What is a Virtual Receptionist? thumbnail image Published on 1st June 2017 by Gemma Harding

A virtual receptionist is a contracted, outsourced worker who completes all the traditional tasks of an in-house receptionist, only from a remote base. It’s a service that offers a prime opportunity for companies of all sizes to save time and money as well as harness several other business-focused benefits.

Virtual receptionists use the latest technology, call upon the highest level of call handling training and develop processes that work for individual businesses to provide consistent customer care in accordance with a company’s unique values.

Here we explore the realities of a virtual receptionist’s role and responsibilities.

Answer any calls your business receives

Whether you’re a market leader or just starting out, providing reliable and consistent customer care is integral to business success. Your customer service team is the face of your business, but what if your budget cannot stretch to hiring qualified and highly skilled call handlers to represent your business?

Virtual receptionists work to represent your company as if they were based in-house to ensure that seamless and professional link between you and your customers. You never have to miss a call and the potential business opportunity it brings again.

A key aspect of the role is to answer and handle any calls your business receives. This responsibility is a priority whether you opt for a more basic package or go one step further with a comprehensive reception service. Calls are carefully handled if you choose to divert all calls, engaged calls, unanswered calls or calls based on the number of times a customer has contacted your company.

Take messages on your behalf

Even with the very best knowledge and a continued commitment to regular call handling training, often it’s your in-house staff members that need to be called upon for further assistance.

A virtual receptionist takes messages on your behalf so you can handle enquiries effectively and efficiently. Messages are taken over the phone and then relayed to you or the appropriate staff member by email or SMS.

Forward calls to in-house employees

Often referred to as patching, call forwarding is another task regularly managed by virtual receptionist services. Calls can be patched directly to your in-house staff members for maximum convenience and dealt with to ensure the highest level of customer care is maintained.

Whether calls are patched, messages taken or queries dealt with there and then, you can rest assured all enquiries are responded to.

Deal with unwanted calls professionally

As businesses we’ve all been on the receiving end of unwanted calls. Virtual receptionists work to provide consistent call handling, whether the individual at the other end is a customer or a sales person. Unwanted calls can be dealt with professionally and your brand image maintained, leaving you to get on with the job in hand.

Support existing customer service teams

You can also use the service to support your existing customer care team. There are times when customer service teams are overburdened with calls, and any calls that aren’t answered by your team can be diverted directly to your virtual receptionist.

How does the above help you as a business?

Outsourcing to a remote switchboard and reception service costs considerably less than hiring an in-house receptionist, but you don’t have to compromise on quality. All our virtual receptionists are trained and qualified to deliver the best possible service to your customers.

Your team’s time is precious, and with a virtual receptionist in tow they can concentrate on their roles and support the growth of your wider company.

As well as providing great convenience and the highest standard of consistent customer care, the time and money savings that go hand-in-hand with hiring a virtual receptionist are undeniable.

We’ve answered the question ‘what do virtual receptionists do’, but what could they do for you? Contact CALLCARE today to find out more about the benefits of a 24-hour call handling virtual receptionist service.