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We might live and work in an increasingly automated world. But there are some things that will always require the personal touch.

One of them is customer service.

There are multiple ways to contact a company, such as live chat, email, social media, and old-fashioned phone calls. When people decide to call an organization, it’s often because they need a quick response or because they’re not getting the information they need from other channels.

Therefore, it comes as little surprise that they’re not content to be greeted with an automated message.

According to a new study by Alliance Virtual Offices, 90% of people prefer talking to a real person over an answering service. If they are confronted with an automated service, they will often hang up rather than interact with it.

The research, which explores the potential benefits of embracing remote work and virtual services, found that introducing virtual office and live receptionist solutions to an existing business can result in huge profits – as much as $163 million, depending on the size of the business.

Among them, businesses can save money and increase customer loyalty by outsourcing their call answering needs to a remote receptionist service.

The research found that customers who are diverted to voicemail or an automated messaging service are less likely to use that company’s services, so having a human-focused support system in place helps avoid lost business.

Outsourcing live call answering and receptionist requirements serves a variety of functions:

• Cost savings: Outsourcing to a professional service provider saves a significant amount of money. It negates the need to employ a full-time member of staff and avoids salary costs along with employee benefits, management and HR costs, and workspace.
• Easy lead capture: Remote receptionists can answer enquiries, capture leads, and schedule bookings, which directly introduces new customers to the business.
• Builds professionalism: A professional voice improves the overall impression of your brand along with the call experience, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Hands-free management: Rather than investing time and money into hiring, onboarding, and training a permanent member of staff, an outsourced service takes care of all receptionist management on your behalf.

So how does it work?

The live receptionist service offered by Alliance Virtual Offices is a fully remote service. The company employs and manages their own team of receptionists based in Nevada, who answer calls on behalf of other businesses located all over the U.S.

When a call comes in, an available receptionist identifies which company the caller is trying to reach with the help of sophisticated call technology. This enables the receptionist to answer in the company name and greet the caller in a specific way, as requested by the company.

The receptionist then has several options, depending on the caller’s requirements.

They can forward the call to a specific member of staff, take a detailed message and send this by email, forward the call to voicemail, or schedule a call-back.

Aside from speaking directly with the person they’re trying to reach, scheduling a call-back is one of the most favorable outcomes.

The receptionist first asks the caller when they are free for a return call, and then schedules a call-back appointment directly into the respondent’s calendar (such as Microsoft 365 or Google). This way, both the caller and the company representative can ensure they are available for the call and make any preparations ahead of it.

If you’re looking for remote service solutions to help your business operate more flexibly and cost-efficiently, why not take a closer look at Alliance’s live receptionist service? It’s a flexible and manageable way to reduce your monthly outgoings while enhancing your customer service experience, strengthen loyalty, and bring in new business.

Alliance Virtual Offices provides a professional Live Receptionist service starting from just $95 per month, with no setup fee. Discover more at Alliance Virtual Offices.