Is a Remote Receptionist a Reliable Receptionist?
January 27, 2009
Is a Remote Receptionist a Reliable Receptionist?
By Victor Mataraso, M.B.A.
Top 5 Things to Consider When Hiring a Remote Receptionist.
First, to understand the difference between a traditional live telephone answering service and a remote or off-site receptionist, please refer to my earlier post on the subject (http://cityscoop.us/bayarea-answeringservices/2009/01/03/what-is-the-difference-between-and-answering-service-and-an-off-site-receptionist/).
Now that you have been enlightened and would like to select a live receptionist for your business, let’s take a look at the primary considerations when selecting the firm you will work with.
1) Do they assign you a small, dedicated reception team? There are several key benefits to having a dedicated team of receptionists assigned to handle your business. By limiting the number of different people handling your calls to 4 or 5, your receptionist can actually get familiar with your business and function as an extension of your staff as well as the front-end for your business. The goal here is that your callers feel as though they’ve reached your office and not some anonymous third-party call center. On the flip-side, having a small team insures your calls are always answered live (even if someone is on the other line), and you don’t need to worry about sick days, lunch breaks, vacations, etc. If your answering service claims to offer receptionist services, ask how many different people will be taking your calls.
