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Virtual Receptionist

Great Virtual Receptionist Tips

Great Virtual Receptionist Tips

For any business that truly values efficiency, it is a no-brainer to have an IVR virtual receptionist.  This is why an increasing number of companies are relying on this type of automated phone attendant system for greeting callers, asking and answering questions, and routing individuals to the right department or agent.  However, the virtual receptionist is not all the same. Just ask any customer who has found themselves stuck on hold for long stretches at a time.  The following are some useful tips to help you take your virtual receptionist. To the next level to provide your customers with a great first impression and leave them with a positive experience.

First Record A Real Person’s Voice And Then Re-Record It

Great Virtual Receptionist Tips

One thing about IVRs that annoys many callers is that they feel as if they are speaking with a robot.  One of the most common criticisms made about virtual receptionist is that people want to be able to speak to a real person.  Having a live agent for answering the phone isn’t always possible. So until a caller is able to speak with a real human, make sure that the experience that they have is as close to being human as possible.  Use your own voice to record all of your menu options.  Then listen to your menu and be sure to re-record any of the parts. That is hard to understand, awkward or seem forced.  Don’t rush through this part.  It is the very first thing that a caller hears when reaching your business, so you want to make sure that you leave a good first impression.

Pay Close Attention To How You Word Your Menu Options

Great Virtual Receptionist Tips

Just like all conversations between an agent and a customer, the responses you set up to use on your virtual receptions should always be professional and courteous.  To take an obvious example: if you are selecting a response for when your IVR needs. The caller to repeat what he just said, don’t have it say “What?” That can sound rude. Instead use something like, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.  Can you repeat that please?”  Even when a machine is doing all of the talking, manners are still very important.

Keep Things Simple  

Callers want the same thing that you do, which is to be routed to the right individual as soon as possible. When there are too many menu options, your customers might feel like they are wandering through a maze that never ends.  Make sure that your menu options are kept simple, and have a few steps as possible from start to finish.

Fix Loops

Great Virtual Receptionist Tips

Many of today’s IVR systems offer touchtone versus speech recognition options.  Just make sure with speech recognition that your IVR doesn’t pick up background noise and think it is the caller’s voice (virtual receptionist).  That can result in looping and frustrate the caller.

Pay Close Attention To Benchmarks

According to a recent study, the average hold time across businesses of all different sizes is 56 seconds.  When you are trying to gauge how well you are serving your customers. And how fast you are at attending to their needs then benchmarks do matter.  To determine how well you stack up against benchmarks.  It can help you figure out what you need to do to improve your phone system.

Remember To Say Thank You

Great Virtual Receptionist Tips

We previously emphasized manners, and this relates to that, but there is another reason for why it also stands on its own.  Customers can get testy when they are on hold, so it is up to you to make sure that they know that their patience and business is appreciated.  Just simply saying thank you can go a long way.

Mobile Marketing

Virtual Receptionist Service Benefits for Organization

A virtual receptionist can be a cost-effective way that your small business get the best customer support without the added cost of more employees. Most small businesses are just that, a smaller company with very few employees or just one person. It may not be financially possible for small businesses to hire a full-time secretary or receptionist to handle the day-to-day calls. The customer service department is typically the first line of contact a customer has with a business. Unfortunately, small businesses aren’t usually able to afford full-time receptionists and customer service reps. This is where a virtual receptionist comes into play. A virtual and secure phone system for business can be a cost-effective way for small businesses and startups to get access to better customer service without breaking the bank. 

The benefits that a lot of companies witness when they use a virtual receptionist for their business : 

1. Save Money On Customer Service

They are able to handle a high volume of calls that are coming into your company at one time. You won’t have to worry about paying for vacations, sick days and other payroll overheads that come with having a full-time receptionist on staff. Rather than hiring a full-time receptionist to handle your business calls, you can use a virtual receptionist at a fraction of the cost. 

2. More Time to Focus on Work

If the company does not have an onsite secretary they can find them being pulled away from important tasks to answer the phone. Studies have shown that once you are distracted it takes a while to get back on task and back into that work mindset.  A virtual receptionist can alleviate the constant interruptions you face in your day to day work allowing you more time to focus on what is important to you, your business.

3. Always Calls Are Answered During Business Hours

With a virtual receptionist, you never have to worry about the receptionist going on break or on vacation. Phone lines will always be answered during the hours of operation.Hence Businesses typically find it an issue for their phones to be answered by someone Mon-Fri between 9 a.m and 5:30 p.m. Due to workers going to lunch and bathroom breaks. When receptionists go on vacation. You’ll have to hire a temp to fill in the gap, which can cause issues. Since he or she is unfamiliar with your company products and services. 

4. Better for Managing Time 

If you don’t have an on-site receptionist, you’ll locate that the usage of a virtual receptionist. It is very beneficial on for your time. In place of being tied to your desk or smartphone, you could have your calls taken for you. In the course of the day, you could get hold of notices with messages. So you can stay in touch with what’s been happening.

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