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How IVR and Live Receptionist Services Can Make Life Simple for You and Your Clients

admin October 12, 2020

How IVR and Live Receptionist Services Can Make Life Simple for You and Your Clients

When it comes to owning a small business, being organized is absolutely critical, both for the success of your state of mind and the success of your endeavors. This is the case whether you are just starting off on a new business-owning adventure or you are a seasoned pro. One of the first things to nail down in this regard is client contact; namely, how will your clients be contacting you? If you become successful, how will you handle an increased flow of customers? If you have a particularly smart ad campaign, how will you deal with a rapid influx of new callers?

These are important questions. Fortunately, they all have pretty much the same answer: employ the use of an IVR system. IVR, which is an acronym for “Interactive voice response,” is an incredibly useful tool which, when used correctly, can take your business to the next level and keep you, your employees (if you have them), and your clients (we know you’ll have them!) happy.

If you want to maximize an IVR system, you can combine it with some other useful tools — like a live receptionist service, which maximizes the potential of both.

We’ll be going through exactly how to get the most out of the use of an IVR system here. First, we’ll touch on the basics of what an IVR system is and how you use it. Then, we’ll address how it helps you and how it helps your clients. Throughout, we’ll shine a light on how combining an IVR system with a live receptionist service ups your A-game and brings out the best of both services.

The Basics of an Interactive Voice Response System

Although you may not think you have previously read or come across the acronym IVR, or not have any idea what an interactive voice response system is, you’re almost definitely mistaken- in fact, you have probably used one many times before.

Interactive voice response systems—sometimes known by other names, such as auto-attendants—are the systems you encounter whenever you call your bank or your local hospital and hear “Press one for Sales, press two to speak to a representative,” etc. It’s basically a way for you to interact with the computer, most often via the phone’s keypad (though sometimes systems have you give voice commands, this isn’t widespread and sometimes serves to annoy clients who may already be in slightly shouty moods).

IVR systems have been around for a long time — since the early 1970s. But over the last couple of decades they’ve really improved, transitioning from slow, clunky awful robotic voices to fully complete and well-rounded programs which you can edit and update as you please (don’t worry, we’ll get into more detail below). With those updates, they’ve become incredibly widespread, mostly due to their usefulness for both caller and called. They frequently save time and money and are all around a useful tool to have in your business’ arsenal. How exactly? Read on to find out more!

How an IVR + Live Receptionist Service Setup Saves You Time, Money, and Energy

Time, money, and energy. These are the three (non-scientific) variables which you must have most in balance in order to succeed with your small business. Too much energy but not enough time? No good. Tons of time but no energy? No good. Too much money? Ok well, that’s usually good. But you get the picture.

Using IVR from a business phone system like MightyCall helps you keep the balance in all three of those variables, and in some ways dramatically increases your effectiveness with each of them. Let’s go variable by variable.

Save time with IVR

When you run a small business you quickly learn that, even on less-busy days, those twenty-four hours that make up a day just aren’t enough to get done what you need to get done. Forget cutting costs (though we’ll get to that too) — you have to learn to cut time!

An interactive voice system is one of the best ways you can go about doing that, even if you are on the smaller side of small business. IVR systems effectively act as a way of “weeding out” the customers who will end up taking up huge chunks of your time with what are probably pretty low-level stuff: what are your hours, what are any current sales, things like that. By telling the IVR what to say (or, with some services, putting in your own audio so that your customers don’t have to hear a robot slowly speaking to them), many of those callers may never even end up needing to get through to you. When you’re a smaller business, that means saving you time which can be better spent doing other things.

By adding a live receptionist service like Gabbyville’s to the IVR setup, the time benefits skyrocket. Live receptionists are knowledgeable as to your callers most frequently asked questions and can help direct your callers to where they need to go. The benefits of combining the two are obvious: having the IVR set up to answer the most basic questions will weed out many callers; the live receptionist can then take care of the rest, filtering any remaining callers by answering them or determining who on your team needs to be contacted by said caller.

Save money with IVR

IVR services, such as MightyCall’s, are part of small business telephony services. This means that for a single small price, you get lots of business phone features such as local, toll-free and vanity numbers, unlimited extensions, call forwarding, built-in CRM, and much more. Then there’s the added fact that it doesn’t cost much extra to upkeep the IVR– in fact, it costs nothing extra oftentimes. Plus, for some services, when you aren’t answering calls, you aren’t using up minutes — the IVR is taking care of those callers for you.

But what if you want the touch of a real-life person? Well, as we suggested above, it’s not just time which will be saved with a live receptionist service- your cold hard cash is going to stay firmly in your wallet too. Hiring a single dedicated receptionist can (will, if you’re paying everyone what you’re legally supposed to be paying them!) cost you tens of thousands of dollars a year. It’s not cheap. But a live receptionist service—which oftentimes includes the services of multiple live receptionists—is significantly cheaper.

Give Yourself Peace of Mind

And what about energy? Your energy isn’t exactly quantifiable, like time or money — but it is in a way just as, if not more important. Yes, you obviously need time to run a business and you certainly need money — but if you don’t have energy, time won’t matter and you won’t ever get a chance to make your first nickel of profit.

Now look—we know you care about your clients and callers, and you want that personal and professional touch. But the thing is…that’s why you’re thinking of setting up an IVR system and getting a live receptionist service! Those services take care of your customers for you, allowing you to use your energy in a way that best suits the needs of your business — so that you can make it better for your customers over a long period of time!

Both an IVR and a live receptionist service take the heat off of you and your phone. That’s not a weakness — it’s giving yourself an added strength.

Put Your Clients First with IVR + Live Receptionist

Remember the most important perspectives here — those of your clients. They are going to be what really matters at the end of the day when it comes to you getting more money (one of the more important of the variables above). When it comes to spreading word of mouth, when it comes to return investments — making them happy is priority one.

