Offices today reflect the busy chatter of phones ringing, faxes being received, and computers processing loads of information by the second. Difficult as it may be to understand, there are simpler ways to get this same type of information processed and work accomplished without actually having a warm body within the office who is staffed to make sure all of these things are done.  The reality is that a physical receptionist is becoming unnecessary for many offices across the country due to one business that is growing and making its mark.  Virtual receptionist services are on the rise and have been in recent years for a number of reasons.

• Affordability.  These services can cost as little as $25 a month, which can definitely be beneficial for many businesses budgets.
• Efficiency.  Most office hours are only from 8-5 or 9-6.  Many of these services are available after business hours, therefore making you more accessible to your patients or clients.
• Dependable.  These services have sopshistated systems that route or transfer calls and are sometimes more reliable than a person sitting at a desk.  They have the ability to be unaffected by changes going on within the office because they are not there.
• Adaptability.  These services can adapt to the flow of your office and make the necessary changes when needed.  They can grow with your office.

Virtual Receptionist Services can be a multipurpose answer to your businesses' needs.  I can help improve productivity and decrease stress related to all of these tasks.  Its time to upgrade the way you get things done and check out what a virtual receptionist service could do for you.

No matter what business you’re in, satisfied customers are the one common denominator all successful ones share. These days, we live our lives with mobile devices at the ready, and technology at our fingertips – and so do our customers. Technology should never be viewed as a replacement for customer service – but as a means to an end; a tool to deliver that customer service. 

Indeed, technology may sometimes be a double edged sword; it empowers us, it makes our lives instantaneous, but if it diminishes the human factor in your relationships with your customers, you could be shooting your business in the proverbial foot. 

Because technology makes everything instantaneous, that means good, and bad, is immediately available for all to see. The plethora of online venues that exist, ranging from Twitter to blogs, gives people free rein for expression, quickly, and globally. 

Creating a plan to deliver great customer service, using a combination of technology and the human touch, should be a key objective for any organization, and one that’s revisited and adjusted, often. 

1. Put Autoresponder Emails to work for you

An automatically generated email, sent to customers following the placement of their order, is something we’ve come to expect. Yet, not everyone does it. 

Here, you’ll want to include the usual suspects: thank the customer for his order, invite them to opt-in to your email and/or newsletter distribution list, send them a confirmation email. But go the extra mile: how about including a discount for a future purchase, or a link that gives them more information about the product or service they’ve just purchased? 

Some view technology as cold; warm it up by personalizing wherever possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add the customer’s name in the email; in the subject line, and in the greeting. Follow up with emails on their birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Reach out to them on a regular basis. 

2. Put together a thorough Frequently Asked Questions FAQ section at your website 

Not only does this give you a ready resource that customers can tap into 24/7, and that you can direct them to, it will allow you to devote more of your time to the customers who need personalized attention, as well as make you look professional, and knowledgeable. Tracking the questions, comments and complaints customers have will also help you to build your base of knowledge and expertise, thereby allowing you to provide even better customer service. 

3. Don’t bury your phone number at your website. 

Ever spent time clicking and searching a website for a customer service phone number, especially when you have a problem? Grrrrr. That’s the last thing any business should do! 

Adding your phone number to your website, prominently, is the cheapest, easiest way for you to show you care. It’s human. It’s warm and fuzzy. By not providing your customers with your phone number, you’re giving them the opportunity to walk away. In fact, you’re actually telling them to go away! Make it easy for your customers to reach you, and they’ll love you forever. 

4. Be ready when your customers call you 

Make sure you have trained qualified people to assist your customers when they call – and they will call – with problems, questions, complaints or praise. All of the technology, emails, and FAQ pages are worthless if the person on the phone can’t answer their questions quickly, expertly, and cheerfully. Remember, at that one moment in time, your customer service representative IS the company to them. Relish the opportunity! 

5. Communicate with your customers on a regular basis 

Talk to your customers. Ask them how you can do better. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants to be heard. Show your customers you’re listening by asking for their input with a short online survey. Not only will you learn more about how you can do better, you’ll be fostering your relationships with your customers, and that’s what great customer service is all about.

