Data Supplies Blog

Do You Give Your Customers Your Full Attention?

When you get a phone call from a customer - what do you do?

Do you step away from your desk to give them your full attention?

Do you answer hands free so you can continue with the job you're working on?

Do you give the customer half your attention and keep the other half on your email inbox?

Do you answer while you're out and about and struggle to hear them against the sound of public places?

We think that it's vital to give each and every customer phone call your full attention. It can be easy to tell when you're on the phone whether the person you're speaking to is really listening - and answering while you're on the go can mean that it's difficult for you and your customer to hear each other.

We recommend aswering the phone to customers only when you are willing and able to give them your full attention. This means when you're in the office, not in a meeting, and not so deep into a piece of work that you find it difficult to take a break from it.

Of course, we're not suggesting that you leave calls unanswered when you're not able to answer them - we're suggesting that you put someone else in place who can answer them. This could be a full time member of staff or colleague - or it could be a dedicated telephone answering service/virtual assistant like us. 

Answering your phones is a big part of our job - so we're always able to give your callers our full attention. Redirecting your calls to us while you're out on a job, in a meeting, or focusing on a particular project means that we are able to offer our full attention to your customers when you can't. With our personal assistant service we're even able to process orders and make appointments  on your behalf.

How important do you think it is to give customer phone calls your full attention?

Self Employment and Taking Time Off

Tell someone that you're your own boss and their first response is often something along the lines of great, you get to take time off whenever you want. 

Those of you who understand the reality of self employment will know that this isn't always the case! Yes, self-employment can offer a certain amount of flexibility - but that's not always the same as 'time off'. 

If you're office based, of if you work from home, it is true that you can usually leave the office for an hour or two during the traditional working day. However, when there isn't anyone else to take the reigns - this isn't time off. It's time spent juggling emails and phonecalls on your smart phone with whatever it is you left the office to do. And of course, once you get back in to the office  your workload will be just as heavy as it was before you left. Because self-employment often means that there's no one else to help out.

However, there is a solution. We designed our virtual assistant and telephone answering services around self employed people just like you. When you need to get away from the office, whether it's for meetings or for time off, we can take over. By taking care of your phonecalls, managing your diary, processing orders and managing your emails - we're able to allow you to really take time off and make sure that there's less pressure on you when you return. 

Whether it's for a couple of hours or a couple of weeks, Your Reception Desk can help you really take time off. 

Why do Companies Use Virtual Assistants?

Almost three years ago we started virtual assistant and telephone answering service Your Reception Desk. The decision to start this company actually came from our own experiences using companies that provided these services. We found it difficult to find a company that was providing a service good enough to suit our high customer service standards. We decided to create our own.

Because we used VA services for many years before we started Your Reception Desk - we understand the reasons companies choose to use VAs more than most. We wanted to share some of these reasons with you. 

Because they want to spend their time doing what they do best.

Whether you're a web developer or a hairdresser - you do what you do because you're good at it and because you're passionate about it. What you're probably not passionate about (and maybe not good at) is your admin. A VA frees up more time for business people to do what they're good at by taking care of what they're not.

Because they want to present a more professional image.

Using VA services can help smaller and/or newer companies to look more professional to potential clients. Using a virtual mailing address or a diary management service can help businesses to bid for bigger clients and present a professional image at all times.

Because they want to cut down on outgoings.

Employing full time staff is a huge expense. Many companies can't afford to take extra staff on - but do need extra support. Virtual assistants provide the perfect solution to this problem;  they offer all the benefits of an extra assistant - without the disadvantages of traditional employment.

Because they're short on time.

This is one of the obvious reasons a company might choose to use a VA. Companies or business people who are in and out of meetings all day often don't have the time to answer phones or manage their emails. A VA service can really take the pressure off.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Using a VA to Manage Job Vacancies

Our virtual assistant services are available to use in a variety of different ways. We can help on an occasional basis, on a daily basis, or even just when you have an emergency. We can also put a service together to assist you during particularly busy or trying times. An example of this is during recruitment periods. 

