The Complete Guide to Virtual Receptionist Services for Small Businesses

Hey there! Running a small business is no easy feat. As an entrepreneur wearing multiple hats, you have a ton on your plate. Between managing operations, acquiring customers, and providing top-notch service, you have your work cut out for you. One area that‘s crucial but often overlooked? Managing all those inbound calls.

Answering every single call yourself just isn‘t feasible when you‘re busy growing your business. Having your phone ring off the hook while you‘re with a client or trying to get work done is frustrating, not to mention disruptive. More importantly, you don‘t want to miss connecting with potential customers because you couldn‘t pick up.

This is where virtual receptionist services can be a total game changer for your small business. By providing dedicated teams to handle your incoming calls, they allow you to focus on higher-value tasks. Read on as I‘ll explain exactly how these services work, their key benefits, what to look for, and profile some top providers.

Here‘s What You Need To Know About Virtual Receptionists:

How Do Virtual Receptionist Services Work?

Simply put, a virtual receptionist service gives your business remote staff who serve as proxies to handle your calls. They act as a professional front desk, fielding all your incoming calls, gathering key info from callers, answering basic questions, and routing calls to the right staff member.

Some of the common tasks virtual receptionists can assist with include:

• Screening calls and taking messages
• Capturing lead information
• Providing basic info about your offerings
• Booking appointments or event registrations
• Managing call overflow during busy times
• Routing calls to appropriate staff member
• Setting up automated attendant phone menus

They essentially handle all your call management needs so you can focus on more critical work like sales, marketing, and product development. But without the overhead costs of hiring an in-house physical receptionist.

Why Should You Use a Virtual Receptionist Service?

Wondering if these services are worth investing in? Here are some of the major upsides:

Improved Professionalism: Nothing screams "unprofessional" like an endlessly ringing phone that goes unanswered. Virtual receptionists ensure every caller gets addressed promptly and courteously.

Increased Sales & Conversions: By fielding calls, capturing leads, and answering common questions, virtual receptionists help drive more sales. You don‘t lose opportunities due to unmanaged call volumes.

Enhanced Customer Experience: Well-trained receptionists deliver exceptional customer service, especially when armed with customized scripts that reflect your brand‘s voice.

Greater Flexibility: Virtual receptionists can scale up or down to match your changing call volumes as needed. No need to hire permanent staff.

Save Time: You get to reclaim hours previously spent managing calls to focus on mission-critical work like strategy, innovation and growth.

24/7 Availability: With receptionists across time zones, you can offer customers support around the clock, even when your office is closed.

Cost Savings: No need to provide salaries, benefits, office space and equipment for an in-house receptionist. Virtual receptionists allow you to divert those savings into other investments.

According to statistics from Smith.ai, a leading provider:

• 82% of customers won‘t call back after a bad customer service experience.
• Unanswered calls result in 28% of lost leads according to research done by ClientHeartbeat.
• 30% of companies report increasing sales by having a live virtual receptionist.

With compelling benefits like these, it‘s easy to see why more and more small businesses are turning to virtual receptionists today.

Key Features to Look For in a Virtual Receptionist

Not all virtual receptionist services are created equal. As you evaluate options, watch out for these key features:

Live Call Support: Prompt answers with minimal hold times. Professional, pleasant tone from receptionists.

Customized Call Routing: Ability to route calls based on your unique business needs and preferences.

Appointment Scheduling: Allows callers to easily book appointments and meetings.

CRM Integrations: Integration with CRM software like Salesforce to log interactions and capture lead data.

Real-time Analytics: Dashboard showing call volumes, peak times, caller location, waiting times and other key metrics.

Flexible Plans: No long-term contracts, ability to scale up or down as your business needs change.

Mobile App: Enables you to update call handling instructions, modify routing and check analytics on the go.

Reputation: Strong client testimonials and reviews validating quality service.

Security: Robust provisions to keep your business data safe and secure.

24/7 Support: Ability to reach customer support around the clock for any issues.

Now let‘s look at some of the top virtual receptionist services recommended for small businesses like yours.

Top 11 Virtual Receptionist Services for Small Businesses

1. Moneypenny

Founded in the UK in 2000 but now serving US clients, Moneypenny is an award-winning virtual receptionist service used by leading small businesses worldwide.

