It’s a well-known fact that running a business is never easy. Business owners are burdened by various responsibilities, such as managing employees, developing strategies, and providing quality service. The last one is arguably the most critical because businesses rely on their clients to make a profit. Because of the many responsibilities business owners have, they might be unable to entertain every prospective customer.
The good news is that there’s a solution to this: virtual receptionists. As the name suggests, virtual receptionists are those professionals who answer incoming calls and ensure that the callers are connected to the right people. Since they do administrative tasks, businesses can handle the flow of their clients and don’t have to worry about missing calls. However, hiring one can be tricky because there are specific considerations to account for. These include:
#1 – Availability
If your business works 24/7, you’ll need to hire virtual receptionists who work the same way. An excellent example of this is answering service providers. As you look through the list of companies, select those available during your business’ extended hours.
For example, the virtual receptionist should be available from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturdays. You should mention if you’re looking for one for a particular schedule, such as the morning or lunchtime.
It’s also worth noting that a virtual receptionist should know your company’s schedule. If your company works 5:00 AM to 3:00 PM and your virtual receptionist works 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, chances are they won’t be able to connect callers to the right people.
#2 – Scalability
As a company grows, so does its clientele. Handling and accommodating more clients is one way of ensuring business growth. With virtual receptionists, you should ensure they can take the number of clients you have.
You might encounter communication problems if you’re using a virtual receptionist who doesn’t have enough employees. For example, the virtual receptionist might not be able to forward calls to the right people, or they might not be able to connect all of the callers to an extension. You might need to hire a virtual receptionist with more employees if your business grows.
#3 – Specialty
Companies need to determine the service they need from a virtual receptionist. The last thing you want is to hire a virtual receptionist who cannot help you with your needs.
As such, you’ll have to determine the services you need. Receptionists are responsible for administrative tasks, such as answering phones, taking messages, and transferring calls to the right people. When you hire a virtual receptionist, you should ensure that they provide these services.
#4 – Your Time Spent Working on Your Operations
Just because you’re using a virtual receptionist doesn’t mean you can still just sit back and relax. You have to ensure that you’re monitoring their work because if you don’t, you might not be able to work effectively.
For example, if another employee calls in sick and you have to take over their tasks, you should ensure that your virtual receptionist is doing their job correctly. If a client calls in and the virtual receptionist isn’t able to connect the client to the right person, you should make sure that they’re doing their job correctly.
#5 – Successful Conversion of Leads
It’s no secret that leads are crucial to the success of any business. Although you might have a lot of clients, only a few of them actually buy products or services from your company. For example, if a client calls in and is planning to buy your company’s products, the virtual receptionist should be able to connect the client to the right people.
As a business owner, it’s your job to ensure your clients can contact the right people. Since a virtual receptionist is there to help you with that, you should ensure that they send your clients to the right people. In turn, they might become regular clients.
Conclusion
Virtual receptionists are an excellent addition to any company because they offer the convenience that many companies need. It’s where your clients can reach you, regardless of their location or the time of day. As such, it pays to be discerning when hiring one.
If you’re looking for a virtual live receptionist, 24H Virtual can help you! Our virtual receptionists can handle various administrative tasks to help you operate your business more efficiently, all for affordable prices. Simply go to our website to book a free consultation!