Look at customer service from your clients’ perspective. They call with some quick question, but you don’t have an IVR system or a live receptionist. There are three people ahead of them, and it’s just you picking up — maybe a designated receptionist whom you’ve hired. Great. They get to wait for 15 minutes just to ask about a new sale, something that takes 30 seconds, and they probably finish the call more annoyed than when they started. Maybe they don’t even buy anything from you at all in the end. Repeat that a couple of times a day, and you have yourself a not-great situation.

Why risk any of that? The simplest ways of avoiding any unpleasantness—and giving your client the idea that you care about your needs (because you do!)—is taking the extra step of setting up a dual IVR/live receptionist service system.

Final word

When you run a small business, you need every hand available — and unfortunately, you only have two. Give yourself an extra pair (or several!) with IVR from MightyCall and a live receptionist service from Gabbyville today, and be thankful for years to come.

Medical Answering Services Provide Clarity Amidst COVID-19 Uncertainty

admin April 15, 2020

Our entire world has come face-to-face with a disease that has ripped through countries, states, cities, communities, schools, churches, families, and more. It has been fatal for some and leaves others without any symptoms at all. And, while underlying medical conditions can be an indicator of severity, this disease seems to not make any sense at all.

There is no cure. There is no vaccine. There is no surefire way to keep yourself from getting it. This is what makes it so scary and has caused fear to grip people from all around the world. What can they do? Who can they talk to? Where can they go?

With so many questions left unanswered, panic can set in, resulting in pure chaos. By providing communities with medical answering services amid COVID-19, you can bring some much-needed clarity in the face of uncertainty.

Providing Medical Answering Services and Support

Typically, when natural disasters and emergencies occur, they are isolated to a specific area or region. Unfortunately, though, with COVID-19, this is something much, much bigger. It is affecting our entire world. This means there are a lot of people out there with questions.

Here’s the problem, though. The individuals we would generally turn to for advice and knowledge are busy, aren’t they? Doctors, nurses, urgent care workers, hospital employees, and other medical personnel are on the front line of this war against COVID-19. They are stretched thin working to keep people alive. So, when it comes to getting everyone’s questions answered, they just don’t have the time.

Their lack of time does not take away the need for answers. Therefore, we need to find another way – and that is a medical answering service. See, many individuals have been advised not to leave their homes unless it is for essential reasons. Why? Because we are trying to curb the spread of the virus. As a result, more people will be calling for answers and someone needs to be on the other line.

- Do I need to get tested?
- How can I get tested?
- What symptoms should I be looking for?
- Do you think I may have COVID-19?
- What can I do to help my sick family member?
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These are just a few of the most common questions asked. Without answers, fear will increase. By using medical answering services, we can reduce anxiety and panic as well as cut down on people heading to medical facilities in their quest for answers. The virtual service will be able to provide the answers and solutions needed for these common questions.

Creating Organization in the Midst of Chaos

COVID-19 has already brought a sense of chaos to our country and the world. As we begin to address it and overcome it, we don’t need to do so with chaos. Instead, we need to work to create an organized system that will allow us to thoroughly address everyone’s concerns, get the testing done in an orderly fashion, and treat those who are in need of medical treatment.

An organized system can bring a sense of calm and confidence among the population. By having medical answering services available, those with questions or concerns can call in and get the answers they need. If they need testing, it can be scheduled and they will know when and where that will happen.

If they need medical attention, they will find out where to go, how to access care, and what to expect. Organization will reduce the negative impact COVID-19 has on our communities.

Putting Patients First by Reducing Administrative Tasks

Have you watched the news lately? Medical facilities everywhere – though, especially in the hotspots – are overrun with patients requiring help due to the virus. Think about it – due to the ability of this virus to easily spread, each time a suspected COVID-19 patient enters the hospital, additional steps have to be taken.

In addition, the lack of medical staff, personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other necessities have been creating quite the stir. How can our medical team do their jobs without this equipment? How can they focus on those in front of them when more and more people keep arriving?

Medical teams everywhere are striving to care for their patients while protecting themselves from being the next victim of the virus. More unnecessary arrivals at hospitals, urgent care centers, and doctor’s offices are just interrupting the flow.

Enlisting the help of medical answering services can reduce this impact. The individuals who want to gain access to medical services can be screened over the phone in advance. This can prepare the hospital or other facility for the patient’s arrival – and possibly reduce the need for attending altogether.

Practicing Safe Social Distancing

During a time such as this, maintaining distance is crucial for safety. The last thing we want is for a great number of people to show up at medical facilities or testing sites. This will only further increase the spread of the virus.

Since day one, authorities have brought to light the importance of us maintaining social distance. It’s all about doing our part to reduce the spread. What easier way to do this than by providing individuals with the opportunity to speak to medical by calling in?

They will never have to leave their home! This is the best way to keep things distanced and orderly – all while giving knowledge, reducing fear, and maintaining safety, too.

Navigating Through COVID-19 With Clarity and Resilience

The truth is, we have never found ourselves in the situation we are in today. Our medical professionals, our government, and the general population. It’s the unknown factors that bring so much fear. People begin overreacting, hoarding supplies, and so on. We see it every time we turn on the news.

Now, imagine being able to contact someone who can answer your questions and provide you with a sense of relief and confidence? Facing scary, unknown situations is much easier when you are a full of confidence rather than fear – and medical answer services can be the guiding step to make this happen.

When the world around us gets a bit hazy amid this COVID-19 outbreak, bring some clarity and certainty to those in your community with the help of medical answering services.

Virtual Assistant Services Help Remote Workers Stay Connective, Productive

admin April 13, 2020

Our world recently became uprooted and our workplace – as we knew it – temporarily no longer exists. Within a matter of weeks, the number of individuals working remotely has skyrocketed. In an economy that is seeing a record rate of unemployment, those employees who are able to work from home have a great opportunity.

