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Businesses today are moving in a very competitive climate. Whether you’re running a physical or e-commerce business, top customer service should be at the forefront of your efforts. After all, it’s what puts your business a few steps ahead of the competition. 

When technology is there to your advantage, it’s up to you to use it wisely. Among all the other benefits it can bring to your business, one of the most pressing relates to how it can significantly improve customer service. This is achieved through having virtual receptionist services like OracleCMS and other automation platforms onboard.

Given how it’s so crucial to choose the right virtual receptionist service, this article discusses some tips you can apply when selecting one.

1. Assess The Cost

As is the case with hiring other services for your business, the cost is an important factor you should keep in mind. Different businesses have their own comfort levels as to how much they can afford to pay for a particular service. Don’t go beyond what you can afford to spend.

Why? Remember that you’re running a business. You have other expenses to consider, to maximize your profit-earning opportunity. When you take the time to scrutinize each of your options, you’re sure to find one that offers quite a wide range of services at a relatively low cost.

In outsourcing or hiring experts, note that the price isn’t always determinative of the quality. It’s on you to assess that whatever the price you pay for, you’re getting your money’s worth.

2. Prioritize Reliability And Quality

Among all the other defining characteristics that a virtual receptionist should have, two factors should always be prioritized: reliability and quality. Don’t skimp on this. Why? The last thing you want to happen for your business is to have a virtual receptionist service on board and be disappointed later on, as they don’t deliver your intended results.

Generally, there are three ways you can assess the reliability and quality of a virtual receptionist service. These include:

• The virtual receptionists from the service you’re hiring show a competitive standard quality as your in-house team do, for consistency;
• They offer strong customer support for you, such that any concerns you have are attended to immediately;
• The virtual receptionist service maintains a strong commitment to hiring only the best and most experienced agents.

3. Go Through Their Greeting

Whether the virtual receptionist service’s team follows a script or not, there’s one very important starting point you shouldn’t skimp on – the greeting.

The moment the receptionist picks up the phone, they should already exude friendliness. While this may sound like a basic requirement, there are still many agencies with receptionists that are easily irate. How do you test this out? Try running test calls to those other businesses whom you’re aware of to be using virtual receptionists, too. This can give you an overall idea as to whether or not the team is, in fact, as friendly and courteous as they claim to be.

4. Check And Compare The Features Of Each Service

Each virtual receptionist service may have its respective set of features that work as its unique selling point. For you to ascertain you’re getting your money’s worth, go through each service and check their list of features, which you need to boost your productivity.

You don’t necessarily have to go through the one that offers the most services. Rather, it’s for you to choose one with the features you need for your business. That way, their offers and your needs aren’t misaligned. 

Along that line, these are some of the most common features offered by a virtual receptionist service:

• Response time, so you know how fast your customer’s calls and concerns are going to be answered;
• Auto-attendant, so that calls are redirected to the right place, right at the very first time;
• Hours of duty and availability, as not all virtual receptionist services may offer 24/7 availability;
• Message taking, so you’re certain that whatever messages that are left for the receptionist’s team to address are all sent back to the relevant parties specified;
• Appointment scheduling, which is a must-have, ensures that appointments are appropriately set on your behalf and noted in a synchronous calendar.

Conclusion

Even the smallest business can widen its reach and meet the most compelling customer demands when the appropriate technology is being used. In this case, it’s in the form of a virtual receptionist. Having one for your business results in significant advantages that can place your business a few steps ahead of the competition. This is the reason why it’s important to choose wisely. When you hire one, don’t settle for anything less than the best. The metrics above can guide you in picking the right one.