6 Ways A Virtual Receptionist Can Help You Grow Your Business
Your customers are trying to get in touch with you. But if you run a small to medium-sized business startup, then the number of customers that you have calling you at any one time could be too much for you to handle. You may not have the staff or the resources to answer all of the calls that you have coming in, and callers might not get through. This can lead to frustrated customers and inefficiency in your business.
There is a simple solution. Making use of a professional virtual receptionist like Virtual Headquarters to handle your inbound calls will take the burden of you and your team and will allow you to turn your startup into a success.
Here are 6 ways that a virtual receptionist can help you grow your business.
A Virtual Receptionist Can Free up Your Valuable Resources
If you have a small team, then you will no doubt have a lot on your plate. When you’re just starting out in business, things can get pretty hectic, and you’ll be working hard to deliver your products and services while trying to find the right avenues to grow your business.
But when your phone is ringing, and you keep needing to take calls, you might end up feeling as though you’re always behind compared to where you want to be. Your most valuable resource is you and your small team, and if you are tied up on phone calls, you may not be getting much work done.
A virtual receptionist can lighten the load and remove you from this unproductive stalemate. Your calls will be answered promptly and professionally, leaving you to focus on developing your business.
A Virtual Receptionist Can Stop Your Customers Going Elsewhere
Potential customers can get pretty frustrated by not getting the service that they need. They are calling your business for a reason, and if they are not able to get through, they will go and find a company that offers the same services which will answer their phones.
Similarly, if customers are left on hold for long periods, then this will quite rightly make them impatient. They may feel as though you don’t care about them, and when they do get through to your staff, they may already be upset, so much so, that the smallest thing may trigger them to become angry.
Don’t lose your customers to other companies. Having your calls answered by a virtual receptionist will stop this from happening. Your customers will feel like their being dealt with, and you can continue to grow your customer base.
Virtual Receptionists Aid Staff Retention
Poor implementation of customer service resources can lead to irate customers who will take it out on your staff. This, in turn, will lead to your employees no longer enjoying their job. It is not the fault of your employees if they are not able to answer all of the calls in enough time while still trying to manage all of the aspects of their work.
If your team are being met by a barrage of angry or upset customers, then this could well hurt their morale. People do not come into work every day to have to deal with this type of frustration, and you owe it to your employees to make sure that you provide adequate customer service resources that will be able to meet the demands of your business.
If you are not providing the right support and resources, you will find that you lose excellent staff. High staff turnover is not only bad from a staff morale point of view, but it’s also financially inefficient.
By using virtual receptionists, your calls will be answered by a professional, straight away. This prompt service will mean that your customers are not left hanging on, building up frustration. Then, if they have a concern that needs to be dealt with, your professional virtual receptionist service will be able to calmly engage with your customer to ensure they feel heard and understood.
A Virtual Receptionist Can Keep Tabs On Your Life
Your virtual receptionist will be able to schedule appointments with your clients in your diary. This additional service can be a real help as it means that there is no back and fore on the phone while you find a slot in your schedule.
You may be busy in meetings with your other clients, and missing that urgent call could cost your business quite a bit. Having your virtual receptionist manage your diary will help you stay ahead of the game.
You Can Choose What You Want Your Virtual Receptionist To Do
When you have a virtual receptionist, you’ll be able to determine precisely what you want them to do. A basic package will see your calls answered professionally and either forwarded on to you or messages relayed via SMS or email.
Additional services can see your virtual receptionist providing basic company information or even answers to set questions. This will help to eliminate the need for you to deal with many of the more basic customer queries.
Your Customers Can Get In Touch At Anytime
Your business will more than likely only be open for a set few hours of the day. Round the clock staff coverage is expensive, and for a business, the size of yours may be very unnecessary. Nobody can blame you for keeping to a regular set of trading hours.
With a 24/7 answering service, your customers will be able to get in touch when it is convenient for them, and not just during your business’ opening hours.
With people living such busy and varied lives, having the option available for them to call whenever needed will be of great benefit to your customers. This convenience will mean that they are happy, and you don’t lose them as a customer.
You’ll get any messages from customers and calls that need to be returned passed on to you via SMS or email, meaning you will always be in the loop.