But, let’s face it – although working remotely is possible, not every business is set up to do so, right? And for those that are, it is not always a smooth transition. For instance, individuals may be able to use certain programs to access their desktops in the office, but what about the routing of calls? Who is going to answer those? And, then there is that need to come together with your colleagues for briefings and meetings – how is that supposed to work if everyone is working remotely?

You don’t need to worry. As all the kinks get worked out, you will find that there is help to get you through. And, the best part? Your company looks like you had an emergency plan of solid gold. Here’s how virtual assistant services can help remote workers to stay connected and productive.

Sound Organized and Professional

Let’s be honest here. With everything that has happened over the last couple of months, many business owners have been scrambling to try to make things work. Depending on the line of business you are in, you may have even had to get creative in ways to make money. After all, just because the world around us seems to be shutting down, you still have bills to pay and employees to care for, don’t you?

Well, customers love hearing confidence. And, when you are struggling, confidence doesn’t always shine through. Therefore, enlisting the help of some virtual assistant services, your business can sound like it has everything together – even if only by a thread.

The voice that the customer will hear will be professional, polite, and well-informed. He or she will make your business appear to up and running with smooth operations all around. And, that’s the impression that can give a customer confidence in your company.

Call Answering, Routing, Transferring and Messaging

Speaking of confident answers, how are your employees going to answer calls? Sure, they have phones at their desks, but what is going to happen when they are working remotely? This is often the part that stumps small businesses.

Phone systems are complicated. Don’t believe us, just take a look at that phone room or closet where all the lines are hooked up. In addition to this, there is a lot of virtual organization that gets one call from one place to the next with the press of a button. It’s not like you can just uproot this system and send it home with your employees!

There is something you can do, though – use virtual assistant services. They will answer your calls as they come in and can then direct the calls to the right person. Not only will this keep your business moving, but it will also allow the caller to feel the personal touch and the direct service. Essentially, it’s a win-win.

The very nature of some businesses will keep all employees from taking calls at home. And, it’s understandable. There are confidentiality and HIPAA protections and so on that can disrupt the flow of conversation. That’s ok, though!

Virtual assistant services don’t simply answer and pass on calls. They can answer calls and take thorough, detailed messages, too. If you prefer to receive your messages and either disperse them to your teams or handle them yourself, you can. You can feel confident in the delivery of the message each and every time.

Group Meetings and Conferencing

If your business is used to gathering up all the employees at certain times of the day, week, month, etc., for particular meetings, you may think you can’t do that while working remotely. For any ordinary remote work situation, you could call the employees into the office for a meeting.

Unfortunately, during our current situation with COVID-19 and social distancing orders, that’s not really a possibility. So, what do you do? Well, virtual assistant services can help with that, too. With ease, they can initiate multi-conferencing.

What does this mean for you? You can hold meetings with all your employees at once. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about setting it up – the VA’s can handle that.

Behind-the-Scenes System

While you normally work from your office, you know how to handle all of your daily operations. It’s smooth sailing. But, when you are thrown into a new virtual workplace, you find yourself in new territory. Things that you are used to doing with ease may even seem impossible now.

Here’s some good news – while you were busy perfecting your in-office routines, virtual assistants were busy perfecting the virtual workplace. Making use of programs and other capabilities allow one to work smoothly and efficiently from home – with assistance, of course. And, well, they can help you navigate.

• Answering calls
• Transferring or routing calls
• Returning calls
• Setting appointments or calling with reminders
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These are just a few of the services virtual assistants can help with – all with extensive hours. They offer a great system with a high-quality phone system so your business will continue sounding as professional as if you were in the office. Don’t let all these uncertain changes in the world around us get you down. There is hope.

Virtual assistants have the tools and the knowledge to make remote work simple and effective. That’s why it is important – as you find yourself in this new way of running a business – to reach out and talk to the professionals. Don’t venture through this unknown territory alone. Do it with the guidance of those who do it every day! By taking this extra step, you are making this transition easier for your employees – and thus maintaining their productivity.

With the utmost professionalism, no one will ever know your business model has temporarily changed. Instead, it will look like you are moving forward as if all is right in the world. Maybe even better!

Coronavirus Crisis Will Stress-Test Your Business Continuity Plan

admin April 6, 2020

Ah, the novel coronavirus that has millions of people around the world staying home, wearing masks, and finding a new sense of normalcy. It’s brought some unfortunate circumstances for businesses around the globe. With the majority of individuals required to stay home, businesses may be left unattended.

For business owners, the impact of this virus can be incredibly damaging. That is unless you were prepared! Wait – you are probably wondering how in the world you were supposed to know that things would get this bad, aren’t you? The world today is surely unlike any other time we have ever known.

Even if you had a plan in place for things like a natural disaster or a simple power outage, it likely didn’t cover you for the vast extent of the current situation. In other words, there’s a good chance your business continuity plan was not designed to handle the coronavirus crisis.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)?

Before we move on, we should take a moment to discuss what it is. In short, a business continuity plan is put in place to keep business running in the event that it gets disrupted. A formal procedure with detailed instructions is created for a business to follow during certain instances where the course of normal business cannot be followed.

So, why do you need one? Because emergencies happen. Unexpected events happen. Nature happens. And, well, the coronavirus happens! Anytime something occurs that can change the way your business operates, it will have an impact on your business.

However, if you have a business continuity plan in place, then you know the steps that need to be taken to continue working and ensure the success of your business despite adversity. Keep in mind, though, the level of success you reach is dependent on how prepared you are.

Key Factors of a Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan won’t be much of a plan if you don’t include the key factors that will get you through:

Impact

Take the time to determine how a disaster (or international health crisis) may impact your business. These will include the financial as well as the operational impacts. Analyze where these impacts may affect your business so that you can know the areas you’ll need to address in your plan.

