10 reasons why a Business should consider using a Virtual Receptionist
Your company reception is one of the most important departments in your business. This is where new and existing customers have their first interaction with the company. Hiring a full-time receptionist can be expensive especially for small businesses. A viable alternative is an outsourced virtual reception service that provides great benefits and is one of the best options for small businesses that want to give their customers quality customer care but at a lower cost. We list below some good reasons to consider using a Virtual Receptionist.
Calls are always answered during business hours.
With a virtual reception service, you never have to worry about a receptionist going on a break, taking sick leave or being away on holidays. Your phone lines will always be answered during your opening hours. A well-trained virtual receptionist service can help free up your own staff to help with more productive tasks because they are always available when you need them. They follow an agreed script, and they know your company. In addition, you can divert your phone lines to the virtual reception service during holidays and break times. Kendlebell ensure you are covered and can do 24/ 7 if you need us – learn about the service we offer https://www.kbell.ie/services/inbound-call-answering/virtual-receptionist/
Customer Service improves because of having a Virtual Reception service.
A virtual receptionist can be trained to answer calls exactly as you like, in a warm, professional manner which will encourage people to call your business. This can really help during times when you and your staff are busy and do not want to become bogged down with answering calls that will interrupt your workflow or dealings with other customers. As well as this, seamless customer service can help boost sales and give you a competitive edge over your competitors. By focusing on your current customers and not taking unsolicited calls that may not be of value, you demonstrate to your customer their importance to your business.
You can manage your time better.
Using a virtual reception service, can free up your time to allow you get on with the important matters in your business. You will no longer be tied to your desk afraid to move because you may miss a call. Your virtual receptionist will transfer calls through to you as they are coming in provided you are available to take the calls. If not, they can take a message and email on to you.
Maintain a professional image.
When calls are being answered quickly and in a professional manner, it creates the correct impression for your customers. It portrays your company image as being pro-active and customer friendly.
Lower costs and better service.
Hiring a virtual reception service can be significantly less expensive than hiring a full-time in-house receptionist. For smaller businesses as well as the physical cost saving on the full-time receptionist, they also gain time savings because the staff do not need to answer all calls. They can focus on revenue generating activities on behalf of the company. Kendlebell have a calculator so you can see how much you save compared to employing a full time staff member – look at this www.kbell.ie/prices
Flexibility as you get busier.
Growing businesses need to be able to expand quickly. They need to have the flexibility to expand their workforce quickly. Using a virtual reception service, gives companies that flexibility. They can expand as they get busier and, likewise, they need not incur excessive costs in slower times as they incur costs for only the calls taken in their behalf.
Instant access to industry specific Virtual Receptionists.
It can often prove difficult to find and hire staff with industry specific experience. However, it is much easier to engage a virtual reception service who have relevant experience in specific sectors. Examples of such specialty services would be taking calls for industries such as medical services or IT technical support. We provide virtual reception services to many different industries. Our virtual receptionist service, as well as being expert at doing reception duties, typically will also understand rules and compliance issues related to a specific industry.
Cut equipment / technology costs.
Outsourcing your reception in a small business means that you will not have to invest in reception equipment. This includes investing in expensive telephone switches and related technology. It also saves on the regular upgrading of such equipment.
Maintenance savings on telephone equipment.
If you have an in-house receptionist, you will need to deal with maintaining your telephone and related IT equipment and dealing with the inevitable technical hitches that will occur from time to time. This often means signing up to expensive maintenance contracts to maintain the equipment. When you outsource your telephone answering you will not have to worry about these maintenance contracts because you use the services of a virtual reception service. Using their services will help save a lot of money you could otherwise have used maintaining equipment.
Extended phone support availability – out of hours call answering.
Using an outsourced virtual reception service, will allow companies to have their phones answered beyond the typical working day. This can be a problem for a typical company where staff leave for home circa 6.00 pm. A typical virtual reception service will answer phones during the working day and after hours, some answering at weekends and bank holidays as well. This will, of course, help businesses as they will not miss potential income related calls. When customers call anytime to set up an appointment or have an emergency service call taken care of, business revenues will increase as will the company’s reputation.
Conclusion
As has been outlined above, there are many hidden benefits of outsourcing your reception to a virtual service provider. Finding qualified staff is difficult and keeping them hired is expensive. Using Virtual Reception services gets you past these issues as well as all the other ten benefits outlined above that they bring to a business. Just call Kendlebell to get the right answer! Learn more about our services at www.kbell.ie
Kendlebell Overview
Kendlebell was set up In Ireland in 2006 and now have 4 offices providing a diverse range of services to the SME market. We provide a range of Outsource Solutions to the Business Community. Among our services are:
Business Telephone Answering / Message Taking.
We provide a personal telephone answering service for your business calls. All your calls are answered by your own PA, giving you peace of mind that you will never miss another new enquiry again. A call answering script is agreed in advance. All your business calls are answered in a professional and friendly manner as if we were part of your team. Our Business phone answering service is delivered at a fraction of the cost of employing staff, involves no administration and gives an excellent first impression. Messages are passed to you instantly by either text-to-mobile, email or you can phone in and speak to your Kendlebell PA at any time.
Virtual Reception services
The Kendlebell team will act exactly as you would expect any receptionist to operate. They will take all incoming calls and transfer them through to the direct dial or mobile of the member of staff sought. If these individuals are not available, they can give callers the option to leave a voicemail or simply take a message which the PA will send on immediately. They will do so immediately by text or email with an end of day report summarising all your calls being sent as well. All of this is done seamlessly and without the company’s customers being aware that you are suing a virtual receptionist from Kendlebell.
Customer Helpdesk / Order Taking
Services include capturing caller’s details and asking qualifying questions to get further information you may require. With each client, we agree call handling instructions to ensure our services benefit your company, freeing up your time to concentrate on running your business. We can link to your CRM /Sales Systems remotely and securely. We also provide cold call screening as part of our phone answering services. Messages will be forwarded on to you immediately by email or text, alternatively we can save and forward these messages at an agreed time. You will also receive a daily email summary of messages.