Online visitors are three times as likely to buy when they have direct sales representative support, according to the August 4^th crmbuyer.com article, “Keeping It Real With Multimedia Live Engagement.

With as impressive a statistic as this in mind, Live Chat gives companies an excellent way to provide customers with this support.

For anyone who hasn’t used this tool, it works like this: the online visitor clicks on a “Live Chat” link, a window pops up, and you can text back and forth with a customer service representative with any questions or comments you have about a product or service, in real time.

What are the other benefits of using Live Chat to interact with your online visitors?

Increased Customer Satisfaction

With the proliferation of technology, sometimes the human touch is lost. Okay, so what about calling the company and talking to a person on the phone? While this is certainly an option, online shoppers enjoy the immediacy of a Live Chat, versus phoning. Think about it. How many times have you called an 800 number, only to be routed and re-routed through menu options, and finally dumped into someone’s voice mail? Likewise, email can have a slow turnaround.

Live Chat provides a personal, immediate interaction. This personal interaction is by itself, a key benefit of Live Chat. It’s as if the customer is visiting a bricks and mortar store, and being helped by a knowledgeable salesperson. Overall, the customer’s experience is more satisfying, and that means he or she is likely to return, as well as tell other people about their experience; which is another great form of advertising – word of mouth.

Increased Employee Productivity and Decreased Operational Costs

Often, Live Chat service providers enable customer service representatives to multi-task, meaning they can chat with more than one online visitor at a time. This means you get more bang for your buck per employee, as well as assist customers more quickly.

Optimizing Your Website and Marketing Strategies

Many Live Chat service providers enable you to monitor which pages are more effective than others, among other things. In essence, Live Chat gives you a tool for monitoring visitors’ online behavior, from which a wealth of information can be harvested: how visitors arrive at certain pages, how long they stay on a certain page, what phrases they use in Live Chat – enabling you to improve keywords – and frequently asked questions and comments. All of this information is a boon for optimizing current and future marketing strategies, and for staying ahead of your competition.

Another powerful aspect of Live Chat is the ability of customer service representatives to initiate chats, which can increase sales by helping the online visitor before he or she leaves a certain page, or abandons the shopping cart. Too, this provides a key opportunity for suggestive sales. In essence, Live Chat can help convert visitors into customers.

 If Live Chat is something new for your business, the many benefits to be gained are clear. If you’re already using Live Chat, perhaps you can more fully utilize all the features your Live Chat service provider offers.

One example of a Live Chat service provider is LivePerson. The company offers a platform that gives businesses the ability to connect in real time with their customers via chat, voice, and content delivery, utilizing websites, social media and mobile devices, according to information at the company’s website. Thousands of companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Verizon utilize the services of LivePerson.

Every business will tell you that their customers are the most important aspect of growing a business, which is why so much emphasis is placed in developing this area.  You will find plenty of techniques used when trying to create and establish relationships with your clientele.  Some will suggest that you offer as much of yourself as possible and make sure you allow your customers to feel as if you truly care about them as a person rather than just a way to increase your bank account.  However, it is necessary to have the correct amount of balance without seeming too eager to please. 

Customers can appreciate any amount of time spent to make sure their needs are met and their concerns are addressed.  When is the last time you have asked your customers what they needed and expected from your business?  You might find out some information that could help you gain new business or maintain what you have.  Customer satisfaction should be a priority, but many businesses find it difficult to maintain the proper amount of balance.

Balance is necessary when trying to attain any goal that has been set.  Relating to your customers does not entail taking them out to lunch every day or spending a boat load of cash on lunch dates.  When deciding to reach out to your customers, it is important to reiterate that their opinion matters and if something is wrong, you will do everything you can to correct it.  A few notable suggestions are listed below so that you can get to know your customers better.

1. Get to know your customers by name.
2. Find out their needs without being too personal.
3. Create a good follow-up system and investigate ways they were or were not pleased after using your services. 
4. Make customers a priority.
5. Spend the time necessary to fix any issues with your customers.

Customers become loyal to those businesses that show a genuine interest in them.  The reward is invaluable when getting to know your customers.  Creating relationships can be beneficial professionally and personally.