Pros and Cons of Using a Virtual Office Service – and Turning Cons into Pros

The business world is full of pros and cons.  If you buy a pricier computer system, you are getting better quality but you are paying more.  If you choose an employee with no experience, it will cost less but you will have to spend time and money on training and a learning curve.  The trick is to balance these and make the right decisions for your company.  To succeed, you also have to figure out a way to turn some negatives into positives.  What are the pros and cons of having a virtual office service, and how can you turn them to your advantage? 

Using a virtual phone service is an excellent idea, but a savvy businessperson always weighs decisions carefully.  To play devil’s advocate, consider the following potential cons of using a call service:

By using a virtual assistant, a real, live person is missing out on the job.  This may be of real concern to you.  But there are two things to consider here: for small and growing businesses, it is likely that you have not hired anyone.   No one is losing the job.  And it is also likely that you cannot afford to hire a full-time employee, which means there really is no job to miss out on.  Also remember that virtual services exist to provide your callers with personal interaction: there is a real person on the other end of the phone, and it is her job to help your callers.  You haven’t provided the job directly, but you are helping make it possible.

A virtual answering service will be impersonal.  They won’t know about my business or treat it like it is their own.  This is certainly possible.  Some call centers will treat your callers impersonally and fail to provide courteous, or even helpful, service to them.  Some call centers know nothing beyond the name of your company, and they don’t really care to.  But the best services understand that their success is your success, and that it is their business to know your business.  Calls will be handled professionally, and your customers, clients, and associates will never realize they aren’t being greeted by someone physically in your office.  With technology, it is possible to make this a seamless and streamlined experience for callers.  With skilled and friendly receptionists, it is possible to make it a very personal and satisfying experience as well.

My budget is tight. I can’t afford extra services right now.  This is a huge concern for small business owners.  A virtual service is far less expensive than hiring an employee.  Not only is the overhead taken care of, you do not have to worry about sick days, long lunches, high turn-over rates, and other problems that plague employers.  You may be able to handle administrative tasks on your own.  As you grow, though, these may begin to outstrip your capacity to deal with both them and your work.  Letting calls go to voicemail will alienate many first-time callers who simply hang up and go to the next competitor.  Repeat customers will receive the message that they are not valued, and those trying to find fast answers will find them elsewhere.  While you may not be able to afford to hire an employee, you can’t afford not to. 

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Pros and Cons of Using Virtual Office Service - and Turning Cons into Pros