Call Handling ... What are your options? |
|
Page 2 of 2 Independent Virtual AssistantsThere are hundreds of independent Virtual Assistants around who offer a personal service. It’s like having your own Virtual PA to answer calls and perform a wide range of Personal or Office Administration tasks. They can act as an employee, often working from your email domain, and will get to know your business intimately.The problem with hiring individuals is that they could be working on another client’s task or taking another call, and they have to take breaks, have holidays and occasionally they get sick. Perhaps your typing can wait, but if your calls go to Voicemail you’re no better off. Typically, VAs do not like Call Handling because they’re not setup for it and it ties them to their desk so, if this is important, you should think carefully about this option. Virtual Office Services ProvidersThere are much fewer of these than Independent VAs and they operate as a professional services business. They will have a team of VAs supported by smart IT systems and technical backup.Your VA will answer your calls and deal with a range of office admin tasks. They will be covered by one or two other VAs who will also get to know you – and they will work as a team, just as in a large organisation. Because they work in small teams, the service will be personal. Some providers may operate a standard Telephone Answering Service in the background to provide 24/7 cover and to handle peak time overflow calls – its re-assuring to have that backup Their Call Handling Service tends to be simple and cheaper than using a specialist Telephone Answering Services. This is because it’s designed purely to complement the VA services, providing more routing and answering options for their clients. With all these options, what is it that people seem to be looking for? In our experience, most people want a personal service, not a call centre. They want a consistent, reliable service (often 24/7) that’s affordable. Everyone wants to know where they stand upfront with the cost and they want flexibility, with no shocks, contracts or switching difficulties. About The Author Anna Isaacs is the founder of Office Lifeline, a Warwickshire based virtual office services business, providing virtual PA and Office Admin Services to professionals and businesses. Anna had a successful career as an Executive PA in several blue chip companies before setting up Office Lifeline in early 2007.<< More Articles |
