Reason #5 - Why choose an off-site Receptionist to answer your business telephone calls? Schedule your appointments on the spot. By Victor Mataraso, M.B.A Schedule your appointments on the spot.  Last week we talked about the how an off-site or virtual receptionist could help you avoid viewing phone calls as an interruption.  This week we focus on how your remote receptionist can actually convert those calls into the opportunity they should be to increase your business by scheduling your appointments on the spot. If you're in a service industry where you meet with a prospective client as a first step in them doing business with you, scheduling that contact is the first critical step in securing the business.  If you are unable to take your calls in real-time because you are serving other clients, or out in the field on a job, an off-site receptionist can be a great solution for capturing new clients with appointment scheduling. Unlike a traditional telephone answering service who might take a message you can return later, an off-site receptionist service can typically provide you with a web scheduling system and the oppotunity to train your receptionist on the key steps needed to schedule your appointments.  Now, when inquiries come in to your business, the receptionist can give your caller a brief overview of your process and encourage them to schedule a time to meet wiht you or speak further by phone.  Callers typically feel as though they have reached your office and are speaking with your receptionist allowing them to feel that they have accomplished their desired outcome by scheduling with you, instead of enagaged in a drawn out game of phone tag where you run the risk of them contacting other providers. For your part, you simply log into your web calendar from any computer and see what your receptionist has scheduled for you.  Of course, you can also block out times you are unavailable or limit your availability in whatever way you see fit allowing you complete control over your schedule.