Operating a business in today’s economy is a 24/7 affair. Thanks to the internet and cell phones, clients expect to get answers to their questions quickly, if not instantly. For this reason, many businesses are hiring an answering service that provides what’s essentially a virtual receptionist. At Voice Link of Columbus, Inc., we know how finding a good virtual receptionist can make all the difference in your customer retention. By getting to know your answering service and the live operators, or receptionists, they employ, you’ll have peace of mind that your business and your clients are in the right hands.

Cost savings

Virtual receptionists can handle a higher call volume and answer phones 24/7, and may cost substantially less than hiring someone to do the same job in person. Virtual receptionists can work from a remote location in a call center by using software that’s linked to your computer and phone system that routes your incoming calls to the operators. You’re spared the cost of benefits, employee taxes, or overhead expenses. But your clients most likely won’t know the person on the other end of the line isn’t actually in your office.

Convenience

The convenience of a virtual receptionist is impressive. They can cover breaks or staff meetings for you, screen calls so you don’t waste time, take messages, and handle after-hours calls.  They also help avoid a robotic answering machine from greeting your customers when you are busy. Hiring an answering service is a proven way to retain customers and build loyalty. Customers feel cared for when their calls are answered. On the other hand, when customers call a business and receive voice mail or are put on hold, 34% of them hang up and do not call back.

An extension of your business, 24/7

It’s a competitive world, and your customers have many choices. Giving them the wrong impression of how you do business can send them packing. If your customers are calling after hours with an urgent matter, they need to know that they are in good hands and that their call will be answered promptly and professionally. If your virtual receptionist sounds tired, unfriendly, or directs a call to the wrong staff member, that’s a strike against your business’s reputation.

Find a live virtual receptionist that speaks to your customers as if they’re his or her customers. In reality, they are, and the right answering service will get to know your practices and priorities. Regardless of the nature of your business, a live person gives your customers the assurance that their concerns will be heard and then directed to your on-call staff when appropriate, not just sent into the voicemail cycle.

How your calls are handled reflects on the reputation of business, and using the right call center can make the difference between losing and keeping a customer. Knowing that you care enough to provide full attention 24/7 while keeping their information confidential keeps your customers happy, which grows your business.

Voice Link offers 26 years of experience in medical answering services and provides live answering services that exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.

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