Wondering if hiring a live receptionist is the right move for your business? Read on as we list down five essential live receptionist services
Behind every thriving business, you’ll find an effective receptionist. Gifted in multi-tasking, a qualified receptionist is expected to juggle calls, schedule appointments, and maintain a business’ unique voice throughout the day.
The question then becomes: how can I ensure my receptionist is a Jack (or Jill) of all trades and will help my enterprise or small business thrive?
This is where a virtual receptionist becomes a necessary asset rather than a convenient commodity. When you see how many services a live receptionist can provide you and your company, it becomes clear why.
In this article, we’ll walk through five of these essential services. From handling inbound calls to managing appointments, explore the many ways your business can start down the path toward reaching your full potential.
#1 Inbound Calls
Perhaps the most heavily sought-after live virtual receptionist service is managing inbound calls. How can you ensure your incoming calls are getting answered while simultaneously keeping your overhead low?
Invest in an intuitive and knowledgeable professional to answer the phone. You may be surprised to see how a simple change can improve the retention rate and get consumers’ questions answered. This is where a professionally trained virtual receptionist can make a remarkable difference, whether you plan to hire a virtual medical receptionist, virtual real estate receptionist, or any other expert trained in your industry.
For an effective receptionist , the job’s not done when the phone stops ringing—that’s when the job begins. From the moment they pick up the phone, a diligent receptionist is expected to fulfill any number of tasks, including:
Providing attentive customer care
Answering industry-specific questions
Managing appointments and bookings
Connecting a client with a higher-up
Filling out intake forms
Amplifying a brand’s voice
Creating an overall positive experience for the caller
Any receptionist should provide well-rounded service over the phone. A live virtual receptionist, however, can do more than just that.
24/7/365 Coverage
Customer service doesn’t have to end when business hours are closed. When you implement a live virtual receptionist or virtual answering service into your business, the line of communication becomes open 24/7/365.
Availability on mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays is a valuable live receptionist service to implement into your business. Ensure you'll never again have to miss out on an opportunity to connect with customers or prospective clients.
People-Powered Communication
When you swap out your answering machine for a personable professional, you can expect to cultivate meaningful connections.
A recent study showed that 70% of consumers prefer traditional communication methods. Specifically, they preferred interaction with a customer service representative rather than automated voice systems or chatbots.
With the world of communication constantly changing, you can rely on a team of live receptionists to uphold the desirability of traditional means of communication, as well as take on newer mediums, such as:
Phone call – Many consumers prefer physically talking to customer service representatives when questions arise. Employ an entire team of experienced and passionate representatives trained in specific industry relations. You can rest easy knowing that they’ve got you covered.
Live chat – Talking on the phone might not be for everyone. When you implement a live chat feature on your website, you open the door to direct communication with a prospective client. A live receptionist can help answer questions in real-time and guide consumers through your site. Live chats can lead to improved rates of interactions and actionable follow-through.
Live texting – Through live texting, a virtual receptionist can send messages straight to a customer’s phone. This service is perfect for people on the go. Customers will receive direct instructions and solutions for their questions. Send out helpful links, detailed instructions, or research surveys with ease.
24/7 coverage can decrease overhead without sacrificing the essential person-to-person rapport, an invaluable pillar when it comes to customer retention.
#2 Outbound Calls
A virtual receptionist means that your business is now available for an influx of questions and phone calls. Plus, you can consider using your receptionist for proactive outreach as well.
Armed with the knowledge of your specific industry and company's voice, a virtual receptionist can help increase revenue and capture valuable leads.
Call Campaigns
Boost your outreach by utilizing live receptionists to carry out call campaigns. You can achieve any number of goals through call campaigns such as:
Completing customer surveys
Telemarketing
Conducting client research
Testing brand loyalty
Converting leads
Providing customer support
There are many ways in which your business can benefit from an effective outreach team. A diligent virtual receptionist with an extensive sales background can help you reach your campaign milestones so you can constantly be moving forward.
