Business owners who have ever wanted to save time and money but still enjoy all of the basic benefits of an in-office receptionist will be glad to know that a virtual assistant—part of a virtual telephone service—will do just that. These assistants can greet callers, route calls properly and provide plenty of options without the margin of human error.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant—sometimes referred to as an auto attendant— is a facet of virtual telephone technology that provides callers with an opportunity to get information or be transferred to the person or department of their choosing without the intervention of a physical person. Each and every caller is automatically greeted and provided with a list of options from which to choose. As an example, they may be able to press one number for information, another number to place an order, and yet another number for customer service or technical support. If the caller must wait on hold, or if the requested party is unavailable, the caller will be provided with other options.
Friendly Greetings on Every Call
While receptionists are always very helpful, regardless of their professional training, they cannot always control the stress or emotion in their voices. If a receptionist is having a particularly stressful day, this may come across in the way they greet callers. Callers can easily pick up on emotion in telephone calls to businesses, and anything negative will have a lasting impact on the way a person views the business as a whole. With a virtual telephone and a virtual assistant, however, this is a thing of the past. Each and every caller is greeted with a friendly and pleasant voice, and an employee is not required to remain poised to transfer callers throughout business hours.
Economical
With all of the things that a virtual assistant can do for a business, many business owners make the mistake of assuming that these services must be very expensive. In fact, this service is often part of a comprehensive virtual telephone package and does not need to be purchased separately. The average salary of a receptionist in the United States is between $40,000 and $60,000 annually and a virtual phone system costs only a fraction of this—usually between $20.00 and $30.00 monthly. When comparing the difference in prices between the two options with their efficiency, it becomes quite easy to see which option is the better choice.
Customer-Friendly
Another common misconception that surrounds virtual telephones and auto attendant is that they are not customer friendly. Arguably, these systems are even more customer friendly than their live receptionist counterparts because there is zero margin for human error. For instance, while a receptionist could accidentally disconnect a call or leave a caller waiting on hold for longer than originally intended, the virtual assistant will instantly and seamlessly transfer callers to their requested destination. When there is no choice but to place a caller on hold, friendly reminders continue to ensure the caller that someone will be with them shortly.
A virtual telephone is a great way for any business to improve their communications through the use of a virtual assistant and many other features. The overall savings and cost-effectiveness of these services is inarguable as they are included with almost every virtual phone system package.
This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about 1800 numbers, local numbers and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge with small business owners on how to protect company image.