Ever advertised a job vacancy and then spent the next week on the phone constantly? Call volumes can be so high during the period that your comapny is recruiting that it can make it very difficult to actually get any work done! But don't worry - we're able to help.

What about if we were able to provide you with a dedicated phone number that you could use in any job adverts you placed, either in print or online. We would manage all the calls that came in on that line - taking all the relevant details from each candidate as they called. We would also be able to answer the questions and queries that candidates had - taking the pressure off you entirely.

On the closing date (of before if it suited you), we could provide you with a list of all the candidates and their relevant details. This would mean that you would be able to shortlist and interview candidates as you normally would - but that you wouldn't have had to sacrifice your own working productivity to get to that point.

If you would like to speak to us about this or any of the other ways our VA services could help you - please contact us. 

Handling Business Communications Over the Holiday Season

For many small businesses, handling communications over the festive season can be confusing. For many, the last week in December isn't worth opening for. For B2B businesses especially, often it can be more cost effective to close. Of course, for retail, catering and other consumer focused businesses this is not the case.

Whatever your business type, providing successful business communications over the holiday period is important. We've put together some tips on the best ways to do this.

Be Clear About Your Hours 

If you haven't already, sit down and make the decision about when you are and are not going to be open. Then, make sure that you publicise this schedule. If you have a physical premises, make sure you put a sign up, along with notices on your website and social media profiles.

Take Turns

If you do want to remain open over the festive period, consider doing so on a reduced basis. Perhaps you could put a rota together to allow staff to work/handle communications in turns.

Update Answer Phone Messages and Auto Replies

Make sure that you have up to date information available for any customer who does try and contact you while you're closed. Update your answerphone message to tell callers when you'll be returning to the office, and do the same with your email auto-replies. If appropriate, include an emergency contact number. 

Don't Be Afraid to Turn Off

If you don't want to be disturbed during your holiday - make sure you aren't! If you've been clear about your opening hours and updated auto-responders as mentioned above... why not turn off your work phone? Alternatively, consider passing the burden to someone else. This is especialy valuable if you want to take an extended break over the holiday season. Something such as our holiday cover or PAYG service can allow you to relax without missing communications.

Do You Make A Good Impression on the Telephone?

As virtual assistants, at Your Reception Desk we are more familiar than most with the importance of a first impression. With more and more ways for your potential customer to find you, in some ways it's becoming more important than ever to ensure you make a good one.

But we're not just talking about the importance of ironing your shirt before a big pitch. First impressions often occur long before you meet a potential customer in person. It could be online, it could be via email, or it could be over the phone. 

This last point is one that is often overlooked. The growth of mobile phones over the past decade has meant that more and more people rely on one to run their business. Rather than being "tied to a landline" so to speak - businesses that use a mobile phone as their primary contact number can keep up with calls while they're on the go, with other clients, in meetings....

But wait. When a potential customer calls for the first time, the contact you have with them can be vital for how they perceive your company for ever more. If you answer the call on the train between meetings or while you can't give them your full attention - what impression is that customer going to form? 

Our advice is to only answer your phone to potential customers when you're able to give them 100% of your attention. This will ensure that you can take in all the details they're sharing with you and will mean that your customer feels valued and isn't getting distracted by any background noise. 

Now, we're not suggesting that you ignore the phone when you're on the go. Instead, we're suggesting that you divert your calls to another member of your team or an outsourced VA who can give their full attention.

What are your tips for making a good impression over the phone?

Why Should You Choose Your Virtual Assistant Carefully?

Over the past couple of years, the economic climate here in Britain has led more and more companies to outsource work rather than take on additional full time staff. Because of this, the virtual assistant industry has grown drastically. There are more and more VAs on the market who are offering the manage your phone calls, your admin, your accounts, your diary....

The problem with more choice is that it makes it harder to make your decsision! However, don't think that just because your new VA will be "virtual" that any less care should be taken in finding the right one. 

When you use a virtual assistant, they become a vital part of your company. Especially if you're using receptionist or phone answering services - the VA you choose will be representing you and your company. Often, they'll even be the first contact customers have with you. We all know just how quickly customers make their first impressions of companies - and it's important that your VA is able to make the right one with your customers.

