Knowing and fully understanding the difference between a virtual receptionist and a virtual assistant is important if you are thinking of choosing one. Knowing the ins and outs of what each service provides will give you more clues as to whether it is right for you or not.
Once you have considered what your business needs to thrive, you will know which is right for you. This article will discuss the differences between the two services so you will have more confidence in choosing the right one.
Whether you hire a virtual reception service or opt for an assistant, you will be adding a huge amount of value to your business model.
Now let us discuss the main differences between the two.
What’s a virtual assistant?
Usually self-employed, a virtual assistant undertakes general administration and works remotely for a number of companies. They can be helpful in all industries. Let’s take health for example. A doctor who has opened a new clinic would need someone to help with appointment making, patient care, and calendar scheduling. If doctors do these tasks themselves, they will have no time left to treat patients. By hiring virtual medical assistants, these practitioners can not only save their valuable time and spend it with patients instead, but also save money on office space and other equipment that a traditional assistant would require. The same logic can be applied to any industry or company that has a lot of administrative tasks to complete. Moreover, nowadays, the role is expanding to take on broader tasks. This means if a company is growing, an assistant who works virtually and does not need any paperwork or office space can be very valuable.
Why hire a virtual assistant?
Cost savings and convenience are what make virtual assistants so attractive. Instead of paying out huge amounts for an in-house administrator who would do the same thing, money can be saved for going virtual.
They will not need to sit around in the office all day looking busy. Instead, people only hire them for the hours needed and the work they do. Through their virtual networking skills, they can work with multiple clients, and make more money than expected (for more information about virtual networking, you can check out the following blog – https://www.goldcast.io/blog-post/virtual-networking). That said, some of the tasks they might undertake are:
- managing social media
- scheduling logistics
- managing emails and sending out blasts
- looking after web services
- transcribing from telephone meetings and conference calls
- organising calendars
- updating and writing blogs
These are just a few of the many things a virtual assistant can carry out for you.
What is a virtual receptionist?
The two may overlap from time to time but the main role of a receptionist is to take over the call handling operations. They are trained by a member of staff from the company on all aspects of the brand.
This way they can answer the phone as though they are normal members of the staff working in the office. They are very confident and friendly in handling telephone calls and can undertake tasks such as:
- managing diaries
- taking orders
- controlling switchboard
- taking messages
On top of this, they are pretty much on demand throughout the day. This means that if you want your company to answer calls from customers 24/7, this is a service they would offer. With the latest call handling technology, a virtual receptionist can make communication effortless.
Now you know the main differences between the two roles, you will readily be able to differentiate what service you need. You can hire one or the other and watch your business become ten times more efficient than it was before.