Sales Intake
With a built-in sales strategy provided by your business, a team of live virtual receptionists can help sell your product or service while making outbound calls. You can count on them to:
Customize calls – Maintaining your company's unique voice at the forefront, a live virtual receptionist will execute calls following your carefully developed sales strategy.
Curate prospective clients – Ensuring future conversations, a live receptionist will take note of any promising leads. They’ll schedule callbacks, add them to the outbound call rotation, and find ways to reach out consistently to nurture a budding professional relationship while ensuring customer satisfaction.
Widen your scope – With a team of live virtual assistants, you can reap the benefits of widening your net. Increased conversations will often lead to sales, interest, and customer retention.
Broaden your horizon. Implement a live virtual receptionist to execute your sales strategy—all while maintaining a personable attitude to nourish customer relations.
#3 Appointment Scheduling and Management
When you're growing a business, personal meetings with your clientele are an integral part of deepening your professional connection. With both in-person and digital meetings to coordinate, it’s easy to miss an available window or overbook.
Using your choice of scheduling tools, a live virtual receptionist will have the capability of booking appointments for you. This thorough receptionist process includes:
Coordinating timing with clients
Booking meetings directly into a pre-set calendar
Confirming appointments
Notifying you of any upcoming meetings
Rescheduling
Take away the stress of schedules with the help of a live virtual assistant trained to optimize workflow and respect your time and energy.
#4 CRM Integration Made Simple
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an essential part of a business at any stage. Having a live virtual receptionist means you don’t have to worry about relearning a new software system to keep customer interactions intact.
A virtual or remote receptionist can connect to your CRM of choice. Here are some services a live virtual receptionist can provide to ensure seamless CRM integration:
Centralizing data – Connect your valuable data, sales, and client information and store it all in one place. Having a centralized location for important content will make it easier for all of your employees to be on the same page.
Nourishing consumer relationships – When a virtual assistant inputs data into the CRM, all members of your company can reap the benefits. By seeing which existing or prospective clients need care and attention, the responsible party has the tools to reach out and make sure everyone feels as though their needs are being met.
Scheduling appointments – By connecting to your chosen software, a live receptionist can easily book appointments. Without having to manage multiple applications, scheduling meetings is a breeze.
Improving flow – With all of your important information organized in a user-friendly interface, you may find your workflow is more streamlined, quick, and effective for all parties.
With your CRM system intertwined with the skills of a talented virtual receptionist, you can focus your attention on the big picture rather than sorting through mounds of data to find the most relevant information for your current needs.
#5 Custom Reports and Analytics
A sound business consists of people, passion, and data. Call analytics may not seem flashy, but they can provide valuable insight into your consumers through call tracking. With data on customer location, interaction length, and the time of day, you can make informed decisions to yield increased revenue.
Thanks to the diligent and over-arching nature of a live virtual receptionist, you’ll receive detailed reports and analytics that you can use to create meaningful changes to your marketing strategy.
These customized reports and analytics are:
Thorough
Easy to read
Accessible anywhere through a mobile app or online portal
Neatly organized and managed by a team of live virtual receptionists
Perfect for building hard-hitting business strategies
Receive substantive intel on your business without going through the lengthy data collection process. With a live remote receptionist, you can feel free to focus on the larger vision without worrying about the everyday minutia.
Meet Nexa, Your New Virtual Assistant
Cultivating positive customer relations and constantly raising the bar for your employees is crucial for any company. A live virtual receptionist can bring experience, initiative, and improved workflow to the table so your business can continue to thrive.
If you’re looking to integrate any of these live receptionist services into your business, Nexa has you covered.
Our customer service team members dedicate themselves to providing your company with sound support. Utilize our 24/7 omnichannel services, booking methods, and industry-trained specialists to boost your business. With Nexa, you can grow your business your way with call center solutions for small businesses.
Nexa Receptionists Holdings, LLC (“Nexa”) welcomes Pravin Chandrasoma as its first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for its two brands: Nexa and Alert Communications.