And it's not just about what your customers think about them. Just because your VA won't be sitting in the office with you all day - you'll still need to work closely with them. It's important to find a VA who communicates in a way that will suit the way you and the rest of your staff work. You wouldn't want to work with a member of staff you couldn't get on with - and you should consider these same factors when choosing an outsourced staff member.

Do you work with outsourced staff or virtual assistants? How did you choose them?

Stuck in the Catch 22 of Start-Ups? We Can Help

Starting a new business is hard work. Whether you're a beginniner or a well-seasoned entrepreneur; building an organisation from scratch is a big challenge. This is especially true during the difficult economic climate we're currently facing. Business finance can be difficult to get hold off, and there are certainly no guarantees that there's a client base waiting for you. It's more important than ever for start-ups to keep their costs low. 

We think that there is a catch 22 of start-ups that can be difficult to navigate;

Can't afford an office or staff > difficult to appear fully professional without an office or staff > difficult to get clients on board without appearing fully professional > can't afford an office or staff if you can't get clients on board.

Sound familiar? Don't worry - there is a solution. More and more new businesses are turning to virtual staff to give them a boost in both professionalism and productivity. A virtual assistant company like Your Reception Desk can provide you with a professional mailing address, staff to answer your phones, a diary management service and a boardroom that's bookable by the hour - amongst many more services.

We have put together a starter pack that is great value for new businesses. From just £35 a month we're able to help you portray a professional image from day one of trading. We'll;

1. Provide you with a local telephone number, eliminating the need to have an extra telephone line

2. Provide you with a full time receptionist.

3. Put calls through to you or take comprehensive messages.

4. Process orders placed by your new customers.

Of course, we're also able to put together a bespoke service just for you.

Does this sound like it would be valuable to your start up? We're more than happy to have a chat about how this could work for you. Contact us here.

Why an Answerphone or Automated System Could Turn Your Customers Off

Advances in technology over recent years have meant that many companies are now choosing to use an answerphone or automated telephone system. Often when a company's phone line is busy, customers will be put through to an answerphone or holding system. Though these can be helpful to ensure you don't miss out on calls; we believe that there is no substitute for a human voice at the end of the phone. 

It's been well documented in studies that the majority of people do not react well to automated telephone systems. 70% of people say that they don't leave a message when met with an answerphone machine - and many of those who find themselves in an automated holding system will hang up. And even those who don't are likely to have become annoyed while waiting on the phone for you. Annoyance that will no doubt be taken out on you and the service you have to offer...

We think that there are better ways to make sure that you don't miss telephone calls either when you're engaged or out of the office.  A team of virtual assistants like us can step in whenever needed. Many of our customers have their calls set up to divert to us when they're on the phone or when their phone rings for a certain number of rings unanswered. In both these situations we're able to provide a friendly welcome to their customers and take a message that is passed on via text message or email straight away. This small experience of human warmth and personality can reassure your customer that they are important to you - and that you will get back to them as soon as you can.

If you do decide to use an automated system - we advise that you stay away from using cliched phrases. Lines such as 'your call is important to us' or 'we are currently experiening a high volume of calls' can convince your customers that you mean just the opposite!

How do you react when you're met with an automated telephone system?

How Much Time Does a VA Save?

Yesterday, we tweeted a link to an American article which suggested business owners could save 10% of their time by hiring a virtual assistant. Thinking about this, we wondered whether this wasn't rather a conservative estimate.

By answering the phones for our clients alone, we think our clients are given at least 10% more time to do what they do best. The freedom to get away from phonecalls, and avoiding sales calls altogether, can save a lot more time than you would think.

Add to this the other services many VAs supply - such as diary management, order processing, email management and fax management - and there is the potential to save a great deal more time.

And that's not to mention how much more productive our clients can be in the time they save. We're so used to being connected all the time these days - that we often forget how much work we can get done when we're not.

We think that a good virtual assistant can save business owners a great deal more than 10% of their time - and we're positive that we do so for many of our clients.

Do you use a virtual assistant? How much time do you estimate they save you?