When many businesses reach a certain size and are handling a specific number of incoming calls, moving from a live operating system to an automated phone answering service is a cost effective option.
In addition to just being cost effective, the use of an automated system also speeds up call processing, at least as far as the company side of the equation. For the customer calling in an automated system can actually decrease their satisfaction with the service. This is because of those endless selections that have to be made to finally get in touch with the person or the information requested.
There is a third option to consider that addresses the customer satisfaction issue while also providing the phone support the company is looking for as well. This is found in the form of a virtual phone assistant service.
The Basics
A virtual phone assistant service may be more accurately described as a “smart” automated system. This is a call handling system with the capability and capacity to learn caller behavior to more effectively route calls.
It is also designed to address specific customer requests through the automated system, reducing the number of calls that live operators have to answer. With a lower total call volume, often at least 33% in the first month of operation, the live operators can focus on customers with unique needs not addressed by the automated system.
At the same time, customers calling in for basic information are automatically provided with just what they need. Unlike an automated system where there are endless menus to listen to and selections to make, the virtual phone assistant listens to the caller state what they want and then transfers the call, providing a seamless and customer-friendly experience.
Flexibility
These systems offer a host of different applications for the business. They can answer and respond to incoming employee calls, eliminating the need to tie up live operators in a call center with these routine types of calls.
They are also ideal for routing calls to staff members or departments without the errors that are so common with live operators rushing to make connections and move to the next caller. This accuracy will be appreciated by staff as well as customers as the people calling in are connected without errors and endless transfers.
