What is a virtual receptionist service?
A virtual receptionist service is a specialized business service that provides automated call answering and call handling services for clients with limited or no in-house receptionists. It has an advanced auto attendant system that allows callers to interact with an automated menu of options, which then directs them to the appropriate department or representative.
It is ideal for business owners to outsource live virtual receptionist services to a reliable service provider and set up a virtual office with a business phone having a toll-free number to receive all inbound calls. When chosen wisely, an auto attendant can also screen all incoming calls for you and route high-value calls to more qualified representatives, at a reasonable price.
It also offers value-added services such as after-hours coverage, appointment scheduling, email broadcasting and so on. These features are all customizable even if you are a small business. The cost of these added features vary depending on what your business needs.
The Benefits of a Virtual Answering Service
- Did you know that live chat services yield over 80% customer satisfaction and most customers believe that businesses should be available even beyond business hours?
- The most obvious benefit of a virtual receptionist service is the 24/7 availability and higher customer satisfaction.
- Virtual receptionists aren’t just answering phones, they are your full-time representatives who can handle any and all administrative tasks that require human interaction, such as scheduling appointments or taking messages.
- Virtual receptionists can also screen calls, which means that your clients won’t have to worry about receiving solicitations from telemarketers while they’re trying to reach you.
- They are trained in etiquette and customer service so that your clients can always get the help they need without being put on hold or transferred several times.
- Virtual receptionists can also be trained to handle calls and messages in a manner that makes it look like you’re at the office. This is especially useful if your business specializes in providing a personal touch rather than just selling products or services.
6 Best Virtual Receptionist Companies to Consider for Your Business
In today’s rapidly developing competitive market, tapping into potential customers is just as important as customer satisfaction is. While you can improve the performance of your business by making sure that the needs of your customers are being met, you can further improve your efficiency by acquiring more customers.
Not all businesses are the same, nor are all customers and their queries. You need to have specially trained professionals who can communicate with your customers in a calm and polite manner because they will not only resolve the customer queries but also represent your business.
It has been found that 91% of customers unhappy with a business would leave it without saying a word of complaint. Having a virtual receptionist can help you avoid that scenario.
So let’s take a look at some of the best options available for you to consider and choose from when it comes to a virtual receptionist.
1. Gabbyville
Gabbyville’s virtual receptionist comes in handy even if you’re a business working remotely. Not only can you personalize greetings, but you can also upload your preferred hold music for your customers to make sure it does not feel monotonous.
All your troubles involving answering calls, taking messages and scheduling appointments are seamlessly taken care of by Gabbyville’s virtual receptionists.
They are not only trained to be polite and professional, but they can also take negative comments of your angry customers and turn them into a happy and satisfied customer with a smile on their face. Business owners can attract more customers with a happy and satisfying experience.
Pros
- Knowledgeable, quick with responses
- Reasonable prices
- Customer friendly
- CRM integration
Cons
- Occasional email errors
- Some emails might be routed to spam
2. AnswerConnect
Get round-the-clock virtual support for your customers with AnswerConnect without any extra charges. It lets you capture every potential client by making sure that no incoming or outbound calls are left unattended.
With AnswerConnect, you get your own customized receptionist, tailor-made specifically to suit your needs and to detail interactions between your customers and receptionists.
You can greet your customers with a real person instead of a chatbot and stay informed with instant updates via app notifications and manage your phone calls through the app.
Pros
- Gives you a professional voice to communicate with your customers
- Flexible and scalable plans that can be changed anytime
- Eco-friendly practices contributing towards a better future for the world
Cons
- Poor customer service
- Trouble with scripts
- Cannot check pricing without providing contact information
3. Grasshopper
Get dedicated phone numbers to segregate your personal and professional calls with Grasshopper. You can stay on top of all activities with your instantly synced computer and mobile apps.
With Grasshopper, you can either record your own greeting for your customers or choose from the pre-existing professional voice studio.
Feel free to utilize Grasshopper’s virtual phone system with VoIP voicemail and much more to avoid piling up of calls. Grasshopper also enables call transfers and assigning a dedicated extension for a different department or individual based on the needs of your business activities.
Pros
- Easy implementation and setup tools
- Quick customer support and service
- Easy texting and call forwarding features
Cons
- No analytical features in the app
- Text messages go missing occasionally
4. Ruby
Ruby integrates with your existing software and tools to make your workflow easier. Their live website chat integration lets you communicate with the visitors of your website to make sure that you don’t miss out on any of your potential customers.
It takes a well trained professional conversationalist to turn even a brief and short conversation into a huge opportunity or victory and Ruby provides you one.
Pros
- Outstanding customer service
- Professional and friendly virtual receptionist
- Proactive chat feature with real time consumer-centric chat
Cons
- No free trials
- Gets more costly with increased usage
- Lacks bilingual support
5. ReceptionHQ
ReceptionHQ houses receptionists with fluency in multiple languages. By eliminating your concern of language barrier, they make sure that you do not lose a potential customer merely on the grounds of a language barrier.
The virtual receptionists hired represent your entire organization and thus they are trained to ensure utmost proficiency.
Language is also not an issue with ReceptionHQ since their virtual receptionists are trained to speak even Spanish, just as fluently as English.
Pros
- Live answering services to handle overflow of calls
- Instant and accurate messages
- Easy to setup
Cons
- Some customers report undertrained receptionists
- Poor customer service
- Irrelevant charges
6. Smith.AI
Smith.AI enables you to respond to all your calls with their call answering service and in addition to that it also helps in visual stat ascertainment. You can analyze your calls with metadata supplied through charts and tables, improve your accuracy and efficiency.
You also get a free AI chatbot with any paid plan that can give common information to the visitors of your website and attract new potential customers for your business.
With Smith.AI’s client dashboard, you get access to real-time updates on every activity with in depth accuracy.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great customer services
- Quick response
Cons
- Limited communication features
- Limited services in free plan
Choose Gabbyville’s Professional Call Center for Your Virtual Receptionist Needs
Gabbyville is one of the leading providers of virtual receptionist services. Whether you’re a start-up company or an established business with multiple locations, Gabbyville can provide your company with professional virtual receptionists to greet your customer calls and schedule appointments for you and much more—all at rates that are more cost-effective than you can imagine.
Gabbyville’s virtual receptionist services ensure that all of your calls are handled professionally and courteously, at any given time of the day (and night).
Your customers will have an easy and hassle free time making appointments, asking questions and you can be assured they’ll always be greeted by a friendly voice. Every one of Gabbyville’s professionals have been carefully selected and trained to deliver a seamless experience on the phone, so that you don’t have to worry about the quality of service you provide.