Recovery

What steps will you be able to take to keep your business running if the above areas are impacted?

Organization

It won’t do any good if you do all the planning and analysis, but don’t keep any organizational structure to it. Think about it – your business has an organizational structure for its daily operations. Who will handle the emergency plan? In what capacity? Develop a team and have it ready to roll should you need it.

Practice

If you solidify your business continuity plan and put it aside until it is needed, it may be sitting dormant for many years. Then, what happens? A crisis like the one we are facing today arises and your company scrambles to try to put it into place. You need to create your plan and practice it. That way, when the need arises, you are ready to move forward without delay.

Test the Plan, Plan the Test

Knowing you have a solid business continuity plan in place should you need it can greatly reduce stress in moments of crises – especially if that plan is ready to go with a moment’s notice. When you test your continuity plan, you are looking:

For the strong ability to be able to reduce operational downtime. Your plan should allow you to smoothly move from regular operation to emergency without any hiccups.
To retain the competitive advantage. When your customers can’t reach you, they will go elsewhere. Be prepared and be available no matter what.
For the best, most updated methods available. Seek expert advice if needed. Remember, technology is always changing so your plan should, too.

When Disaster Strikes: The Coronavirus Crisis

All of this brings us to today – to the incredible impact that the coronavirus crisis is having on our economy. Has your business been affected? Were you prepared? Most business owners have a plan. It may not have all the key aspects and it may not have been set in stone and practiced regularly. But, it is a plan.

As our normal operations have been completely uprooted, the key is to discover just how well your plan is going to suit your company – and how minimal the damage will be when all is said and done. And, well, honestly – if you find yourself in a sticky situation because the demands of this worldwide crisis were too strong for your continuity plan, it may not be too late.

Importance of Stress-Testing Your BCP

If your business doesn’t initially pass the stress-test, don’t fret. There may still be something you can do. Sure, being prepared from the get-go can reduce impact, but when it comes to saving your business, it’s better to be late than never:

If your employees are not set up to operate from home, don’t leave your work completely untouched. Reach out to a virtual assistant company who is set up to work from home and can assist with a variety of tasks.
Make sure all of your calls are answered. Even if your production line is down – be there for your customers when they call. If you can’t do this, hire a virtual receptionist.
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Our online world has a fully functional backup system for you – and this is what will help your business pass the stress-test. Our country will get back to work – and things will come together soon enough. If you have faced this coronavirus without a business continuity plan, you may have taken a hard hit.

But, here’s the good news: now you know the importance of having a plan and will be better prepared for anything that may come your way in the future, right? In fact, it is not too late to take steps now to protect your business.

Can a Missed Call Really Hurt Your Business?

admin March 20, 2020

You’re in a meeting, you have another client waiting, your desk is piled with paperwork, and your phone is ringing off the hook. Naturally, you brush everything aside and focus your attention on the person sitting directly in front of you. After all, that is the polite and proper thing to do, right?

You simply cannot do it all so you have to let some things go. You tell yourself that once your meetings are over, you will organize the paperwork on your desk and check your voicemail – giving yourself some time to return all those calls.

Ah, just another day at the office.

Well, truth be told, as important as it is for you to stay engaged in your in-person meeting, all those calls you let just land in voicemail can really hurt your business.

The Importance of Phone Calls

As much as our society loves to text and email these days, the telephone is one of the fastest ways to get things done. You dial a number, someone answers, and you take care of business. That is until someone doesn’t answer.

Nearly all businesses have set business hours. And, during that time, your customers count on being able to reach you. Perhaps it is a new potential customer calling to learn information about your product. Maybe it is someone who is currently a customer, but he or she is having a problem with your product or service. Then again, maybe this person has been faithful to your company and has referred many to you, as well.

Whatever the reason, this goes to show you that phone calls are one important way in which business is handled. So, when you don’t answer, you don’t handle your business. Overtime, the result could lead to devastation for your business.

Why Missed Calls Happen

Rarely do individuals intentionally miss phone calls. Rather, there are other obligations and activities that pull our focus in one direction or another. For instance, you may miss business calls in situations such as these:

▶ Not placing the proper emphasis on your phone calls. In a list of priorities, you may have other items ahead of telephone calls, such as emails. However, answering your telephone when it rings should be a priority.
▶ Deciding to rely on your voicemail since you have it, rather than taking care of the calls yourself. Customers don’t like receiving voicemail and many will choose not to leave a message if they receive it. You may have to consider those calls lost.
▶ Handling business away from your desk, resulting in missed calls.
▶ Packing your schedule too tight that you just don’t have the time. Or, maybe you just need a mental break from all the chaos so you simply ignore the call.

Do one of these scenarios explain why you find yourself not answering every call? Then again, it could be one of the many other unmentioned reasons so many business calls go unanswered every day.

Missed Calls Cost You – Literally

Let’s think about something for a moment. If you have a showroom and it was full of customers, would you walk away and do something else? Would you let your customers wander alone and never be available should they want to buy something?

No way, right? You could potentially miss out on a lot of sales with this approach!

Well, here’s the thing – when you don’t answer your phone, you are, in a way, doing the same thing. You are missing out on potential sales and happy customers. And, well, we all know the value of a happy and satisfied customer, don’t we? Believe it or not, a large percentage of those individuals who call you and don’t get the response they are looking for will often move on to one of your competitors!

You may be telling yourself that it only happens occasionally, but that one missed call among hundreds can cost you. Do it very often, and you will start to feel the pain.

Unanswered Calls Can Have a Long-Term Impact

Your lack of concern over answering every one of your calls can lead to some negative long-term impacts for your business. Having good customer service is hard to beat – and it is not hard to provide. Your customers want to feel important. Unfortunately, when you don’t answer their calls, well – you aren’t doing a very good job of showing them they are valued.

