What Is a Virtual Receptionist?

A virtual receptionist is an outsourced customer support person who answers calls and/or takes messages for a business. These professionals can be located anywhere in the world and provide a unified, professional phone experience for a fraction of the cost of an in-house employee.

They are a great option for companies that have a high volume of calls about simple queries and want to ensure a caller always speaks to a real person – whether you’re an eCommerce retailer trying to stay on top of importing raw materials or a small marketing agency trying to meet deadlines for campaign launches. They’re also ideal for businesses that rely on a network of customers and clients that need to communicate quickly over the phone, such as law firms or accountancy companies.

Most virtual receptionist services will work with you to create an intuitive script that they can use for each of your accounts, so that every caller is handled in a consistent way and hears a familiar voice that reflects your brand. They will also keep a list of frequently asked questions so that they can help your callers quickly, which will reduce the number of calls being transferred to in-house staff or leaving a message that may never be returned.

In addition to ensuring that inbound calls are handled professionally, virtual receptionists can also assist your internal teams by handling appointments and arranging meetings. They can even screen enquiries using a pre-determined set of criteria to make sure that your sales team is only ever spending time with qualified leads. virtual receptionist