Every Business Needs a Virtual Phone Assistant — Here’s Why

The digital age has provided businesses with many benefits. Brands now have a lightning-fast and direct way of reaching target markets thanks to social media. Entrepreneurs can share professional services anywhere in the world through webinars. Companies can send business proposals and sales promotions via email. Do you really still need phone service and an assistant to man the lines? Turns out, having a business number and a virtual phone assistant are still as relevant as ever.

Why Your Business Still Needs a Phone Number

As technology turns business solutions more advanced, the relationship between brand and customer inadvertently becomes more digital and arguably less personal as well. Many companies forego the need of having a direct phone line and prefer to focus on instant messaging and social media channels instead. While these platforms have a myriad of benefits, it’s still worth it to invest in having a business phone number. Here’s why:

1. Phone calls grant instant gratification.
   

   The speed and clarity that phone conversations provide remain unmatched even today. If you have pressing service issues at hand, you’ll get waves of relief after airing them out over a phone call than over email. If customers want to verify the credibility of a brand, they’ll be more satisfied when talking to a person than chatting over instant messaging channels. Provide your customers and would-be customers with the same gratification by installing your own phone service.

2. Having a business phone line bolsters professionalism.
   

   Want to establish credibility? Bolster your professionalism and authenticity as a company by keeping a phone number. Customers nowadays put a higher value on credibility, what with all the security potholes that digital channels create. When you have a working phone number, you earn a seal of authenticity as a business.

3. It comes with a bunch of useful features.
   

   Having a phone service goes beyond having the ability to place and receive calls. It comes with a myriad of features that moves your business forward. You can get multiple phone numbers for the price of one. This feature is helpful if you’re expanding your team. You can assign a number to customer service and another one for sales. A phone service also comes with call forwarding or voicemail so you never miss any important contact or opportunity for sales.

4. Setting up a phone is easy.
   

   Phone services for business nowadays are designed to be quick and efficient. You can apply and have everything set up online in just a few steps. With the many features and benefits it can provide, setting it up is hassle-free and worth your time.

5. It increases productivity.
   

   Never miss a call but never be confined in your desk either — that’s what you get when you get phone service for your business. You can keep a business phone number and have someone manage the lines for you by hiring a virtual phone assistant. This boosts productivity while adding a personal touch to your customer support.

5 Reasons It’s Worth Investing in Virtual Phone Assistant Services

You know why having a phone number for business is still a worthwhile investment. One of its many features is having a voicemail set up so you don’t miss any important call. With this perk, do you have to go the extra mile and have a virtual assistant phone answering staff?

A virtual phone assistant is a remote worker who answers or places calls for companies or professionals. Although you can engage with customers and prospects through multiple digital channels, it’s still worth it to work with a remote staff who will work the phone lines for you.

Check out these 5 reasons why it’s worth investing in a virtual phone assistant service:

1. It adds a personal touch.
   

   Nothing can add insult to injury than being greeted by generic and automated voice prompts when you’re trying to reach out for a service concern. Remember that one of the top reasons of getting a business number is the immediate gratification it can provide to customers. You can only achieve this by hiring a virtual phone assistant. They are the closest thing you can offer to face-to-face customer interaction.

2. It future-proofs your business.
   

   Although the pandemic is primarily a health issue, it left economic lessons that entrepreneurs have to learn the hard way. One of these is the critical need to establish sustainable business solutions such as acquiring virtual phone assistant services. A virtual phone service helps secure your business by keeping operations going amidst lockdowns and health threats. Virtual phone support also provides a convenient way for customers and staff to interact without anyone risking their health and safety. Finally, it leaves the impression that your company can and will pivot to solutions to continue assisting customer needs. Here are other ways a virtual assistant service can keep businesses afloat during a pandemic.

3. It expands business availability.
   

   One of the many ways you can be attractive to customers is by keeping communication channels always open and convenient. By hiring a real person to answer calls, wait or turnaround times can be shortened dramatically. Customers won’t need to wait for your email or chat response when someone can readily pick up their calls. This should help you expedite the sales journey of your customer or deliver a quick complaint resolution. This lessens, if not completely diminishes, the chance of competitors to snatch away your customers.

4. It can provide impressive results.
   

   Virtual phone assistants are self-employed professionals. Their service is their craft, which means you can trust them to take care of your business like their own. You can find many virtual phone assistants with specific training and experience that make them equipped in delivering impressive results. This includes knowing how to de-escalate an otherwise volatile customer issue, closing a sale with an initially hesitant prospect, and keeping a client from unsubscribing.

5. It is cost-effective.
   

   If you think that outsourcing to a virtual phone assistant will cost an arm and a leg, think again. Working with a remote staff has proven to not only be effective but also cost-efficient. When you work with a VA, you can save on a lot of business overheads such as utilities, rent or mortgages, office equipment, and even insurance. If you hire your phone assistant from a full-service virtual staffing firm such as 20four7VA, the agency will also take care of training, payroll, staff management.

Tips on Getting The Best Virtual Phone Assistant Services

As with any other branch of business, you reap the benefits of virtual phone assistant services if you start right.

To help you get the ball rolling in the right direction, check out these tips on getting the best virtual phone assistant services:

1. Work with a full-service agency.
   

   Phone support should be convenient for both your customers and your business. You don’t have to worry about the legwork and management of your phone virtual assistant by working with a full-service staffing agency like 20four7VA. Working with an agency is cost-efficient in that you only pay for the clocked-in hours of your VA. It’s also more professional because agencies pre-screen and train virtual assistants before making them available for hire. It’s much more sustainable because the agency will take care of payroll and employee monitoring so you can focus on product-specific training. Lastly, it is flexible in that it allows you to take off or add hours or even staff depending on your needs.

2. Cover the bases.
   

   You can still be as involved as you choose to be in the hiring process even if you work with a staffing agency. From the get-go, be clear about the job description and the non-negotiable qualities that you require from applicants. This should include someone with a neutral accent, a strong command of the English language, and the proficiency to multi-task since phone assistants will navigate multiple tools while talking to clients.

3. Find someone with relevant experience.
   

   Phone calls with aggravated customers can get heated fast. You would want someone who can keep their cool in highly stressful situations and can think on their feet. Verify if the assistant has experience working as a phone support, particularly in a BPO setting. BPOs provide continued training and coaching, so you can trust that your VA will already be confident in answering calls and comfortable with multi-tasking.

4. Ask specific and professionally pertinent questions.
   

   Get to know your phone assistant better by asking specific questions during the recruitment process. Here are a few interview questions to use as a guide:

• What was the toughest call you received and how did you handle it?
• How can you add a personal touch to phone interactions?
• What are your top 3 tips for de-escalating an irate call?
• What can you do to keep a customer from cancelling their service?
• How have you turned a hesitant prospect into a successful transaction?
• What are the specific traits that set you apart from other virtual phone assistants?

Final Thoughts

A study has revealed that 48% of consumers still prefer the phone as a communication channel. The world has gone digital but it’s undeniable that customers still look for personal care and attention from their service providers. Be the business that delivers this by hiring a virtual phone assistant.