Have you ever wondered how a virtual answering service can help your small business? Read further to know more about the answering services as to what they have to offer, and how much they cost.
Virtual answering services can answer inbound calls, manage email communications, monitor social media and cover live web chats. Small businesses can use these services to augment their customer service or outsource it completely. The cost of these virtual services varies depending on the complexity of service and typical call volume.
What is a virtual answering service?
A virtual answering service offers small businesses a way to outsource the answering of their phones. These services are relatively simple, such as basic answering and message-taking. They can be even more complex, such as delivering complete customer service.
You can think of a virtual answering service as your offsite receptionist. They can answer phones, transfer important calls to you and even schedule new clients.
These virtual answering services are generally used by businesses that either cannot handle their incoming call volume or simply want to hire professional customer service to manage their incoming phone calls for them. Additionally, many virtual answering services offer omnichannel support which includes email management, social media moderation and live web chat management.
These services are relatively flexible and can be tailored to a company’s specific needs. In certain cases, these needs are simple and straightforward, even to the point of being automated. While in other cases, a dedicated professional might be required to carry out a guided conversation with callers.
In layman terms, a virtual service is a cloud-based or online service in which calls directed to your number are picked up by an automated response or third-party operative to take messages, forward calls on, or otherwise handle your telephone communications. This can be as simple as a voice mailbox that receives messages from your callers that you can dial into later on, or a remote receptionist who answers calls using a greeting or Small business’s name you dictate in line with your prescribed protocols.
Here are some common services provided by a virtual answering service:
Interactive voice response: An IVR is a common call routing tool that ensures the call is delivered to the right contact without any intervention. These are usually the cheapest to implement and maintain as they don’t require an agent to answer the phone on behalf of your company.
Call forwarding: When a message isn’t enough to address the caller's needs, some answering services offer call forwarding. This allows a representative to ascertain a caller's needs and then direct the call to the right person who works for your business.
Appointment scheduling: For small businesses that rely on appointment scheduling for meeting with clients, many virtual answering services are able to access your calendar tool and set appointments during available business hours.
After hours or overflow answering: If you usually have your phone lines under control but need assistance during the peak hours or after your business has closed for the day, a virtual answering service can be appointed for those specific purposes as well.
Frequently asked questions: It is a slightly more advanced service, some answering services answer a list of FAQs provided by the clients. representatives can field these questions and assist callers rather than taking a message or forwarding every call.
Order management: If you run an e-commerce store, an answering service agent can assist callers who need help placing their order.They help the clients walk through the purchase to ensure their order is properly received. Some of these services offer upselling and cross-selling services as well.
Customer service: On the more advanced end of the spectrum is a full customer service outsourcing option. This answering service typically requires a dedicated or semi dedicated professional, because it requires familiarity with your business and industry. They can perform the same tasks you'd expect of an in-house customer service agent, from answering questions to fielding complaints.
Conclusions
For small businesses with limited resources, hiring an in-house customer service specialist could be cost-prohibitive. Outsourcing to a quality virtual answering service like US-Answer, lends that same professionalism and attention to detail that an internal customer service agent would provide.
Some businesses only require one of these services, while others can combine several of them. Answering services tend to be flexible, so if your needs change so too can your answering service. You can visit our website at https://usanswer.com/ to book services at one go.