August 29, 2024
At Conversational, we provide both virtual receptionist and virtual assistant services to small businesses and startups. We know about the best virtual receptionist features that are available and which ones matter the most to your business.
If you’re looking for information about virtual assistants – remote professionals that act as your administrative assistant – this isn’t your blog to read. This post provides information about virtual receptionists – or remote professionals that handle your reception and front desk duties.
When you’re searching for the right virtual receptionist provider, you’ll be inundated with tons of claims that sound good but lack substance. If you know the top virtual receptionist features to look for, you won’t be easy to fleece.
These are the top 10 virtual receptionist features to look for, so listen up (and keep an eye out).
Top 10 Virtual Receptionist Features to Look For
1. Live call answering
Not to be confused with automated ‘call answering,’ live call answering should be the number one priority on your list as you search for a virtual receptionist. Many customers admit to hanging up immediately when they notice it’s not a real person on the other line. A hang up never converts into a sale.
How Conversational does it
We can either a) Forward your current phone number to our virtual receptionists, enabling them to take your calls, or b) Use an assigned Conversational business phone number or toll-free number which routes directly to your virtual receptionist. One of our professional receptionists will answer your call before the third ring with a greeting that you can completely customize for your business.
2. Basic customer service
Of all the virtual receptionist features, this one may be the most important to your callers – the ability to provide basic customer service over the phone. If someone calls inquiring about your business hours, what your company does, or location details, a virtual receptionist should be able to answer those questions with ease and keep the caller moving through the sales funnel.
How Conversational does it
Conversational started as a small business, so we understand small business owners’ concerns and needs better than most. We know that impersonal greetings and the inability to provide basic information about a company reeks of bad business, so we strive to learn about each business we serve to ensure we’re always able to offer an answer for a caller. You’ll be able to customize everything about your plan, from the business promotions the receptionist describes to your callers to the amount of time you need receptionists on duty each month.
3. Warm transfers
A “warm transfer” occurs when a call is personally reported to the receiver and then transferred accordingly instead of simply transferred using a button. A good virtual receptionist will perform warm transfers for you to ensure you’re never being transferred when you’re unavailable or busy.
How Conversational does it
We’ll ask you about your preferences in the onboarding process to find out the information you want delivered to you during a warm transfer – caller’s name, organization, reason for call, etc.
Example: “Hi James, I’ve got Lily on line 2 for you concerning the supply order. Would you like me to patch her over now or take a message?”
If you’re unable to take the call right then, we will take down the caller’s information for you and a detailed message, if possible. Both will be delivered to your email immediately so you can handle the call at a more convenient time.
4. Customized call handling
Just as worthy virtual receptionist providers should ensure customer questions about your business can be answered, they should also be able to customize the way your calls are handled. You wouldn’t treat staff or department members the same way you’d treat customers over the phone, so different methods may be necessary. Perhaps you have a strict policy for greetings and goodbyes (Ex.: Chik-Fil-A employees must say “My pleasure”) or just want a virtual receptionist to mention your company promotions when they greet a caller.
How Conversational does it
We will take down all your instructions for call handling, from greetings to screenings. You can give our virtual receptionists instructions on how to answer calls from specific numbers, staff members, department heads, and more. We help make it possible to streamline your reception area.
5. Set temporary call instructions
Any list of virtual receptionist features would be incomplete without a mention of being able to set temporary call instructions as you would if you were stepping out of the office for a moment, taking a personal day, or requesting not to be disturbed until 11am. It’s little features like this that can help give the impression that your virtual receptionist is working from your office.
How Conversational does it
Just email us the directions you want followed – no details required. Tell us that you will be out of the office and how you want calls delivered to you in the meantime. We’re real people, not robots. We can change the way we handle your calls at the drop of a hat.
6. Returning calls on your behalf
Every business owner has been in the situation of sitting down at the end of the day to make what feels like 10,000 return phone calls – it’s not fun. One of the most helpful virtual receptionist features to look for is the ability to return calls on your behalf. It saves you serious time and effort.
How Conversational does it
Email or call us with your list of return calls to be made and a brief note for how each should be handled. We can reach out directly to the other party to reschedule appointments, deliver updates or information, ask a follow-up question, and more. We will come back with a completed list and details on how each call was handled and closed.
7. Appointment booking and scheduling
Any virtual receptionist provider worth their salt should be able to handle appointment booking and scheduling for you. No matter your industry – medical, beauty, service, creative – virtual receptionists can take, book, reschedule, and cancel appointments for you. The appointments can be yours to attend or appointments made by customers at your business.
How Conversational does it
We use remote access to your current scheduling and appointment software to handle your appointments. We can use any software you’re already comfortable with, or show you some great options to try. Using software like this allows us to handle your appointments and scheduling in real-time, meaning there is no more double booking or out of date information on your calendar.
8. Appointment reminders
Missed appointments are the bane of the punctual business owner’s day, so your virtual receptionist features should include sending out appointment reminders. Appointment reminders can reduce no-shows by up to 75%. They’re a smart way to keep your customers on track and ensure you don’t block out time for no-shows.
How Conversational does it
We will call your appointment bookings one business day in advance to get a confirmation for the appointment. If a customer will be unable to make it to the appointment at the scheduled time, we will ask them to reschedule and offer a few dates and times. If the customer wants to cancel the appointment, we can do that, too.
9. Voicemail messages delivered by email
Busy business owners aren’t always at the office, but you don’t want to wait to get your important messages. A good virtual receptionist will deliver your voicemail and text-only messages directly to your email address as soon as they are received so you can decide how to take action.
How Conversational does it
We will record the voicemail message in a .wav file, then send it to the email address you’ve confirmed with us so you can listen when you’re ready. If there’s a written message, we’ll simply deliver that message via email without using an attachment. You can trust every attachment from Conversational – we scan them for viruses before sending.
10. Personalized service
Providing truly personalized service is the final feature that sets great virtual receptionist providers apart. Instead of rigid plans and corporate policies, great providers meet you in the middle with flexibility and customization.
How Conversational does it
We’re still small enough to act like it, and we do. We personalize services and plans for our clients so we can be more of an extension to their existing business rather than a separate entity altogether. We can set up calls to route to the people you choose, during the hours that you select, on the days of the week that you prefer. We can provide personalized greetings, hold music from our library or your own sound file, record holiday or business promos for callers to hear on hold, and more.
Try a virtual receptionist today with our 30 day MBG
