Pros and Cons of Using a Virtual Receptionist

With the continued growth of the non-traditional office landscape, virtual receptionists and virtual assistants have increasingly become a necessity for small businesses. Contributing administrative, technical, or creative services to clients remotely from home offices, virtual receptionists have been proven valuable for many companies. Let’s dive into some of the pros and cons of using a virtual receptionist:

Pros

Lower Costs – A virtual receptionist helps businesses avoid the logistical problems of providing extra office space, supplies, or equipment. Virtual receptionist services are often available at a fraction of the cost of on-site employees. This is because the receptionists are working remotely, while using their own equipment.

Experienced workers – Virtual receptionists originate from a wide array of professional backgrounds. They are often equipped with several years of experience acquired in “real” (non virtual) business environments.

Seamless Communication – With advancements in communication apps, tools like Skype and Google Voice allow files, schedules, and any other information to be shared quickly and conveniently.

Cons

Workload too large – Fielding calls from home or a remote office will sometimes backfire if the virtual receptionist gets behind on work, or is given too much responsibility. Many virtual receptionist services bill based on minutes, so if your business has a high number of calls, a virtual receptionist may be more expensive than an on-site receptionist.

Lower Personal Connections – Sometimes virtual receptionists fail to engage deeper with callers and consequently miss an opportunity to connect on a personal level. On-site receptionists may be able to.

May Not Be Able to Provide Every Answer – Virtual receptionists are sometimes less “plugged in” to the day-to-day operations of the business than their on-site counterparts. Therefore, some questions cannot be answered until they contact the company for further instruction.

A virtual receptionist can be a great asset for businesses who are looking for a way to expand their company without increasing on-site employees or cost. Virtual receptionists can absorb most of the tasks of an on-site receptionist and in most cases are relatively inexpensive. With the continued growth of virtual offices, more companies will look to implement virtual receptionist services.