The 8 Best Benefits of Using a Virtual Receptionist

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Hiring a personal assistant can be prohibitively expensive, so you may want to consider turning to a virtual receptionist to get the job done. Click here to learn about the benefits of using virtual receptionists.

There are 110,000 virtual assistants listed on popular freelancing platforms. This number doesn’t include those who list their services elsewhere such as on their own website.

More and more virtual receptionists are replacing in-office secretaries and administrative assistants.

So what does a virtual assistant do? Everything that an in-house receptionist or admin assistant would do. This includes data entry, scheduling, content writing, design, and so on.

Here are the top 8 benefits of using a virtual receptionist. Read on.

1. Pay For What You Need

One of the best benefits of having a virtual receptionist is that you just pay for the hours worked.

Hiring an employee means paying a salary. Even when there’s not much work to do, you have to pay an employee to sit there.

If there is a slow month or season in your business, no worries. You won’t have to pay when there is no work for the virtual receptionist.

On the other hand, if you have a busy season, you could hire a second virtual assistant to help manage the workflow. This ensures that you continue to deliver the excellent service your customers expect.

2. 24/7 Availability

If you look on virtual assistant websites you will see that VA are available all over the globe.

One way you can maximize production and efficiency is by having a virtual assistant that works in a different time zone than your business.

Some companies use virtual assistants to compile data overnight. The next day, the data is ready so you can make strategic decisions with the latest information. No time is lost waiting for information.

Plus, when your office is closed, you still have someone on the team available for phone, email and online chat support.

Having 24/7 availability widens your market reach.

3. A Virtual Receptionist Reduces Team Workload

If you are a small business or an entrepreneur, you have a lot of competing tasks to deal with. A virtual receptionist can be in charge of certain tasks that, while crucial, are time-consuming.

These tasks might include data entry, responding to emails, and scheduling. A VR can also assist with content writing or transcription, market research and much more.

Find a virtual receptionist that is competent in your industry and the tasks you want to be done. This key member of your team will help your operation runs smoothly and will ensure these important tasks get done on time.

4. Reduce Operating Costs

Whenever you hire on-site staff, you sign up for a salary.

You also have to provide the physical workspace and equipment such as a desk, chair, and computer for a receptionist. But you don’t need to do that when you hire a virtual receptionist.

You also don’t pay for vacation time, sick days or insurance benefits. This can save you a bundle of money and still provide your customers with excellent service.

Virtual receptionists provide their own equipment. By outsourcing administrative tasks to a virtual receptionist, you save these costs.

If you’re a startup, you might want to consider a virtual business address.

4. Broaden Availability to Bilingual Clients

Did you know that there are more people who speak 2 languages than people who speak just one? In fact, 60% of the world’s population speak 2 or more languages.

If your business targets only English speakers, you are missing out on a huge demographic. If you hire a virtual receptionist that speaks 2 or more languages, you can dramatically increase your client base. Especially if your virtual assistant works on marketing materials in other languages.

A bilingual virtual receptionist will give those customers a better experience. And better customer service leads to more sales, more referrals and repeat customers.

5. Provide Customers More Points of Contact

Hiring a virtual receptionist allows you to provide your customers with multiple ways to reach your business.

A virtual receptionist can engage with your clients via web chat directly from your website. 62% of customers who access your site from a mobile device expect live chat.

Clearly, it’s no longer a nice to have feature! Without it, you are ignoring your customers who will become frustrated and will just go somewhere else.

Web chat is a great tool that gives website visitors an instant response and a timely resolution. Your VR can provide your customers with solutions that will lead to sales.

6. Hire The Best Talent Globally

Hiring a virtual receptionist means you are not limited to your geographical area.

You can source the best person for the job, regardless of location. You also don’t have to bother with relocation costs to get the best talent.

Plus, hiring from abroad may mean you get better rates for the same A-level work.

7. Improve your Online Presence

Virtual receptionists can respond to private messages and comments on social media, quickly. This will improve your online presence while delivering excellent customer service.

Frequent social media posts is a must in today’s online landscape. However, having a strong online presence takes time. That’s time you might not have when you are focusing on core operations.

The person you hire as a virtual receptionist can also be in charge of creating engaging and compelling social media posts. He or she could also be tasked with creating promotional social media posts to drive up your sales.

8. Strengthen Weak Area

As a business owner, you’re good at what you do. But that doesn’t mean you’re excellent at every aspect of your operation.

Hiring a skilled virtual assistant allows you to bridge the skill gap in your business. A good VA will bring a whole new set of skills to the table. Then the areas that you are weak in, can become strong.

Conclusion

We hope you found this post about hiring a virtual receptionist enlightening. A virtual receptionist can help you take your operations to the next level without spending more of your budget than you can afford.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, startup or small business, a virtual receptionist can benefit you.

Need cheap office space? Check out these alternatives that don’t break the bank.