Some terms sound strange but have rather mundane meanings. A virtual receptionist sounds like something very high-tech, it obviously involves computers, and may even use a hologram or two. It sounds like something out of a Sci-Fi movie or video game, when instead it just simply means someone who you pay to fulfill the duties of a receptionist remotely. For smaller companies there isn’t much need to have your own receptionist, and paying for a full time one is wasteful. There are also virtual assistants who fulfill some of the duties of an assistant but not on a full time basis and without needing to travel. A virtual receptionist would take calls, take messages and deliver them via e-mail, text or a phone call. They wouldn’t be there to greet new clients and walk-ins, but odds are your office space is small enough that you wouldn’t need that, or depending on the business you don’t have an office for people to meet you in.
There’s another aspect to a virtual receptionist or any sort of phone answering service, they can work around the clock to take business calls for you when you’re not at the office. Imagine having to pay to keep a reception desk manned around the clock? Even if you’re a company that needs a receptionist for business hours (like a doctor’s office) you’d have a hard time justifying that expense. By pushing it off onto a virtual receptionist you can have those somewhat infrequent nighttime calls handled by a professional without having to pay for a full employee to do so. Phone answering services and virtual receptionists help with both ends of the business, they save employers from having to over hire, and they provide better service to employees.
As to the name, it’s a virtual receptionist not because it’s using virtual reality or any other sort of high tech. It’s a virtual receptionist because it is like a receptionist but not quite one. One of the interesting things about colloquial language is how we lose the original meaning of certain words, and when they’re used in a different place can make something sound grandiose or strange. However, what ultimately matters is what function the item or professional serves and if it’s to your benefit. It comes down to a lot of specific aspects about the type of business you run and what your finances are like. If your business has no overnight business calls, and you’re small enough that you can handle the incoming phone calls then it’s a good time to save money and manage it yourself. If your business grows out, then you might want to invest in a virtual receptionist to help your business grow cheaper.
While a virtual receptionist might sound high tech, and thus expensive, they’re actually an affordable option for many businesses. For many smaller businesses hiring a virtual receptionist from a company like Rite Response is actually more affordable than hiring a full-time receptionist. Rite Response is a phone answering service and more, if you’re interested in saving money on the many duties a receptionist performs you should contact them. They can be found online at or reached via telephone at 713-868-7500.