When you lack proper customer service, here’s what often results:

▶ Your company will gain a poor reputation with your customers.
▶ The lifetime value of your customers will decrease.
▶ It will become more difficult to convert leads.
▶ Negative word-of-mouth advertising, as well as poor online reviews and posts, can be detrimental.

Successful businesses value their customers – and they make it known. When your customer is happy and satisfied, they can quickly become a walking billboard for your company. But, watch out – when you aren’t there for them via telephone when they need you – those same individuals can cause you a lot of distress.

What You Can Do About It

You could get technical and analyze all your calls that come in as well as your existing ways of doing business. Of course, you could go out and purchase portable devices so that no matter where you are – in the office or out – you have a phone readily available so that you may stop what you are doing and answer.

Or, you could leave the phone answering up to someone else without having to hire any new employees. That’s right – hiring a virtual receptionist means that you always have someone to answer your call – live – so that your customers know you have their back.

A virtual receptionist will answer your calls and route them as you wish – and you can continue working just as you have been without any fear of missing another call again. Not only does this allow you to better maintain your focus, but it is also a great way to nurture your current customers and convert future customers!

Remember – it only takes one missed call to start causing damage. Don’t put the success of your business at risk.

Excellent Customer Service Means Happy Customers

admin March 9, 2020

You can do absolutely everything right in your business – you could have the best service or product, the best logistics team, the most streamlined process, and the greatest warranty – but if you don’t have excellent customer service, then you can’t be the best. And you won’t have happy customers.

Sure, if you’ve got something others want, you will have customers. You will be able to convert leads. And, you will make some money. But, here’s where the importance of customer service comes in – those first-time buyers that you have can quickly become invaluable, one-time buyers if you don’t have the ability to nurture them and retain them.

How do you do that? Well, with great customer service, of course!

Benefits of Excellent Customer Service

We are going to take a look at all the ways you can provide excellent customer service. But, before we do, it is important that you understand why. You need to understand the benefits of ensuring your customer service is top-notch.

▶ Acquiring new customers costs more than retaining current customers. The reason for this is because current happy customers are more likely to purchase again from you. Whereas new customers need to be sought out, convinced, and so forth.
▶ This is your direct line of support for your customers. Your customer service team will set the tone for your company – how they speak and care for your customers will determine how well your true mission, values, and image comes across.
▶ Satisfied customers are likely to refer others – which means new buyers without any extra work on your part.
▶ Customers are often willing to pay more if they know they are backed by great customer service.
▶ Delight customers and entice them to purchase new products or services. When the customer feels good and confident about a company (thanks to the customer service), this can be prime time for new marketing techniques.

Imagine all of these benefits because you provided something that should automatically come standard for companies – healthy, solid customer service.

Now, let’s take a look at how you can actually implement it.

Be Friendly and Welcoming

It does not matter how bad of a day customer service reps are having – when it comes to communication with the customer, it needs to be friendly and approachable. Remember, these individuals are often the first contact buyers will have with your company.

You want them to feel heard and feel good. You want them to be treated like they matter. And, you want your customers to know that you stand behind your product or service – and that you are willing to do what it takes to make it right.

This is the tone that needs to be on the line when a customer calls.

Be Polite and Respectful

Working in customer service can be a very trying and emotional job. While there are some customers who will contact your representatives for simple questions or comments, often there is a lot of frustration and aggravation involved.

You need customer service representatives that can meet the demands in an effective and resolute manner while remaining polite and respectful. It takes a certain type of person to answer a call with an irate individual and end the call with a happy customer.

Losing manners or being disrespectful should never be tolerated – and is a quick way to lose customers.

Properly Train Your Customer Service Representatives

You should never allow someone to interact with your customers without being properly trained. And, this should be a formal process. Your customer service representatives should be able to fully understand your products and services – how they can benefit the consumer, what they are used for, and so on.

That’s not all, though. Your representatives are representing you and your company. Therefore, they should be trained in what you stand for – and what feeling you are trying to get across to your customers. They should know the proper way to interact, things that should or should not be said, and how they should assist customers.

Your training should aim to have a consistent approach toward customer service. It shouldn’t matter who the customer receives on the other end of the line – the level of service should remain the same every time.

Listen to Your Customers

Listening is something that often gets overlooked. It is easy to do but is not always done. Customers call in and have a problem – they are looking for someone to listen and solve it.

Ideally, your customer service representatives should be able to listen verbally and non-verbally to the needs of customers. Listening for things that may signal that he or she is not pleased with the product or service. And determine how or why. Then, be able to take steps that will allow you to offer a solution without necessarily having to be asked.

Careful listening and picking up on clues is a great way to impress – and retain happy customers.

Offer Appropriate Solutions

When customers call in, they often have a problem, a question, or a concern about your product or service. They want reassurance that they made the right choice – and they want a solution to their situation.

Many times, these customers are not necessarily going to be very happy. This means that the customer service representative needs to be ready with an appropriate solution that will turn that disappointment into gratitude.

The Bottom Line

Customer service is your front line. And, it always needs to be available. Whether you hire your own employees or you seek a virtual receptionist, you need to do what it takes to make sure that every time your customer calls your line – a friendly, welcoming individual with solid knowledge and a solution is on the other end.

The level of customer service you provide will set you apart from all the others in your industry. And, the best part is that it can have the power to make this happen for your company. Yes, really! All you need is the right individual to meet your customers where they are – then turn them into loyal, happy customers.

How a Virtual Receptionist Strengthens Customer Relations

admin February 28, 2020

Your customers are at the heart of your business. After all, if you didn’t have customers, you wouldn’t have a very successful business, right? In a world where options are plentiful, running a business becomes less about the product or service you are selling and more about the good feelings your customers walk away with.

