Some people may think that having a receptionist or answering service during business hours is mutually exclusive, but this isn't true. The two can work together, because sometimes a receptionist needs help with phone calls.
If you already have a receptionist and want to keep them around, or you simply prefer to have a representative in-house, but the call volumes are too large, you can still utilize an answering service. Hiring a second receptionist is a very expensive prospect, while hiring an answering service or virtual receptionist is a much more affordable and still effective option. Here are different ways in which a confluence of your receptionist and an answering service can create a more efficient system:
- An answering service can handle call overflow. If your receptionist is already busy juggling multiple calls with more calls coming in, answering service agents can help. They can be a filter to answer simple questions or transfer calls to the right person, while your receptionist responds to more detailed phone calls or matters that must be address in-house.
- There are times when your receptionist will need to step away from her desk. Whether it’s to make copies or to take her lunch break, call center agents can fill in while your receptionist is unavailable.
- Your receptionist will also take sick days or go on vacation, as she should when appropriate. You can work with your answering service to prepare a plan for how to handle all phone calls made to your business at these times.
- How many languages does your receptionist speak? It is not uncommon for callers to dial in who don't speak English as their first language. Having bilingual answering service support on tap to help out in these situations will help you cater to a wider range of customers.
- And of course your receptionist will not be in the office 24/7 and answering phone calls from clients. For those late-night, pressing questions that must be answered immediately, an agent can put a caller’s mind at ease. In the very least, the caller will be happy to have spoken with a live person and not worry that their voicemail message will not be returned.
In-house representatives are great for greeting clients and prospective customers who walk in the front door, but they can’t always attend to each call if they’re already responding to another one or are handling other tasks. Call center agents have one job - answering the phones - so there will always be one available to handle your calls. We work closely with each of our clients to prepare as detailed of a script as desired and actions to take depending on a number of use cases. If your receptionist needs help with phone calls, give us a call and we can construct a system that works best for your business.
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