Why not get an answering service as well as a virtual office?
Live Phone Answering Services
Professional studies that have been carried out in Europe and the United States have shown that a significant number of business people really don't like leaving messages on automated answering machines. In a lot of cases, many of these people will just hang up the phone and call the next number on the list of search results. What this quite often means is that you not only end up missing that call and losing that potential new customer but you are also helping your competitors to grow their businesses by giving them the call. It then ends up as being something of a double whammy! Getting yourself a live answering service to take your incoming calls is a much better alternative.
Phone Answering Service
Our professional phone answering service is based in Australia, taking all calls during normal and extended business hours Monday - Saturday. Late at night, in the middle of the night and on Sundays our UK or US receptionists will answer any calls that come in. This ensures that you have a quality service to answer your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Phone Answering For Your Business Call
Getting phone answering to take that business call makes sense. You can set up your Virtual Receptionist service in a matter of minutes. We have decades of experience with the answering service business and our bespoke call systems have been custom written to give you some really powerful technology to utilise. When you set up your account you will then be allocated with a local phone number. This is the number we will answer when we answer a call. You then have the option of either using this phone number as your main business number or you can just divert your existing phone number to this number when you need someone to answer your calls. Once your number is set up you will then need to let us know the greeting that you will want us to use when we are answer your calls. This greeting is individual to your company and can be changed at any time that you like. When we answer your call and take your messages we then deliver those messages via either SMS or email. All messages are despatched within minutes of them being received.
Really Affordable Rates On Answering
There is no set requirement in terms of how much you need to use us for answering calls. You can literally use us as much during a month or as little as you need. We may only answer one call. Some clients use us to answer all of their incoming telephone calls while others just use us to answer any overflow call. Some customers make use of our service during major marketing campaigns or when their staff are away on holidays or maternity leave. Whatever the way that you want to make use of our services we can offer an affordable package to suit your business and your answering needs. Our virtual receptionist packages start from just from just $25 per month + a small cost per call (excludes GST). We find that most of our small business customers end up paying between $80 and $100 per month which really is just a minor amount to have to pay for the peace of mind you get by having your phones covered and to know that each call will be answered live. Team answering makes sense!
Call Answering Service
We are passionate about our call answering service and are so confident with the benefits that you can gain that we are more than happy to let you try out our service at no cost for 7 days. This free trial is at absolutely no obligation to you. After your 7 day free trial has finished you will then have the ability to choose a package that best suits your call volume and best suits your style of business. Our answering service could be answering those incoming calls in minutes.
Local Phone Numbers - Virtual Phone Plus More
When you sign up for phone answering with virtualaddress.com.au we will automatically allocate to your account a local telephone number, however we also have a great range of other phone numbers available. These virtual numbers include toll free numbers plus local telephone numbers from all other major cities in Australia. So, if you need a Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth or Hobart number we will be able to allocate one to your account within a matter of minutes. Why not take your business national with a virtual phone number in each major city!
Why Answering Services Make Sense For Your Business
As a small business owner, the strength of your business is contingent upon the efficiency of your operations and the maximisation of your resources. In an increasingly digital world, technological solutions can streamline workflow, increase productivity, and decrease overhead. One such solution is a virtual receptionist who can be answering those incoming calls. Here are 5 reasons why getting an answering service makes sense for business.
A Cost-Effective Answer
The first and perhaps most convincing argument for an answering service is cost-effectiveness. A traditional, full-time receptionist demands a salary, benefits, vacation time, and potentially overtime pay. In contrast, our live answering service incurs no such additional expenses as you pay a small retainer plus a call cost. Our service is available on-demand and you only pay for the time and resources actually utilised. For a small business on a tight budget, this significant cost saving is a considerable advantage.
Scalability Of Service
Scalability, or the ability to adjust business operations in response to market demand, is an essential characteristic of a resilient small business. As your business grows, a phone answering service can grow with you. Unlike a traditional receptionist who can be overwhelmed with an increasing volume of calls, an answering service can handle a flexible volume of calls, thereby guaranteeing a consistent level of service in answering your calls. This dynamic adaptability is integral to your business’s future expansion.
24/7 Availability Of Business Services
A virtual receptionist can answer calls, handle inquiries, and book appointments around the clock. This is particularly advantageous for businesses that operate across multiple time zones, or in industries that require after-hours attention. This 24/7 availability of our answering service enhances customer experience and ensures that no potential client is left unattended due to time constraints.
Professionalism In Business - The Contact Centre You Need
As a business owner, you are aware that first impressions matter. A phone answering service can help establish a professional image for your business from the very first interaction. These services employ trained professionals who handle calls with politeness, proficiency, and a high level of customer service. This promotes a polished image of your business, which is vital for gaining trust and credibility with clients. A virtual receptionist becomes a contact centre for your business.
Focus on Core Business Activities - Not Business Call Answer Activities
The less time you and your staff spend on administrative tasks, the more time you have for core business activities. A phone answering service allows you to delegate tasks such as call handling, booking appointments, and handling inquiries. This enables you and your team to concentrate on what you do best, whether that's sales, product development, or customer service.
Live answering makes sound business sense for a small business. It's a cost-effective, scalable, and professional solution that can help your business grow, maintain a strong professional image, and free up your time to focus on core business activities. While the introduction of any new technology should be undertaken with a thorough understanding of its benefits and potential challenges, the potential rewards of a virtual receptionist are considerable.
How Do Answering Services Work
An answering service is essentially a company that is available to answer incoming phone calls on behalf of your business. This service is not limited to merely answering the phone; it also includes tasks like taking messages, scheduling appointments, and fielding common customer inquiries. The key to understanding the functioning of answering services lies in three fundamental components: people, technology, and protocols.
People
The backbone of phone answering services are the team of live operators. These professionals are trained extensively to handle a multitude of call types and to provide excellent customer service. Our call team are equipped with instructions and a script to ensure consistent service delivery, and they have the ability to route calls to the appropriate person or department within your business. Your call will be answered live and dealt with professionally.
Technology
The next essential component of our answer service is the technology that supports the service. The technology involves telephony and computer systems that allow operators to take calls, access the necessary information, and record data. The sophistication of these systems often determines the range of services an answering service can provide, such as voicemail, live answering, message forwarding, call recording, and many more.
Protocols
The third pillar of an answering service's operation involves the protocols that guide the interaction between the call operators, the technology, and your business. When a call is received, it's routed to an available operator. The operator then follows the protocol you've established for how calls should be handled. This could range from taking a live message and forwarding it to the appropriate party, data entry, scheduling appointments, providing info to callers or even handling a minor crisis.
The financial implications of these components must not be overlooked. The cost of an answering service is often determined by the combination of these three factors. Typically, a service might charge based on the number of minutes or calls handled, the complexity of the services rendered, and the technology used. As a business owner, understanding these elements can help you assess the cost-effectiveness of answering services for your corporate answering.
An answering service functions as a pivotal extension of your business, operating as a bridge between your customers and your team. Its operations hinge on a synergy between people, technology, and protocols. By appreciating the inner workings of answering services, you can better evaluate its financial implications and understand how it can enhance your business's operational efficiency and customer relations. An investment in answering services to take that business call could potentially yield substantial dividends in the form of improved customer satisfaction, better time management, and ultimately, increased profitability.