But, sure, we know that you would love to give your customers the attention they deserve, right? Except, how will you get work done if you spend all your time dealing with customers? Well, good news – there is a solution. Hire a virtual receptionist – someone who is professionally trained to provide the utmost assistance and care to your customers.

This allows you the ability to focus on the rest of your business without worrying about your customer relations. Need more convincing? Here’s how a virtual receptionist strengthens your customer relations.

Increase Customer Satisfaction

Happy customers are return customers. Therefore, you want them to walk away completely satisfied. When a customer calls your office, he or she needs to be met with the voice of someone who is approachable and caring – someone who will provide a listening ear and offer a very acceptable solution to any need.

Customers call for all sorts of reasons. They may be unhappy with your product or service. Or, perhaps they are calling for clarification on a product. Maybe the customer is looking to make a new purchase.

Whatever the reason, someone professional – and helpful – needs to answer the phone when the customer calls. If not? There is a good chance you will end up with an unsatisfied customer which can cost you in the long run, especially if this is a regular occurrence.

Develop Competitive Advantage

Not every business makes the smart decision to hire a virtual receptionist. In fact, some just simply let the phone ring – if they are nearby and not busy, great. If not, voicemail can answer and they will return the calls.

If you want to stand out from others and make sure your business gets a good reputation, then you need to make sure you are going above and beyond. Don’t make your customers call into your voicemail! Instead, give them exactly what they are looking for – a live, helpful person.

This type of customer response leaves a very good last impression. If you want to stand out and be different from others in your industry, then you need to allow a virtual receptionist to make it happen.

Build Brand Loyalty

With the click of a button, customers can let thousands upon thousands of individuals know just how they feel about your business. They can write reviews all over the Internet – and there is really not much you can do about it. Well, there is one thing – you can give them great customer service.

Over time, this builds your brand loyalty. This has customers advocating for you. When someone is looking for a recommendation or asking for the best services in your community, these are the customers that give your name. You may have a product or service that many others have – but your customer service will set you apart.

Enhance Customer Experience With UX

Nobody – and we mean nobody – wants to call your office and go through a series of prompts to try to speak to a live person. Constantly having to repeat, “representative,” or hitting the “0” button over and over in an attempt to hear a real voice is aggravating and downright frustrating. It is enough to make some customers dread to even have to pick up the phone to call you.

While you may think you have a well-designed, organized phone system, the user may think otherwise. You should want your customers to be happy – don’t subject them to an automated phone system. Instead, make contacting your company easy by having a live virtual receptionist answer your call.

Strengthen Customer Relationships

Creating a personable relationship with your customers is not always possible, is it? You are busy and, well, you have a business to run. Nobody disputes this. But, if you want your business to do well – and make it last, then you have to build relationships with your customers. So, when you can’t be the one to build it, you need to hire someone who can. This is the best chance you have to create brand loyalty.

A virtual receptionist will give your customers the attention, acknowledgment, and real-life communication needed to make a difference. In addition, this communication with your customers allows you to gain a deeper understanding of their likes, dislikes, needs, and so forth. Which, in turn, can help you with your business.

Improve Lead Response Time

If you are like most growing businesses, you have likely invested in lead generating services. Or, perhaps you have a lead magnet on your website. However you get your leads, the next important step is to respond to them within a reasonable time-frame.

While you are focusing on everything else you have to do while running your business, there is a good chance you don’t respond to leads right away. Be honest with yourself – how often does this happen? Here’s the thing – when you don’t respond to generated leads, your competitors may. This instantly gives them an advantage.

When you hire a virtual receptionist, those leads can be responded to immediately every time. Customers like a quick response. They like a company they can count on. And, when they are ready to move –you are the first one to respond, increasing your odds of conversion.

Your business can only reach its highest success when you have thoroughly satisfied customers. But, let’s face it – you have a business to run and cannot honestly provide the level of customer service that will set you apart from others in your industry.

Hiring a virtual receptionist can be a game-changer for your company. It can leave you with happy customers, build brand loyalty, help you gain insights, and convert leads at a much higher rate. So, what does all of this mean? If you want to strengthen your customer relations, then you need a virtual receptionist.

Time Management Strategies for Business Owners

admin February 26, 2020

Every day you wake up, you have precisely 1,440 minutes with which is use as you see fit. Here’s the catch though – if you choose to waste them, you don’t get a do-over. In fact, time is the one resource we encounter every day of our lives that we will never get back. Once it is gone – it is gone.

So, what steps do you take to manage your time? As a business owner, time management strategies are crucial. Too much time spent on one project, not enough on another, can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unproductive.

It is imperative that you know the best way to make the most of your time so that you can effectively and efficiently run your business straight down the path to success. Implement some (or all) of these time management strategies and watch your business begin to transform.

Practicing Time Management Strategies by Setting Goals

Before you do anything in life, whether personal or professional, you always want to set goals. These goals will help improve work-life balance – use way to monitor your progress – and make sure that you are heading in the right direction.

Your major goal should have stepping stones so that you can monitor your progress along the way. Setting time management strategies with having business goals in mind is a great way to put the focus on what you need to do – and when you need to do it. The key is to stick to your schedule.

Being Possessive of Your Time

As a business owner, there is a good chance that you have quite a network. And, if so, then you likely have lunch, dinner, or drink invitations regularly, as well as requests to attend conferences, webinars, and the like. Sound familiar?

Each time you say yes to one of these things, you are taking time away from work. If you feel you need to go, then go. But, it is ok to say no. Sometimes you have to get possessive of your time. Remember, you only have 1,440 minutes each day so how you spend it will ultimately lead to the success or demise of your business.

Learning to Delegate

Delegating is not always as simple as it sounds. In fact, some people struggle with it, choosing to micro-manage their business. Sadly, this is not the way to encounter the wisest of business practices. Many business owners who struggle with delegating often end up miserable – and their business never reaches its fullest potential.