Moneypenny‘s friendly, professional receptionists combine charm and etiquette with smart technology to deliver exceptional customer service. They seamlessly handle your call overflow, transferring only qualified, warm leads to you or your staff.

Their user-friendly online portal allows you to easily control how calls are handled, from custom greetings to specialized call flows based on time of day or caller ID. Outbound calling capabilities also allow follow-up on leads or appointment booking calls.

With SMS support and real-time dashboards, you gain visibility into call volumes, wait times and receptionist performance. Integrations with CRM software like Microsoft Dynamics enhance lead capturing and management.

Starting at $100 per month, Moneypenny offers transparent pricing tailored to your unique needs. If you‘re looking for a premium virtual receptionist service with international acclaim, Moneypenny is a top choice. They even offer a 14-day free trial so you can experience their capabilities firsthand.

2. Smith.ai

Smith.ai delivers a robust virtual receptionist service combining human receptionists with AI tools. Their US-based team works directly for Smith.ai as employees, not contractors, ensuring rigorous training, quality and security.

You get incredible control over customizing how different call types are handled, with granular settings for wait times, hours of operation, transfers and more. Smith.ai‘s proprietary AI assistant can even handle basic administrative tasks to maximize your human receptionists‘ time.

Robust features like call whisper, automatic note-taking, and conversational analytics empower receptionists to deliver 5-star customer experiences. Seamless CRM and marketing automation integrations capture lead details for follow-up.

Smith.ai‘s pricing starts at a premium $299 per month for 150 talk minutes. However, for small businesses seeking the highest quality service, their combination of exceptional receptionists, AI-powered tools and robust features is unmatched. They offer a 14-day free trial to experience the difference firsthand.

3. Ruby Receptionists

Ruby Receptionists delivers exceptional virtual receptionist services starting at just $99 per month. Their friendly, professional US-based team is available 24/7 to handle your calls, chats, texts and social media messages.

Ruby meticulously vets, trains and manages its receptionists to guarantee a 5-star customer experience on every interaction. Their staff receives coaching on critical skills like stress management, problem-solving and reflecting your brand voice.

Ruby‘s intuitive online portal and mobile app enable you to easily set up custom call flows, monitor performance in real-time, and update instructions on the fly. Over 50 integrations with tools like Salesforce, MailChimp and Zendesk assist with lead capturing and management.

If cost is a key factor in choosing a virtual receptionist, Ruby Receptionists offers a very affordable starting point backed by outstanding service. A one-month free trial lets you vet their capabilities at no cost.

4. Abby Connect

Part of the Zendesk suite, Abby Connect provides professional virtual receptionists to capably manage your calls, texts, and emails. Their friendly US-based team is rigorously trained by Zendesk to maintain quality.

You get full control over customizing how calls gets handled, from wait times to voicemail rules to transfers. Abby Connect also assists with appointment booking and outbound calls to follow up on leads.

See real-time analytics on call volumes and performance trends using their online portal. And leverage native Zendesk integration to instantly create support tickets from call interactions.

Starting at an affordable $79 per month, Abby Connect charges based on number of talk minutes and texts, not per receptionist. This optimized pricing model makes them very budget-friendly.

5. AnswerFirst

AnswerFirst focuses on providing virtual receptionists trained for specialized industries like healthcare, legal and IT. Their skilled staff has extensive experience gracefully handling sensitive communications.

You can fully customize the scripts to match your preferred brand voice and terminology. Built-in law practice management workflows streamline legal operations. HIPAA compliance ensures protection of sensitive health data.

If required, AnswerFirst can assign bilingual receptionists to eliminate language barriers for non-English speaking callers. Robust features like call recording and evaluations help maintain quality standards.

While their pricing starts at $89 per month, AnswerFirst offers volume discounts for higher usage. For small businesses in specialized, regulated industries requiring experienced staff, AnswerFirst is an ideal choice.

6. Conversational

Conversational takes a high-tech approach, fusing AI with human receptionists to deliver optimal experiences. Their trained, dedicated receptionists are based in the US and managed in-house.

You get complete control over customizing call handling workflows across locations, departments and staff. Conversational also integrates channels like chat, SMS and social media for unified communications.

