pressure to protect your brand and so that revenue callers don’t get lost in the fray.

Perhaps, the business is in that transition period between being financially sound enough to hire an in-house receptionist? Perhaps, in-house communication staff have more pressing duties that take them away from the phones? Perhaps, the in-house customers, vendors, and other business associates aren’t being promptly attended because staff are tied up on phones? In any case, such scenarios can greatly diminish productivity. Outsourcing a virtual receptionist is an excellent way to improve customer service, time management, and prioritize work processes.

Customers don’t want to leave a message. They don’t want to be placed on hold. They don’t want to play the “tag your it” game of both parties missing call backs. And, they don’t care if there’s only one person trying to juggle fifteen balls of responsibility from filing paperwork and processing invoices to cleaning the bathroom and answering the phone.

The magnitude of responsibility can be hard for a one-man show and small business with a handful of support staff. Leads never emerge because they hang up on a voicemail or on hold. Answering services will remove the burden of:

  • Deciphering lead, sales, and general calls. It’s amazing how much time simply providing a virtual receptionist with a list of FAQ and answers can free up for in-house staff.
  • Scheduling appointments and linking them to a chosen scheduling platform.
  • Processing orders.
  • Directing urgent calls and dispatching after hours calls to a chosen staff member so that opportunities and emergencies never go unrealized.
  • Many other tasks including billing, filing important documents, etc.

From marketing prospects to providing benefits to hires, it’s expensive to recruit, hire, fire, replace, and maintain in-house employees. A team of 24/7 virtual receptionists costs less than hiring a single employee. Aside from the time and finances it takes to find and retain an in-house employee, there’s also the expense and need to cover vacations, sick time, maternity leave, military leave, and so on. Such absences can leave customer service to fall by the wayside with a temp or other employees picking up non-routine duties. This can be avoided by hiring an answering service for the business’s temporary, semi-permanent, or long-term communication needs.

Any business knows they can’t spend more than they make. From supplies and equipment, marketing, and office spaces and utilities, businesses aren’t cheap to operate. Some expenses are a must. Other expenses, however, can be reduced. Employee-related expenses is one area that can free up a significant amount of funds. With a virtual receptionist, there’s no benefits to pay, no office supplies needed, no space to carve out in-house for, and no employment considerations like workman’s comp to set aside reserves to handle the ‘what if’s.’ Virtual receptionists start at as little as $1 per day. Plus, unlike the need to pay an employee whether there’s work or not, business owners only pay POS for the answering services they need and when they need them.

Ready to take the above seven burdens off your business’s plate and let the benefits of an answering service help your business thrive, grow, and excel?

Allow Front Office Solutions to help you get started with your virtual receptionist today. Give FOS a call today to discuss how you can take the wheel of your business’s success by handing the communication reigns over to our professional team of virtual receptionists.

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Choose Our Roofing Answering Service

With affordable plans and no hidden fees, Front Office Solutions is the clear choice to provide you with a virtual receptionist. We use cutting edge technology to ensure that your customers can always reach us, and therefore that they can always reach you.

Contact us today to discuss your options.

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