A Day in the Life of a Virtual Receptionist
As an experienced virtual receptionist, I can certainly provide insights into what it is like to work as a virtual receptionist based on my personal experience as well as some feedback from co-workers. As with any career path there are advantages and disadvantages, understanding them can go a long way.
Working as a virtual receptionist can be both rewarding and challenging within the same day…
…every call is different, every call is unique.
I speak to a variety of people every day, each one unique, from
- Happy clients
- Upset clients
- Irate clients
- Clients who need to clear some information up
- Clients who would like a quick chat
- Clients who want reassurance
I deal with clients from all social classes.
Overall, being a virtual receptionist is a fulfilling job for individuals who enjoy interacting with people, solving problems, and working independently. It is essential to be prepared for the challenges that come with the role.
Virtual receptionists have the opportunity to work with clients or companies from different industries and geographic location. The exposure to diverse work environments has broadened my skills, knowledge, and professional network vastly.
Advantages:
There are most definitely cost saving benefits for both the virtual receptionist and the employer alike. The virtual receptionist does not need to spend money on commuting, work attire or meals outside the home, and employers may also save on overhead costs associated with maintaining a physical office space.
Flexibility is a benefit on being a virtual receptionist, as well as the advantage of working remotely, working as a virtual receptionist can promote a better work-life balance by eliminating the need for a commute, no more trying to beat the morning traffic rush, and allowing more control over your schedule.
This does lead to reduced stress and increased satisfaction with your work and personal life. However, in my experience it is important to look and feel the role, Grandma used to always say “look good, act good, feel good” as a teenager I used to think “whatever Grandma”, but I have certainly come to realise that Grandma knew exactly what she was talking about. Flexibility can be a wonderful advantage for receptionists who need their schedules to fit into life in general.
Disadvantages:
Working remotely as a virtual receptionist can be isolating, and I would not recommend it for individuals who thrive on social interaction. We do not have face-to-face contact with coworkers or clients found in traditional office environments.
In general, a virtual receptionist often manages a variety of tasks, we not only answer phone calls, but we can also do pretty much anything you need doing. We often respond to:
- Emails
- Schedule appointments
- Provide general customer service
- General administration tasks
- Follow up with clients to name but a few.
The variety of tasks we do as virtual receptionists keeps the job interesting and engaging. I personally try to keep in my mind that if this were my business, how would I handle every situation. Language barriers can be challenging at times, so patience and understanding is a must.
A virtual receptionist serves as the first point of contact for customers and clients; therefore, we have strong communication and interpersonal skills, these are absolutely essential when dealing with a diverse range of people and situations. We often need to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as answering calls while managing appointments or responding to emails, the ability to multitask efficiently is a crucial part of being a virtual receptionist.
We handle many customer inquiries and challenges throughout every day, and resolving issues effectively requires strong problem-solving skills, we must be able to think quickly and find solutions at a drop of a hat.
Due to the fact that most virtual receptionists work remotely, we need to be comfortable using various communication and office software tools, such as:
- Various scheduling software
- Virtual phone systems
Dependence on technology means that virtual receptionists are susceptible to technical issues, and we need to know how to handle those issues without disrupting our workflow. Working remotely as a virtual receptionist can provide a sense to independence and autonomy, however it also requires self-discipline and the ability to stay focused and motivated without direct supervision.
On a personal note, I love working as a virtual receptionist, I have formed a great bond with my teammates, as well as my employers. Problem solving is never an issue when you have a common goal in mind.