With Conversational‘s robust features like real-time dashboards, call listening, voicemail transcriptions and smart routing, you gain unprecedented visibility into your call handling operations. Security provisions keep your brand integrity intact.

Starting at $119 per month for 100 talk minutes, Conversational offers transparent pricing without surprise overage fees. For small businesses that want cutting-edge features alongside human receptionists, Conversational is a top contender.

7. ReceptionHQ

Miami-based ReceptionHQ delivers dedicated, high-quality virtual receptionist service with specialized expertise in industries like healthcare, legal and IT.

You can fully customize inbound call handling scripts and leverage tools like Zapier to integrate with your existing systems. Outbound calling and SMS capabilities allow efficient follow-up.

Using their online portal, you can update instructions in real-time, monitor call metrics and listen to call recordings for training purposes. End-to-end encryption ensures security and compliance.

Plans start at $249 per month for 150 talk minutes. With strong receptionists and a focus on security, ReceptionHQ is a great choice for regulated industries needing specialized expertise.

8. VoiceNation

A leader in virtual receptionist and contact center solutions, VoiceNation delivers exceptional service backed by two decades of experience. Their trained US-based team follows your brand guidelines.

VoiceNation gives you complete visibility into call analytics and full control over call handling rules using their online portal. You can set up custom voicemail greetings, contact forms, IVR menus and proactive chat.

Outbound calling and SMS capabilities allow campaigns for lead generation, event promotion and customer surveys. Call recording helps train receptionists to uphold quality standards.

VoiceNation‘s pricing starts at an affordable $99 per month for small businesses. A free trial allows you to experience their platform and services firsthand.

9. MyTasker

MyTasker delivers flexible, on-demand virtual receptionists available when you need them. Their skilled team ensures all calls get professionally managed.

One differentiator of MyTasker is the ability to fully customize scripts and workflows tailored to your specific business needs. Their receptionists can also assist with data entry, appointment scheduling and other administrative tasks.

You gain insights into real-time receptionist performance and call metrics through their powerful reporting. Integrations with tools you already use enhances visibility.

MyTasker offers pay-as-you-go pricing starting at just $1.25 per minute, an affordable approach for occasional and seasonal needs. If you want trained receptionists on demand without monthly commitments, MyTasker is ideal.

10. AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect utilizes over 20 years of call center experience to deliver exceptional virtual receptionists. Friendly representatives follow your customized brand scripts.

You dictate exactly how calls should be handled via their online portal, from rules and workflows to voicemail setup. AnswerConnect also facilitates lead qualification, appointment booking and outbound calls.

Robust integrations with popular CRM platforms empower receptionists with deeper customer insights for more informed call handling. Call logging and transcripts provide visibility.

Competitively priced packages start at $259 monthly for 150 minutes of talk time. For a virtual receptionist service with proven call center expertise, AnswerConnect is a smart choice.

11. Grasshopper

Grasshopper offers a business phone system tightly integrated with virtual receptionist capabilities. Their US-based team answers and screens your calls professionally.

You get a dedicated local or toll-free business number to use across devices. Grasshopper‘s mobile app enables you to control call handling, access voicemails, and monitor performance from anywhere.

Seamless integrations with popular tools like Zapier and Google Workplace enable capturing deeper call insights and metrics. IVR menus and custom greetings allow precise call routing.

Extremely affordable plans start at just $29 per month including 3 extensions and 250 minutes. Grasshopper offers a 7-day free trial to experience their business phone system and virtual receptionist capabilities firsthand.

Key Takeaways About Virtual Receptionist Services:

• They help small businesses like yours offload call management so you can focus on growth.

• Look for key features like easy-to-use call routing tools, real-time analytics, CRM integrations and mobile apps.

• Leading providers like Moneypenny, Smith.ai and Ruby combine exceptional receptionists with robust technology.

• Flexible plans and free trials let you "test drive" services before fully committing.

With the right virtual receptionist service backing you up, your business can start converting more inbound calls into sales and delight customers with professional service. Choose a provider that best fits your needs in terms of expertise, capabilities, integration and budget. Over time, you‘ll recoup the investment many times over in time savings, revenue growth and customer loyalty.

Hope this guide gives you clarity in evaluating virtual receptionist services for your small business. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat more about optimizing your business operations and workflows. Wishing you tremendous success!