Receptionist vs Answering service
Hi Dear Readers
My insight for the week,
So you know that popular barbeque question, the age-old question that any newcomer always asks, the famous question whose answer you have auto-generated in your mind…
“so, what do you do?”
Now depending on the day, the mood, whether we have won the rugby match, my answer and patients level varies.
Today was a good day, so I answered with “I am a Virtual Receptionist”, then, the most annoying, mind-boggling words always come out:
“Oh like an answering service?”
No Joe, I don’t simply answer phones and take messages, I am a virtual RECEPTIONIST. Now in my irritation I realised that many people do not understand the difference between an answering service and a virtual receptionist, so I swallowed my snappy reply, took a deep breath, and said, “Google it”
So here I am still stewing over the fact that absolutely detest being referred to as an answering service.
I am a brilliant receptionist, and I love working for Turnkey Receptionists.
What’s the Difference Between Turnkey Receptionists and an Answering Service?
Being in the best hands usually doesn’t bring an answering service to mind. Let’s be real: the average answering service can’t cut it when it comes to a thriving business.
They can’t assess the relative importance of different calls. That’s why you need a full-service virtual receptionist team. Unlike your typical answering service, partnering with Turnkey Receptionists means you get receptionists trained on your firm and its unique needs. We’ll get to know your clients and how to handle each kind of call.
Answering services tend to lean heavily on taking messages and letting the client know you’ll be in touch. When new clients call needing help, every minute counts. New clients need to talk to a receptionist immediately, and you need to know you’re not missing any critical conversations. Unlike an average answering service, Turnkey Receptionists understand the urgency of every call to your business. You tell us how you want new client calls vetted and sorted, and we’ll take care of the rest to ensure your new clients are handled correctly every time. After all, you don’t get second chances to make a first impression!
Your Business Needs Virtual Receptionists Who Care
As a business owner, you know your job is more than talking to clients. You need to be a shoulder to cry on, an empathetic friend, and sometimes almost a therapist. As attorney and client of Turnkey Receptionists puts it, “Practicing law is about dealing with clients on a day-to-day basis. You must be kind – be a therapist at times. Be a friend at times. Clients need to have good service provided to them.”
When people need a lawyer for example, it’s frequently a high-stakes, high-emotion situation. Especially if you practice family law, estate planning, elder law, criminal law, or have a similar type of practice, you know your clients call with big emotions. Can you really trust an answering service to handle those clients with the emotional care they need?
Turnkey Receptionists are able to give your clients the kind of connection they need. We operate with empathy and are trained to navigate tough emotions to help your clients feel the depth of care you’ll have for them. If the person answering your phone isn’t dedicated to your practice and familiar with how you operate, they’ll treat your callers like a number instead of a person. We give you dedicated receptionists who know your practice and your clients.
Turnkey Receptionists go above and beyond the services offered by answering services. A virtual receptionist is a devoted receptionist who is familiar with your brand, organisation, and clients.
Typically, answering services are call centres or a location with people who know a little about your business – which is fine if you just need someone to answer the phone and give out your email, hours, or basic information, but not so much if callers have product questions, pricing questionnaires, or identifying problems.
- A nice and courteous human’s personal touch may make all the difference. No matter how kind and courteous the automated messages are, you can’t substitute that human touch with an automatic response system, such as calling a client by name and asking how their day was. Have you ever dialled a phone number only to be met with a voicemail? People may find this annoying because the phone is effectively answered by a robot.
- Another benefit of using Turnkey Receptionists is that getting to the information that the customer requires is generally much faster. They can immediately request assistance with a particular customer service issue. You can be confident that the call will be answered by skilled personnel. You may write scripts with confidence, knowing that your query will be answered correctly. It’s easy to become stuck on a dead end or not provide your consumers the answers they want when using an automated response service. Many large corporations utilise automated services, such as chatbots on their websites, but if you’ve ever used one, you know they’re not always dependable, even with advanced AI technology.
- Turnkey Receptionists are significantly more prepared to handle crises. If you work in a field that is even vaguely related to medicine, you may find yourself dealing with people who want immediate care.
