What is a Virtual Receptionist?
Jan 13, 2023 • 6 min read
A virtual receptionist is a remote employee who answers phone calls directly without navigating through multiple menus. Virtual receptionists tend to have excellent organizational skills and are far cheaper than traditional receptionists.
Virtual receptionists are also great for small businesses that want to provide good-quality customer support to their customers.
What does a virtual receptionist do?
A virtual receptionist is someone working remotely who provides customer service via phone, typically handling inquiries over the phone. These workers are usually employed by companies, often call centers, to answer questions about products or services. They are responsible for answering customers’ questions, taking orders, and generally providing general information.
Virtual receptionists normally work from home, though some teleworkers travel to clients’ offices to provide support. Many virtual receptionists use online chat software like Skype or Slack to communicate with customers. Some even offer live chats where customers can speak directly to the worker.
The job duties of a virtual receptionist vary depending on the industry and the type of organization. For example, call center employees might be expected to take orders, schedule appointments, take outbound and inbound calls, and transfer calls. Call center managers might be expected to oversee the entire process. In retail, virtual receptionists may be required to help customers find items on shelves or in stockrooms.
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Virtual Receptionist Responsibilities
A virtual receptionist is a person who works remotely from home and provides customer support via phone or email. He/she typically takes incoming calls, schedules appointments, sends out marketing materials, and qualifies leads. They can cover a variety of tasks depending on what you need.
The most common job description for a virtual receptionist includes the following responsibilities:
• Answering customer calls
• Scheduling appointments
• Qualify leads
• Send emails
• Take notes
• Manage calendars
• Handle billing issues
• Provide training and mentoring
• Create reports
• Perform data entry
• Respond to social media inquiries
• Other miscellaneous duties
• General social media management
• Writing blog posts
There are many different responsibilities that virtual receptionists must handle. Some companies hire virtual receptionists because they want to save money. Others use them to provide better customer service and to take care of their everyday tasks.
What are the benefits of a virtual receptionist?
Virtual receptionists are becoming increasingly popular among businesses looking to cut costs while improving customer service. They provide a cost-effective way to manage incoming calls, emails, and texts without having to hire full-time receptionists. In addition, virtual receptionists allow companies to expand into new markets and offer additional services such as live chat, email support, and social media marketing.
Here are some of the ways virtual receptionists benefit businesses:
• Save Money – A virtual receptionist saves money because it allows employees to work remotely and focus on core tasks rather than answering phones. This frees up resources for other important projects within the organization.
• Improve Customer Service – A virtual receptionist improves customer service because customers receive better quality assistance than they might otherwise receive over the phone. Customers often feel like they are talking to a real person, which makes them more likely to return and recommend your business to others.
• Expand Your Business – A virtual receptionist gives you the opportunity to grow your business into new markets. By offering different types of services, you can reach out to potential clients in new ways. For example, many virtual receptionists now offer live chat, email support and social media marketing services.
• Increase Productivity – Having a virtual receptionist increases productivity because employees no longer spend hours each day handling routine inquiries. Employees can use the extra time to complete more challenging tasks.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
Virtual receptionists are usually cheaper and freelancers usually charge an hourly rate. Costs also depending the types of tasks you need to be done as well as the number of hours you want your virtual receptionist to be available.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed admin assistants that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well. Since DigiWorks’ talent are from emerging countries, the rates are much lower than the US minimum wage and you don’t have to deal with the risk of dealing with scammers or incompetent freelancers.
What are the benefits of a virtual receptionist?
Virtual receptionists are becoming increasingly popular among businesses looking to cut costs while improving customer service. They provide a cost-effective way to manage incoming calls, emails, and texts without having to hire full-time receptionists. In addition, virtual receptionists allow companies to expand into new markets and offer additional services such as live chat, email support, and social media marketing.
Here are some of the ways virtual receptionists benefit businesses:
• Save Money – A virtual receptionist saves money because it allows employees to work remotely and focus on core tasks rather than answering phones. This frees up resources for other important projects within the organization.
• Improve Customer Service – A virtual receptionist improves customer service because customers receive better quality assistance than they might otherwise receive over the phone. Customers often feel like they are talking to a real person, which makes them more likely to return and recommend your business to others.
• Expand Your Business – A virtual receptionist gives you the opportunity to grow your business into new markets. By offering different types of services, you can reach out to potential clients in new ways. For example, many virtual receptionists now offer live chat, email support and social media marketing services.
• Increase Productivity – Having a virtual receptionist increases productivity because employees no longer spend hours each day handling routine inquiries. Employees can use the extra time to complete more challenging tasks.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
Virtual receptionists are usually cheaper and freelancers usually charge an hourly rate. Costs also depending the types of tasks you need to be done as well as the number of hours you want your virtual receptionist to be available.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed admin assistants that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well. Since DigiWorks’ talent are from emerging countries, the rates are much lower than the US minimum wage and you don’t have to deal with the risk of dealing with scammers or incompetent freelancers.
Ready to build your remote team?
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that remote workers are no different than anyone else. They still require the same basic workplace skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, planning, and decision-making. But they also need to possess certain traits specific to remote workers. For example, remote workers must be comfortable multitasking, self-motivated and flexible.
To ensure that you hire the best candidates for your team, consider hiring someone who already works remotely. You’ll save yourself the hassle of training and onboarding them. And if you decide to go down the remote route, make sure you offer flexibility and transparency throughout the process.
Remote workers are an important part of a growing number of businesses. They help employees work faster, improve customer experience, and save money. If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to hiring one, DigiWorks is an amazing solution. The DigiWorks team will connect you with a global talent pool so you can find someone who is a great fit for you and your business!
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About DigiWorks
DigiWorks is an easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and start ups hire amazing remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to hire, manage and pay people from all countries. If you find an amazing virtual assistant from Philippines, a content writer from Nigeria, or operations manager from South Africa – manage and pay your entire team from one platform with no hassle.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed remote workers that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well.