It is important to note that delegating does not mean hiring more employees. Instead, you could outsource some of your tasks to a virtual assistant. Whether answering and transferring your calls, data entry, bookkeeping, finagling logistics, marketing, or something else – you don’t have to worry about these tasks because there is someone else who can do them for you.

Hiring a virtual assistant means that you can focus on the key parts of your business that need your attention while allowing everything else to be handled by a professional and trained assistant.

Mastering the Art of Self-Care

Believe it or not, some people forget to care for themselves. It is easy to get wrapped up into all that you need to do for your business that you forget the most important thing – the person that runs it! You!

Self-care is a term we hear a lot lately – and for good reason. After all, if you are in a good place physically and mentally, then how are you going to successfully meet your needs at the office?

Schedule a small block of time every day to practice self-care. This could mean going for a 30-minute walk or closing your eyes in meditation for 5 minutes. Even the smallest amount of time is better than none at all. Practicing self-care can give you the drive, focus, and strength to use the rest of your day productively.

Maintaining Your Focus

Daydreaming can be fun and relaxing, but it is not going to get the work done for you. The more you sit back and daydream, the less productive you will be. And, remember – you don’t get your wasted time back ever.

Get rid of distractions as much as possible and consider breaking your workday down into segments. Push distractions aside until the specific time at which you will address them. This will allow you to better maintain your focus in the current moment.

Taking 5 Minutes to Plan Your Day

What are you going to be doing tomorrow? Do you know? Have you thought about it? Walking into a room not knowing what to expect can throw you off a bit at first, right?

After you are there for a few minutes, you slowly begin to find your groove. The same thing happens when you walk into a new day. So, to keep yourself from teeter-tottering around until you get grounded for the day, walk into it prepared and ready to go.

Take 5 minutes each night to prepare for the following day. Take a look at your calendar, at your workload, etc., and know what the day ahead is going to look like – and how you will accomplish the most. This simple planning tool can give you the confidence to face your new day with ease – and save you time in the morning.

Automating Business Processes

It is important to streamline your business. With so many software programs and apps available today, there is no reason why you should still be handling the minuscule, day-to-day tasks.

To reach success with your business, it needs to flow smoothly from one step to the next – without someone standing there to make sure it does. Take the time to discover ways in which you can automate your business to reduce your need for spending time on certain tasks.

Time management strategies are one of the most important tools for business owners to have. Create a plan, set your schedule, and be productive. Invest in a virtual assistant to handle the rest. You may be surprised at just how much you can accomplish in the success of your business when you manage your time right.

Your Everything Guide to Virtual Assistant Services

admin February 26, 2020

Virtual assistants are incredibly helpful in all sorts of scenarios. Perhaps that is why people from all types of industries and backgrounds hire them. But, why? What can a virtual assistant do? And, why would someone choose to hire one? Let’s say that there is something you greatly dislike doing.

For instance, what if you have new accounts to enter into your system and you just don’t like the monotony? A virtual assistant can help. You may be incredibly smart when it comes to the services you provide, but you are terrible when it comes to knowing how to promote your service. Virtual assistants can help here, too.

And, maybe you are just well-rounded and great at everything, but time is not on your side. You are overflowing with work and you need help. Guess what? A virtual assistant can help you reduce the burden. Of course, these are just a few of the reasons why someone may hire a virtual assistant.

To get the full benefit of all they have to offer, it is important to understand the types of virtual assistant services available.

Answering and Routing Incoming Calls

How can you get work done if you are holding the phone all day? Not to mention that if you are involved in work, every time the phone rings, you are facing a distraction. This will decrease your efficient workflow and productivity. Besides, who wants to always be tethered to the phone? Sure, you have the choice to not answer the phone, but what does that say about you and your business?

One of the most common services that virtual assistants perform is answering calls and routing them appropriately. This is a simple task that can be done remotely – and the caller will never suspect that your receptionist is not sitting right outside of your office! It gives your business a professional appearance and allows you to stay off the phone and focused on what you do best.

Perform Outbound Calls

Phones work both ways, though, don’t they? That means many businesses have the need to perform outbound calls, too. Your business may have the need for someone to make sales calls. You could provide a script or simply have the virtual assistant make the initial contact with a potential buyer before transferring the call to you to secure the sale. This is a great way to sort out the real leads from those that will just waste your time.

Or, maybe you need someone to reach out to clients and schedule appointments – or even remind them of an already-existing appointment. Maintaining calendars and schedules, sending reminders to both you and clients – these are the tasks that virtual assistants are great at. And, believe it or not, they can keep you on track!

Bookkeeping Services

Large corporations often have finance departments loaded with bookkeepers. But, when you are just starting out or are a smaller company, hiring a full-time bookkeeper can be costly and unnecessary. Though, the other option of trying to handle it yourself can be frustrating – and take you away from what you really want and need to be doing. After all, you are not a bookkeeper.

Thankfully, you can hire a virtual assistant to handle your bookkeeping for you. With this option, you have someone who is skilled in the field handling your numbers for you when you need them, whether a couple of hours per week or a few hours each day.

Various Marketing Needs

Many business owners get stuck – they know they have a great product or service that other businesses or consumers would love, but they don’t know how to get the word out there. To reap the benefits of proper marketing, you have to know how to market. This includes things such as website building, content writing, social media management, and more.

There is a good chance these may not be your strong suit – and an even better chance that you don’t have the time or desire to consistently maintain them. But, guess who does. That’s right, a virtual assistant. Get your business known with a consistent, thorough marketing plan handled by your virtual assistant while you focus on your business.

Data Entry Services

Nearly every business has some form of data entry. Monotonous, repetitive keystrokes that can make you fall asleep fast. Maybe you get bored easily or maybe you just don’t type fast – or well. A virtual assistant can typically get your data entry completed in less time, allowing you to get your projects moving through the pipeline quicker while you get the freedom from the task. Sound enticing? We thought so.

