Hiring a virtual receptionist to manage your calls has become a common practice for a lot of professionals. Business2Community reports that the “increase in virtual teams is so massive for a reason…it allows businesses to find the best talent without geographical limitations.”So, you know there are benefits. But how do you know when it’s time for your small business to get a virtual receptionist? Here are 3 ways to tell.
1. You’re missing calls
This one might be obvious, but if you’re missing calls, you’re missing out on business. We understand that not everyone can be glued to their phone all day. Ed Black of Environmental Air, an Nexa Receptionists customer of over 20 years, explained, “When we’re on the job, we’re on roofs and on the road. It’s impossible to get to the phone all of the time while we’re working. We can’t take notes or schedule appointments as needed.”This makes sense! You’re elbows deep in your business as a small business owner. And if you’re an entrepreneur, you’re constantly researching, networking, and working and reworking your vision. You don’t have the time to catch every call.This, however, is a mistake. 75% of customers believe it takes too long to reach a live voice, and if you don’t have anyone dedicated to managing incoming calls, it’s guaranteed that you will get to potential customers too late.If you’re missing calls on a regular basis, it’s time for you to explore your options.
2. Distractions plague your team
How busy is your team? How much time do you lose every day to distractions? If you can’t answer that quickly, you likely need a virtual receptionist. “When engineering teams have to provide support, it’s often seen as a chore,” we’ve reported. “Your team wants to be building and working on their product, not helping customers.”Despite what they want, more often than not talking calls falls to everyone if you don’t have a designated position in-house.SmallBizClub says that “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to a task after a distraction.” Hopefully, you’re getting a lot of calls, leads, and interest in your business. But if the phone is ringing multiple times a day, your team is losing hours of productivity just to manage calls.
3. Your business is growing
Your business is thriving! Congratulations! The life of an entrepreneur or small business owner is certainly stressful, and meeting your business goals is a reason to celebrate.But a growing business means more money to manage, and new team members to train. You’ll have to continue to invest in marketing as well, and keep your product or service top-notch to maintain your new success.The most crucial factor in a growing business? More customers. You have to guarantee new clients can reach you, or you’ll lose momentum.A 2011 American Express Survey reports that “in the last year, 67% of customers have hung up the phone out of frustration they could not talk to a real person.” Your potential customers might have heard rave reviews about your business, but if they can’t get a hold of a live voice, they’re going to take their business elsewhere. So, you need a virtual receptionist. Now what?The next step is to learn about different virtual receptionist services. You have a lot of options on the market, but make sure you are choosing the right kind of service for you and your business.You also need to decide what kind of service you’re looking for. Many virtual reception services don’t have live voice call answering available for after hours, which is confusing since virtual receptionists are supposed to be about supporting your business, 24/7/365.Check out virtual receptionists on Consumer Affairs and find the right fit for you. If your small business is growing, getting distracted, or missing calls, it’s time to find a virtual receptionist to elevate your customer experience.
