Virtual Receptionists for Businesses
Thousands of businesses, small and large are utilising the services of a virtual receptionist.
Every business type, from a sole trader to a large corporation can benefit from the use of a virtual receptionist.
In recent years there has been a significant increase in the demand for virtual receptionist services. The Answer Centre believe this may be linked to the increase in people choosing to work for themselves and the increase in start-up businesses thanks to the likes of new incentives such as Kickstarter pages.
Virtual Receptionists for Sole Traders and Start Ups
When starting a new company or becoming self-employed resources are often limited. This causes many things which are typically a standard for large businesses to become a luxury.
There is no denying that having a professional front with exceptional customer service is an essential for every business type. With many customers making their first point of contact over the phone, this front characteristically comes in the form of a receptionist.
Unfortunately for many small, new and sole trader businesses the cost of hiring office space, installing telephone systems and hiring a receptionist is just too high to consider. Yet these are arguably the types of businesses which benefit from a consistent, professional business front the most.
For growing businesses, every point of customer contact is crucial. Many growing businesses develop their customer base through customer retention, recommendation and word of mouth. This means they cannot afford to let their customer service levels slip even for a second.
Fortunately it is no longer required to physically employ a receptionist and rent the office space for them to work from. The Answer Centre’s virtual receptionist service can handle your incoming business calls for you.
What can the Answer Centre Offer?
The Answer Centre can offer your business a highly trained virtual receptionist to answer every single business call quickly and professionally. Our virtual receptionist service is a fraction of the cost of actually hiring an in-house receptionist.
Exceptional Customer Service and a Professional Image
Consistency is key. Inconsistent levels of customer service, unanswered calls and unprofessionalism can be hugely detrimental to any business, but especially so for growing businesses.
Our virtual receptionist service enables your business to have a consistent professional image whilst leaving no call unanswered. This gives your existing and prospective customers a fantastic impression and can even give your business the appearance of being more established than it may currently be.
Fully Trained Virtual Receptionist
We appreciate that your business will be receiving important calls. Our team of receptionists who will be answering business calls on your behalf are fully trained in telephone and receptionist duties and will get to know your business inside out.
Our team of receptionists is small, friendly and highly effective.
You are in Complete Control
You can use our answering services however you like. Whether you want us to handle every single incoming call or just use our service when you are unavailable to take calls yourself we are totally flexible. It’s your call!
How does it Work?
Our system is set up so that when caller dials your number, their call will automatically be directed to your virtual receptionist team.
Your friendly, professional receptionist will answer your call using your chosen greeting and transfer calls through to the relevant or required person in your company. Your virtual receptionist can also be used to screen calls for you, drastically reducing the number of irrelevant cold calls you receive.
If you are unable to take the transferred call, or it is from someone you do not wish to speak to, your receptionist can take a message which is forwarded on to you immediately via email or text. You can then respond at a more convenient time.
The Benefits
- An effective virtual receptionist for your business at the fraction of the cost of employing an in house receptionist.
- A consistent, professional front for your incoming business calls.
- Call handling and screening – choose who from and when you want to take calls, without having to leave calls unanswered.
- Increased productivity for yourself and your employees – divert calls to your virtual reception team when tasks need complete focus.
Enquire today to find out how the Answer Centre can help your business grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I choose The Answer Centre as my virtual receptionist service?
At The Answer Centre you will receive outstanding personal service from one of the UK’s leading providers of Virtual Receptionist Services and Call Answering Services. Your calls will always be answered by the same small team of five UK based receptionists, so they will automatically become very familiar with your business and they will sound as if they… actually work… for your company. Our aim is to provide you with a Virtual Receptionist service that makes it seem like have your own receptionist! When we answer your incoming telephone calls, regular callers will be highlighted on our state of the art telephony system, allowing us to tailor the service to your personal requirements.
I currently redirect my calls to my mobile, how will a virtual receptionist help me?
When you divert your business calls to your mobile phone there is always the risk that you will end up either missing a call because you are too busy to answer your phone, or alternatively you might end up answering the phone while you are driving or in a noisy environment. By using our Virtual Receptionist Service, you can be certain that your calls will be answered professionally in your company name every time. If you are out of the office, we can still transfer calls to you on your mobile phone after checking with you that it is convenient to transfer the call.
How do you ensure the calls you receive are for my company?
When we set you up to use our Virtual Receptionist Service we will provide you with a telephone number which you may advertise. Alternatively, you may divert your incoming calls to the number that we provide you with. This telephone number is unique to your business so we immediately know that any calls received are for your business and we will be ready to give the impression that you have your very own receptionist.
Can your service handle simultaneous calls on my number?
Yes. Our advanced state of the art system is designed to handle multiple calls for your business simultaneously, so your callers will never get the engaged tone.
I have a receptionist. How will a virtual answering service help me?
Many of our clients do have their own receptionist but they use our virtual answering service to cover periods when their own receptionist(s) are unavailable (e.g. they might work part time, absence due to holiday, sickness, lunch break, etc). Many other clients use our virtual answering service in tandem with their own receptionist e.g. if their receptionist is already busy on another call or if a call is not answered after three rings then these calls can seamlessly overflow to your virtual receptionist at The Answer Centre.
How affordable is your virtual receptionist service for a small business?
Our Virtual Receptionist Service is very affordable at only 99p per call answered. This includes the cost of answering the call in your company name and sounding like we are your own company receptionist. There are no additional charges for taking a message and sending it to you by email or text message. Where else can you get a virtual receptionist for only 99p!
What information does your service capture?
Our standard service includes taking a message that consists of the caller’s name, the caller’s number, a reason for the call, plus one additional of item of information e.g. email address or postal code. We can capture lots of additional items of information from the caller if you need us to. Please contact us with your requirements and we will be happy to provide you with a quotation for the service that you require.
Do you provide the virtual answering service for international businesses?
Yes. Our virtual answering service can help you to project an international image for your business. Many businesses and individuals require a UK presence and a UK telephone number even although they are physically based abroad. We can also provide international telephone numbers for other countries so that you can advertise a telephone number from Europe, USA or any other location worldwide.
Do I need to use a new phone number?
No, you can keep your existing number. If you already have a telephone number, then it is a simple matter of diverting your incoming calls to your virtual receptionist at The Answer Centre.
Am I tied in to a lengthy contract?
No. Under our standard terms and conditions you would be required to use the service for a minimum period of 3 months. Thereafter you can simply terminate the service at any time with one month’s notice.