Miscellaneous Other Receptionist Duties

Virtual assistants come from all backgrounds and all walks of life. So, what does that mean for you? It means that you are sure to find someone capable of handling exactly what you need to be done. Virtual assistants don’t just stop with data entry, marketing, bookkeeping, or telephones.

No, no. They possess an eclectic set of skills that allow you to benefit in many different ways. Many virtual assistants can handle a wide range of receptionist and executive assistant duties, including things such as:

▶ Planning and booking travel arrangements.
▶ Organizing and scheduling meetings between any number of parties.
▶ Assisting you in preparation for a presentation (both audibly and visually).
▶ Organize and prepare mass mailings.
▶ Event planning.
▶ Producing graphs, reports, and other items within spreadsheets.
▶ Responding to inquiry emails.
▶ Maintaining your social media presence across various platforms.

With all the possible skills available, there is no end to what a virtual assistant can do for your business.

The Bottom Line

Outsourcing work to virtual assistants can make better use of your current employees and free up your time, too. This allows you to get things done while making the best use of everyone’s time. In doing so, you are only benefiting the business in the long run. Higher efficiency leads to greater rewards.

And, well, virtual assistants can give you the opportunity to soar high. What could you use a virtual assistant for?

Online Reviews 101 for the Smart Small Business Owner (Part 2)

Nehal Parikh April 12, 2018

Thanks to technology and social media, the written word has become more common than ever. And in the words of J.K. Rowling via Dumbledore:

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

In our previous blog post, we discussed about negative and positive reviews that our business can get and how they could impact sales growth or otherwise.

More importantly, following the sensibility of prevention being better than cure, we touched on what we can do to avoid getting unpleasant feedback in general.

But should you get a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly, what do you do?

Turning negative reviews around

You cannot please everyone. But you can take into account what they’re saying and do your best to turn that into something beneficial for your business in more ways than one.

Respond quick and respond well

Timing is key, as they say. The soonest you can respond to negative feedback, the better. And the simple reason is, it shows that you care.

A faster response time can help subside anger or disappointment, especially when paired with genuine sympathy and concern.

While knowing what the customer needs early on by asking generally applies, it is here when the right questions and responses prove crucial.

Please avoid asking provoking questions and making assuming statements that may make matters worse. Train your support staff to ask first when in doubt.

Be it live chat, email, or phone support, it’s about knowing why your client or customer is contacting you and giving them the resolution best you can.

The important thing is to make them return again, which brings us to our next item.

Offer a special coupon or discount

If restaurants have their “We’re sorry we messed something up,” coupon ready, you can have one for your negative reviews.

It’s one way of showing that you’re concerned about your customer’s experience, and that the untoward incident was the exception and not the norm.

Just be sure to put certain measures in place to protect you from frauders who didn’t really buy anything or experienced anything yet and just want to get a discount.

But the goal here is clear: To make them come back and essentially give you a second chance. If you’re successful, there’s be a third, fourth, fifth, nth.

Make customers feel you welcome feedback

In your store or office, it could be a suggestion box on the counter, a slogan on the wall, having both, or more.

Online, you can do the same by having a section on the homepage and links on different pages on your website that lead to the Contact Us page.

Turn feedback into improvement

While a few may be just rants from irascible customers, even those, consider. Yes, you cannot please everybody, but the important result of a negative feedback is improvement.

Take it as a chance to see your service or product from a different angle, especially if the one who gave the review has used other similar products or services.

Getting more out of positive reviews

If you shouldn’t let negative reviews just hanging around because they can impact sales, you should do the same when it comes to positive feedback.

Turn positive comments into reviews

“You did a great job!” and indeed you have if a customer has left a similar positive note on your social media page or website.

In fact, they were so satisfied that they took the time and made the effort to just let you know that.

That being said, make sure you let them know you appreciate it and that the thing that they were pleased with is part of what makes you tick as a company.

Then ask them if they could rate you or leave a quick review. Just make the process as easy as you can, because that would mean their extra time and effort.

Turn comments into testimonials

Why not take comments up a notch and turn them into testimonials featured on your website?

If they took the time to email you a positive note, then reply back and at the end of your conversation, you can ask them if you can use their feedback as a testimonial for posting on your social media site.

These will be great in proving the quality of service that you have, especially, if it’s another service or company that commends your good work.

(Note: Just be sure to have a screenshot of it and record the time and date for records purposes.)

Offer a subscription to your newsletter

Why not ask your satisfied customer to subscribe to your newsletter? “Why not?” indeed.

Getting your customer’s email address gets you on a more personal relationship with them.

But what will they get out of it? Latest discount or promo announcements delivered in a timely manner? Whatever they may be, be sure to include them in your invitation for subscription.

When they say nothing at all

Remember that bad publicity is still publicity. But having no publicity can be just as bad. So what do you do to help put your product on the online map?

Ask family and friends

Your family has been supporting you with the extra time you need for your business and other things. Leaving a short review or giving a rating shouldn’t be so hard, especially when you explain how it could help your business move forward. Then, there are your friends and neighbors who have tried your product or service to leave a short review or rating online. As advised before, make it easy. Provide the link to where they can leave reviews. And especially since they’re your friends, throw in a little something extra as a reward the next time they come by your store or acquire your service.

Advertise on social media

Having a social media page is useless if no one ever hears about it. While sharing it to family and friends helps, there’s another way to effectively boost it to people who are already consumers of a similar product or service.

With just a few bucks, you can advertise on social media. Just be sure to specify the settings so that it will target the particular demographics of consumers who are most likely to buy from you.

Of course, you didn’t just go through all the trouble you did of setting up your business because you had something mediocre to share to the public.

You have a good product or service. But good can become better and better can become best, if you understand how to handle feedback — online or offline — well enough for a (literally and figuratively) profitable experience.