How To Decide Between an In-House and a Virtual Receptionist for Your Business

When deciding between an in-house or a virtual receptionist for your business, it is important to arm yourself with all the facts.

When the business is booming, there may not be an employee more valuable than your receptionist. Not only do they take tiring administrative tasks off your plate, they serve as the friendly face of your company, ready to help anyone who might be calling or stopping at your office. Indeed, an experienced receptionist could be worth their weight in gold. Fortunately, when it comes to hiring a receptionist, there are more options than ever before. While you might want to stick with a traditional in-house receptionist, virtual receptionists offer undeniable benefits that a 9-5 office worker simply cannot match.

Complexity of Calls

What kind of phone calls are you receiving? Will most of the calls be screened and sent to you? Would you prefer to have your receptionist handle calls and client requests from start to finish?

The complexity of your inbound phone calls is a key indicator of what kind of receptionist is right for you. For example, if you are a realtor simply looking for lead capture, it will be easier for a virtual receptionist to handle your calls than if an established client asks for information about the status of their listing.

Call Volume

How many phone calls are you going to get in an hour? How long is the typical call going to last? Have you ever received multiple calls at the same time?

A single in-house receptionist can be a huge asset to your business in many ways, but it can only handle so many phone calls on a business day. We all know that missed calls are missed opportunities—if your business receives a high number of calls, it might be advantageous to outsource some help.

Allocated Budget

How much can you afford to spend on the reception desk? Hiring a receptionist may seem like a huge additional expense (and it may be) but should be seen as a long-term investment. Improved customer service is directly linked to ROI, read this post to learn more.

Phone Hours

What hours are you planning to be available to callers? Is it common for you to receive a call after hours? Are you missing a call during lunch?

As humans, we take comfort in talking to other people as opposed to a machine. Reaching a live agent assures us that we've been heard, and usually gives us faster solutions. If you have customers who reach a machine more often than a live person, you might consider a receptionist solution that improves your bandwidth to respond to more calls.

Experience

Your managers and customers are some of your most important assets, and you don't want anyone to represent your business. Many times, your receptionist gives you the first impression of your business, so you need to be trustworthy and professional.

When choosing a receptionist, look for someone who is familiar with your line of work and has experience supporting customers over the phone. From there, you can train them in and out of your organisation.

How to Choose

Every business is so different, there is no wrong answer for which type of receptionist is best for you. Here are some guidelines that can help you make a decision.

In-House receptionists are great for businesses that:

• Need help with tasks other than phone support in the office.
• Are in a niche industry with complex telephone calls

Virtual receptionists work well for companies that:

• Don't have time to find and train your receptionist.
• Valuable phone calls are missing during the day or after hours.
• Need phone support, but cannot afford a full-time receptionist.