Have you been considering the assistance of a live virtual receptionist service?
If so, you may be wondering whether it’s in your budget.
There are many variables to consider when hiring a live virtual receptionist, which is why it’s important to remain aware of how pricing works, and what that means for the quality of service you receive.
Remember, cheaper isn’t necessarily better.
Whether you are busy with patients, need to focus your time and energy on piling paperwork, or simply want to enhance customer service and overall productivity, you need a virtual receptionist company you can trust!
How Live Virtual Receptionist Pricing Works
Virtual receptionist companies differ in terms of the pricing structure plans offered. Companies also differ in terms of the features included with their plans or billing models.
When researching virtual receptionist companies and their pricing structure, you will most commonly see one of two options — per-minute pricing or per-call pricing. These options are then broken down even further.
For example, when paying per minute, some companies will round to the nearest 30-second increment or 60-minute increment. Others charge for every second and do not round call times. With the latter option, it’s important to remain mindful of the potential extra fees.
For example, you may get 100 minutes for $300, or 200 minutes for $550, and so on.
Dive deeper into per-minute pricing that includes over a dozen professional features.
Although per-call pricing can be an attractive option for businesses with callers who often have lengthy conversations, this option will quickly add up if your business receives a large volume of calls, regardless of length. In this case, beware of companies that advertise ridiculously low per-call rates. This may mean that you’ll be charged extra fees for the services provided during a call. For example, if you’re charged a fee when a receptionist transfers a call, takes a message, or schedules an appointment, your cost per call will quickly increase.
Abby Connect screens calls so that your “minutes” are only used when a call is accepted and a receptionist is assisting a caller. There are also no complicated contracts to worry about and you can cancel any time!
Recommended reading: 4 Game-Changing Benefits of a Virtual Receptionist
Beware of Hidden Fees and Upcharges
Whenever you partner with live virtual receptionists, you need to ensure that the pricing structure is transparent.
Nothing is worse than thinking you’ve agreed to one thing, only to be slapped with an unexpected bill — one that is much higher than you anticipated. For small businesses, this can be a major setback.
When comparing virtual receptionist services, remain mindful of hidden fees. Always read the fine print and if you have any concerns, ask before you hire a company. In most cases, hidden fees will be charged by companies who advertise themselves as an “answering service” that offers competitive rates. These hidden fees quickly add up, chewing up your monthly budget.
Whether you are paying per-call or per-minute, some of the potential fees you may unexpectedly encounter include:
- Monthly service fees
- Overage fees
- Holiday or after hour fees
- Initial set up fees
- Text message fees
- Additional fees concerning blocking numbers, connecting callers, etc.
Abby Connect is a prime example of what you see is what you get. There are no surprises.
Not only is Abby Connect significantly cheaper than hiring in-house, but you will also never be hit with any unexpected fees. What you agree to pay is what you’ll pay, as all fees are disclosed up front. Being an all-inclusive solution, you don’t need to worry about paying extra for CRM integrations, call transfers, call routing, voicemail service, and the list goes on.
How Cheap Virtual Receptionists Can Hurt, Not Help Your Business
Being in business, you’ve probably heard this a million times before, “you get what you pay for.”
When you partner with virtual receptionists, the same rules apply. You can get cheap services, but this type of partnership can end up doing more harm than good.
Remember, the individuals answering your phone are a direct reflection of your company. If the service provided is poor, your reputation could suffer. All it takes is one negative experience for a customer to never call or consider your business again.
Bad customer service = potentially serious reputation damage. It’s that simple.
When outsourcing your inbound call needs, you need virtual receptionists that are both reliable and professional. You want to be able to trust the receptionists that speak to your customers daily because they are representing you! That is the whole point of outsourcing such a task. You want it done right.
Unfortunately, a cheap virtual receptionist company will often cut corners to make more money, lack the type of technology needed to ensure a smooth and productive process, and fail to deliver the type of receptionist skills you expect. In the majority of cases, they also lack that personal touch, which is so important to both your customers and the longevity of your business.
What’s Next?
Using the information above, you can now more accurately compare the services you’re considering.
Yes, look at how much the service costs — but also what that service includes!
Are you going to be charged extra fees if situations X, Y, and Z arise? What features does the service include? How well trained are the virtual receptionists?
All these considerations matter, both in terms of your budget and reputation.
Learn more about the Abby Connect difference to partner with a live virtual receptionist company that goes above and beyond.
