The future is calling, but is it on the telephone?
While it’s true that phone usage has declined on some counts, the calls are still rolling in — especially to small businesses who have clients needing help or information. In fact, 76% of customers prefer using the phone when they need customer service. This is especially true if a customer or client has already purchased from a business. Phone calls between executives and leaders in a company are also part of the mix, meaning the phone is still a vital part of communication.
That means that someone still needs to answer phone calls. But in the digital age, virtual assistants aren’t deskbound anymore.
So who handles your outgoing and incoming phone calls? If you’re operating a small business, this can be a tricky question to answer.
Why Use A Virtual Assistant For Outgoing And Incoming Calls
With the growth of AI and other software, automating how you deal with phone calls might be tempting. An answering service, voicemail, or what’s known as intelligent software seems easier and more budget-friendly at first glance.
What’s lacking in that list is emotional intelligence and a commitment to your reputation. As you’ll see, your VA cares about your business and your customers. They are also capable of problem-solving according to business preferences and practices.
When it comes to taking calls, all of that matters.
Phone calls are human connections, not just a transfer of information.
Incoming Phone Calls: How Your VA Can Help
We may live in a digital age, but there’s nothing quite like picking up the phone and calling someone if you’re trying to make a decision.
There are two basic reasons customers reach out with a phone call.
- Phone calls are reassuring. Whether you’re looking for a new business to take on one of your services or you’re trying to decide on the right product, sometimes all it takes is a friendly voice to convince you that you’re making the right decision.
- Phone calls are about immediacy. For time-sensitive concerns, talking directly with another person greases the wheels to get to the solution faster. Even if the problem isn’t solved immediately, there’s the sense of relief that comes with knowing a human being is involved and that a message isn’t growing old in an overloaded inbox somewhere.
Using a virtual assistant phone response isn’t just a customer benefit. It’s also a positive approach for businesses. It creates the impression of having a larger organization, and will also provide a professional and courteous customer-facing front for your business.
With a capable and well-trained virtual assistant, you can be sure that your incoming phone calls have a standard greeting when answered and that customers receive the expected experience during the conversation. If this doesn’t seem important, consider that 75% of customers want a consistent experience when they contact a business, whatever method they use. If you’re using a virtual assistant for email, it makes sense that they respond to phone calls as well.
Not only is consistency achieved, but when you have your virtual assistant answer phone calls, you add flexibility to your operations.
Your VA can answer calls and handle inbound queries, or she can simply take a message and email you the details. You can choose to have your VA answer all calls during office hours, or you can simply have them cover the phone for you while you’re in a meeting.
It means that you don’t have to be available 24/7 and monitoring your phone. It means that you can work on the go, from trains and even in planes, without worrying about background noises interfering.
And even better, it means that you can escape with your kids and your family without worrying about taking business calls.
Outgoing Calls: No Longer A Tedious Chore
If you’ve ever found yourself “on hold” for ages, or you’re fed up with phoning around to get the best quotes, why not outsource it to your virtual assistant?
Your VA can make phone calls to:
- Compare prices or obtain quotes
- Find out information
- Respond to questions
- Make appointments or schedule meetings
- Provide customer follow-up and nurture leads
- Provide requested information to customers, colleagues, or business partners
- Conduct surveys or market research
These all require time.
But as convenient as it would be to have your VA take these tasks off of your plate, it’s not just about saving time. Remember, there’s a need for consistency not just for customers, but also for your business.
When it comes to outgoing calls, virtual assistant phone support means you have improved the likelihood of spotting potential problems or opportunities. Any business benefits when the same person is involved in broad front-facing communications. This is especially so in this digital age where communication is coming in through many channels, such as email, messaging, social media, and phone.
Your VA is able to make connections across all of these channels that would otherwise be siloed and missed.
They’ll become familiar with your clients and colleagues and learn intuitively what kind of response to expect or is required. They’ll spot recurring questions and trends that might need to be addressed on a larger scale.
If the thought of handing over the phone to your VA makes you uneasy, just remember that we all know that it’s easy to get sidetracked in a phone conversation and that your VA is already handling parts of your communication. Why hold back on this one?
Having your assistant handle those phone conversations in both directions builds a buffer around you that allows you to focus on long-term planning while still providing personal customer and client service.
Using your VA to handle outgoing and incoming calls is just one way in which your business can hold on to the benefits of a traditional business model, and even give the appearance of a larger business operation, all while making use of your remote virtual assistant who is already helping you in other areas.
And yes, we said remote.
A remote virtual assistant can do all of this while working from a different location, a different city – or even a different continent! With attention to detail and efficient friendliness, your customers, clients, and colleagues won’t notice the difference.
