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HOW VIRTUAL RECEPTIONS ARE HELPING WIRRAL BUSINESS
Receptionists seem to be either too busy or have nothing to do . It ’ s unreasonable to expect a uniform flow of calls throughout a day ; they tend to come in peaks & troughs . Several lines can ring & once but then silence for ages . It ’ s a risk not answering all your calls as some of them will be customers . At the best it could frustrate them , at the worst loose a sale .
Many businesses therefore outsource their reception . This gives them a professional team on hand capable of answering the phone , irrespective of how many calls come through . The ‘ virtual ’ receptionists become a natural extension of the business , answering calls and servicing customers .
Whilst the phone service is quick to set up the team at Whitfield take the time to get to know a business so they can understand the company ’ s individual ethos and culture . This allows them to embody their goals & values when dealing with their customers . The customer should have the impression that they are speaking to someone within the company . The more that the virtual receptionists work for a company , the better they get to know & understand them . In turn this leads to even better service for that business ’ customers .
Receptionists also perform admin duties such as booking appointments , providing sales information , chasing & taking payments , responding to emails or managing social media accounts . They can also direct calls to staff seamlessly or take messages and field annoying sales calls . This leaves a company more time to concentrate on the core business .
Cost Savings Outsourcing can be a cost-effective solution for businesses , particularly for smaller businesses that may not have the budget to hire a large staff . Outsourcing telephone services and administrative tasks can save money on salaries and office space . There is no need to invest in expensive equipment or technology , as Whitfield ’ s cloud-based systems integrate with any landline , mobile & most popular PC based systems .
A typical virtual receptionist fee costs a fraction of employing a full time assistant , without any of employment challenges ; holidays , sickness , recruitment etc . Outsourcing reception therefore allows businesses to pay only for the services they need , when they need
them . Contracts are available on a monthly contract so no big commitment and there is a 14 day free trail to test how well it works .
Flexibility Outsourcing can provide businesses with the flexibility to scale their operations up or down depending on their needs . For example , if a business experiences a sudden increase in call volume or needs additional administrative support during a busy period , outsourcing can provide a quick and flexible solution . Virtual receptionists also allows businesses to easily add or remove services as needed , which can help them adapt to changing market conditions .
Nick Arnott from Wirral business Cars2Go has been utilising the virtual phone services for several years now . Nick said “ Being able to outsource our reception function to Whitfield takes a real burden off our staff . It ’ s great that they ’ re able to offer a professional front to our customers answering our calls and queries allowing us to carry on repairing cars .”
Future Looking to the future , the tech team at Whitfield are currently trialling artificial intelligence ( AI ) voice-bots , which have many advantages ; they can run 24 / 7 / 365 at the fraction of the cost of a human . They can switch to most popular world languages , thus helping inclusivity . They have API links allowing them to access software platforms to serve customers . They have safety nets to ensure that they refer to a human if they ’ re unable to help the customer . You may have experienced one if you ’ ve called your bank or credit card provider recently . Watch this space …
Virtual Receptionists Outsourcing telephone services and virtual assistants can provide numerous benefits for businesses particularly SMEs . Improved customer service , increased productivity , cost savings and flexibility are just a few of the benefits that outsourcing can provide . By outsourcing non-core business activities , businesses can focus on their core competencies and achieve greater success in their markets .
To see how this works Whitfield are offering a free , no obligation 14 day trial . Call ( and test ) their receptionists on 0151 342 6365 or find out more here : whitfieldbusinesshub . co . uk / phone-answering
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