Category: Receptionist Tips

Tasked with welcoming your clients and building your company’s image, a receptionist’s job is never easy because of the complexities that are involved in his/her job. As an owner, you need to make sure that you hire someone who possesses the essential traits to perform certain duties with utmost professionalism. Therefore, you need to ask yourself if he/she will lure in potential clients or do the exact opposite.

For reference with regards to the said matter, you can check the Internet since it is full of receptionist horror stories. By going online, you can find countless stories where a customer was turned-off because a receptionist mishandled his/her call. The good news is: these situations are avoidable.

Avoiding such predicament is essential because one employee can make all the difference when signing up a big client or otherwise. Therefore, it would be best to hire a professional who is attentive, patient, and competent because these traits can help you build a great first impression that can increase your chances of landing that “jackpot” client.

Failure to address the above-mentioned prerequisites can wreak havoc to your company because the wrong receptionist can hurt business branding and image. In fact, your company may experience a long and slow demise or a short and fast downfall due to the hiring of unfriendly and incompetent staff.

So, always make sure that your receptionist is well-informed and up to date when it comes to the developments in your company since nothing is more upsetting to a customer than an employee who does not know anything about the business entity he/she works for. Simply put, an employee who cannot even answer a query or work on a request is a major turn-off.

If you want your business to build a favorable and lasting impression, train your receptionist in customer handling because some tend to be apathetic when interacting with clients and potential partners.

In case the mentioned precautionary measures don’t work, consider hiring a virtual receptionist instead of an in-house one. Such move is ideal because you can be sure that you’ll employ a professional who is always ready to take calls and maintain high standards along the way.

A live virtual receptionist who is an expert in voice answering services is a worthwhile choice because you can rest assured that your calls are handled with utmost expertise at any time of the day. In time, this can help your company develop a first impression that lasts.

As the digital age grows bigger, a lot of companies are now utilizing the benefits of virtual receptionists. However, some business owners are still reluctant with this kind of service.

Misconceptions and misinformation are the usual norm whenever there is a new form of technology.

Various answering service companies, such as GabbyVille strives to provide crucial information on what implementing a virtual secretary is all about.

1. They Can Only Do Few and Simple Tasks – On the contrary, besides answering live calls; they can also take detailed messages and send it via email. Return personal calls on your behalf, create multi-conference calls, give appointment reminders and even play your favorite “on hold” music.

2. It’s Expensive – The main reason why majority of small to medium-size business owners prefer virtual answering services is that it’s more affordable than hiring an in-house receptionist. You only pay for the minutes you have used and do not require you to pay for employee benefits.

3. You Would Not Know What’s Going On – One common concern the owner has is that he would not be up to date to what is happening since virtual assistants are not physically in the office. Here’s the thing, even though you’re virtual employee is not in your office, you will still be up to date with all that is happening with your business. From calls coming in to messages left by your clients.

4. It’s Just an Automated Voice – Contrary to the popular notion that they are just androids, here  in GabbyVille, our virtual receptionists are live and actual people is answering your client’s calls. The only difference is that, instead of working in your office, they are located from our headquarters.

5. The Responses Are Scripted and Generic – Another misconception. Although they are well-trained to stick to a script, they can still adapt their talking skills from person when needed. Also, the scripts provided are customized to reflect your preferred handling of your client’s calls.

6. It Requires You To Sign A Long Term Contract – Employing a virtual assistant only requires you to pay for the minutes you are using. Depending on your preferred package, you avoid the hassle and technicalities, you only pay for what the minutes you need.

To conclude today’s blog entry, misconceptions arise when dealing with a new process or technology. But as they say, these queries can be handled and solved if enlightened.

One way or another, we all have encountered customers that are hard to handle. Clients, especially the angry ones make some transactions a little complicated than the usual.

Of course, handling them is also just as hard, so a lot of you are looking for answers on how to handle irate customers. However, encountering an angry one can also be a learning experience.

Whether you are a customer service representative, a virtual office assistant or an on-site receptionist that are handling these kinds of clients, here’s some easy-to-follow tips on how to handle them.

• Listen – As they say, you have to learn how to listen. Let the customer say all their grievances, concerns and questions. As they talk, assure them that you are listening by giving them an appropriate response. It’s important to let them say their concerns as it also gives them the chance to calm down.

• Be Professional – Maintain your professionalism. All through-out the call, your number one weapon against an angry client is to be professional. Business answering services just calmly responds to customers when they start spewing offensive words.

• Let Them Give Their Opinion – Give them the benefit of laying it all out. Not just their grievances, but also their opinions regarding their concern. Let them express what they think without giving judgment.

• Use Words That Offer Solution – Words such as, “I can do it sir”, “Definitely” or “Sure” can give a big impact on your caller. It shows them that you are willing to do anything possible to help them resolve their issues.

• Contain The Problem – As much as possible, make it a point to remedy the issue just by you. Although there are times that your superior needs to be involved, fixing the problem by yourself will show that you can handle the pressure.

• Deliver An Apology With Grace – It does not matter if the customer’s complaint is valid or not. The key to making your customer stay in your service is through a sincere, well-thought and graceful apology. Besides an apology, also offer a promise that by next time, your company will get it right.

• Show Some Sympathy and Empathy – More than just listening to their plight, you also have to show the customer that you understand what they feel. Also show the customer that you can feel what they are going through.

• Solve The Problem – Lastly and most importantly, nothing calms an irate customer than solving their problem. It’s the main reason why they called so attending their concern surely trumps whatever anger they have felt.

Receptionists are usually the first person your client ever meets. They are your first contact to your customers and they give the impression your company wants to project.

Live receptionists are the norm for many companies. However, as technology develops, new trends are employed and company offices are advancing to adapt technology on their daily tasks. Nowadays, small to medium-sized businesses adapt in the use of a remote receptionist.

Although both have its valuable benefits, below is a detailed comparison of an in-house secretary to its virtual counterpart:

Virtual Receptionists

• Work Hours Are Maximized – Providing more than just plain answering services, an online secretary provides exceptional service by always answering calls during work hours.  No breaks and no vacations, a virtual receptionist will maximize every hour you’re paying for.
• Remains Professional – They still maintain that professional aura with your clients. With calls answered attentively and quickly, your company’s image greatly benefits from it.
• Skills & Expertise – With matching speed, attentiveness and proficiency, your customers are assured to be well-taken care of.
• Consistent – Consistency is also one of their biggest key traits as they are always available and will strive hard to get the job done.
• Cost Efficient – The biggest benefit of a virtual receptionist lies in its affordability. Reliable and highly efficient, their service does not require additional budget and incentive, such as healthcare & overtime pay. You only pay for their actual hours of work.

In-house Receptionists

Live actual receptionist can still provide something its virtual counterpart cannot. Although the virtual ones can carry task between calls, tasks that require a more complicated process can also be suited to an actual human staff.

• Can Be Given Extra Tasks – They may also be given additional jobs that a virtual one can also do, such as clerical tasks like copying files, arranging schedule and working as your assistant on urgent matters.
• Fluid and Natural – It is also interesting to add that you and your customers can interact with live actual receptionists. Conversations can be spontaneous, resulting into an interactive transaction between clients.
• Gives Added Security –  An in-house secretary can, at times, assume some security officer function such as verifying employees’ identification, issuing passes for visitors, and most importantly, observing and reporting suspicious people.

As the years go by, the functions of a receptionist have expanded and the roles have evolved. No matter what the nature or the size of your business, the choice falls directly on your preferences.