How Much Time Do Phone Calls Eat Up in a Day?

You might be surprised. Sure, answering the phone seems like it would only take a minute or two, tops. But when you add up all of those calls throughout the day, between taking messages, managing your calendar, and promising to call people back, it can really start to add up.

Have you ever wished that you had a receptionist to answer all of your calls and take messages for you? It’s possible with a Virtual Receptionist! Simply forward your phone line and they’ll answer for you, taking messages and scheduling meetings and appointments for you. It’s just like having an actual receptionist outside your office door.

How else can a Virtual Receptionist help with your business tasks? Here are a few ideas:

1. A Virtual Receptionist Can Help Maintain Your Workflow

Don’t you just love that feeling when you’re in “the zone” at work? When your you’re on a roll, your workflow is going smoothly, your focus is sharp, and your motivation and productivity is through the roof? When you get in that mindset, you want to stay there, but the realities of being a small business owner can often rudely intrude. You might get a call in the middle of your workflow and, because you don’t have a receptionist, you have to answer it. Even if you say “I’ll call you back in a hour”, it still interrupts your workflow.

Having a virtual receptionist completely eliminates this interruption factor. If someone calls you, your VR will be the one who answers it. If it’s an important call, there are ways that you can set up your phone system so that they can put the call through to you, but if you gave them instructions not to interrupt you while you’re working, they’ll simply take a message and summarize everything for you to look at when you’re done.

2. They Can Answer Calls When You’re Out of the Office

We all have cell phones, but do you really want the world at large to have access to you 24/7? When you’re out of the office, people still call your business line. If someone doesn’t answer, you run the risk of missing out on a potential client or deal, simply because you weren’t available to pick up the phone.

A Virtual Receptionist can be there for you so that those important phone calls are never missed. Your VR can simply take a message for you and, if it’s important, they’ll be sure to get a hold of you to let you know that there’s something time sensitive that you should attend to. With virtual reception services, you’ll never miss out on business again!

3. A Virtual Receptionist Costs Less

When you hire a receptionist, in addition to spending time training them and getting them caught up on the particulars of your business, there are other time and investment costs. A full-time employee needs to be put on payroll, you have to pay for their breaks, make tax and benefit contributions, etc. Those costs can really add up, especially if you’re a small business.

There are no such costs with a Virtual Receptionist. They’re already trained to handle business calls, they know exactly what to say to your customers or clients, and because they aren’t an employee, you aren’t responsible for paying out any benefits! Not only that, you can also save space in your office as a VR won’t need a desk and equipment. A Virtual Receptionist is incredibly cost effective.

4. A Virtual Receptionist Impresses Clients

Which one of these greetings sounds better to you?

“Hello, you’ve reached An Example Business Inc. How may I direct your call?”

OR

“Hi, this is Jill/Bill.”

If you responded positively to the first professional greeting, you’re right. The clear, business-like voice of a receptionist can’t be overstated. When a call is answered by a receptionist, the person on the other end instantly makes a positive judgement call about your business. Not only that, a Virtual Receptionist is trained in excellent customer service! They know from experience how to talk to potential customers and leave them with the best impression of your business.

The benefits of hiring a Virtual Receptionist are clear. You get enhanced customer service and increased productivity for a fraction of the cost of a real receptionist. You just need to make sure that you have the best Virtual Receptionist in Toronto! I offer virtual incoming call management, with a professionalism and polish that you’d expect from the very best receptionists.

Feel free to give me a call and we can start to make better use of your time by leaving your phone management to a dedicated professional.