Manage staff more effectively with a Virtual Receptionist
Almost any large business that is looking to save money and improve efficiency looks to its staffing first. The people that you interview, hire, and train are helping the cogs of your business move, but your staff needs a break. As part of the contract that you give your team, you allow them to take a chunk of time every year to have time off from their jobs. One of the most important members of staff – other than your core team – is your receptionist, and it’s their efficiency that your business relies on the most.
Whether they want to go and lie on a beach or go on a mad climb through the Galapagos, you need to give the reception team in your office the chance to get away from it all. The problem is that you can’t spare the rest of the team to take over their job, and you don’t want to give them the time off only to come back to a mountain of messages.
The solution? A virtual receptionist.
What Is A Virtual Receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is a service made up of one or more people who can answer your calls and take your messages, run your calendar, and supply necessary business information to callers when your minimum reception team is absent. Your receptionist deserves a break, which is why you need to invest in a great virtual receptionist for holiday and sickness cover when they do. When you use a virtual receptionist, your regular reception team can come back to work refreshed, relaxed, and ready to go knowing that there is no pile-up of work.
Why A Virtual Receptionist Makes Sense For Your Business
A virtual receptionist works to make your life easier, and all they need is basic training on your business needs. When they answer the telephone to customers and clients, they can then provide the correct information in the same way your regular team could. There are so many excellent benefits to using a virtual receptionist and their services when you are seeking holiday and sickness cover, so let’s explore those now!
The Ideal Employee
You have a service that can be available to your business needs no matter the time of day or night when you hire a virtual receptionist. You’re not hiring just one person to cover your receptionist when they’re away; you’re hiring a service. This is made up of more than one person who can cover your business needs in an efficient, helpful, and friendly way. The virtual receptionist can provide you with all the individual services that your business will need. You can continue to offer a professional reception service at any given time, which keeps your business moving in the right direction without taking away from other staff members. You cannot afford to miss any calls from those who could boost your profits, and a virtual receptionist ensures that this doesn’t happen.
Choose Your Service
Your receptionist may not be away for a while, and it’s in these instances you may choose to hire a voicemail-only service to cover their absence. However, a virtual receptionist can provide your business with so much more than just an unanswerable voicemail.
Financial Benefits
When you choose to bring on a virtual reception team to cover your receptionist and their holiday/sickness, you are going to save yourself a lot of money. It costs much less to hire a virtual receptionist than it does to bring on an additional full-time employee. You can be covered for an extended period if necessary, without having to pay for pensions, training, and the costs of hiring someone in the first place.
Accessing Professional Talent
You may have chosen to hire a temporary person to fill the void your receptionist left for some time. However, there is a chance that this won’t work out for you. When you choose to use a virtual receptionist, you are hiring trained professionals. They already know how to be efficient and involved in your business activity. They know how to interpret a call and remain calm. You also get the chance to access professional talent across the globe: there’s no limit to your reach. This kind of experience is not something that you can gain from hiring a temp.
Flexibility
A virtual receptionist is there for you when you need them. They are as flexible as you need; if your receptionist falls ill, you can call a virtual receptionist for last-minute cover. You can get a seamless and professional service for your customers without needing anyone to come into your business and change things. Not only is this good for your existing staff, but it’s also great for your team who cannot drop a vital project to cover the phone lines.
Tailored To Meet Your Needs
Perhaps the most exciting part of using a virtual receptionist is that you can tailor the service that they offer to your needs. If you only need someone to intercept calls and answer politely, you can pay for this service. You can have a virtual receptionist re-route calls to your staff, take messages and pass them on, and even screen your nuisance sales callers. Virtual receptionists are trained to spot sales callers a mile off, giving you a chance to maintain an air of professionalism and not clog the phone lines.
Reduction In Overheads
When you bring on a virtual receptionist, you can cut down your costs on a physical location for them to be based. Usually, a business that requires night-time reception coverage has to pay for 24-hour electricity, rent, and other services to ensure that the staff is comfortable. With a virtual receptionist, you can save yourself money on that overnight service and still receive the same perfect service you’re used to receiving.
A virtual receptionist is an asset to a business that requires holiday and sickness cover as they can continue in a way you are used to – which is essential for business continuity and support.
