What’s a Virtual Assistant and How Does It Compare to a Virtual Receptionist?

Virtual Assistant or Virtual Receptionist? Which Is Best?

As business tech continues to evolve, so does the way we do business. One classic example is: trying to squeeze as much time as you can out of your day to improve efficiencies in your business, – after all, time is money. 

Virtual assistants and virtual receptionists have increasingly been playing a pivotal role in this. Two very different but very useful strategies that businesses are implementing to free up more time for the important things.

But what are virtual assistants and virtual receptionists? What do they do? How are they different from each other, and which one is best for you? 

What are Virtual Assistants and What Do They Do?

Virtual assistants are usually contractors who support a business across a range of clerical functions; similar to a secretary or an executive assistant, but via remote and outsourced help. 

Virtual Assistant services can vary widely, from handling calls and email inboxes to bookkeeping, social media management or handling travel arrangements for business representatives.

What are Virtual Receptionists and What Do They Do?

A virtual receptionist is an outsourced representative of your business who provides call answering services, handles all your incoming phone calls, assists your callers with their inquiries on your behalf, takes messages, and even schedules appointments or makes outbound calls for you.

If you feel like answering calls is eating into your time every day, a virtual receptionist may be your saving grace. 

What’s the difference between a Virtual Assistant and a Virtual Receptionist?

Virtual assistants and virtual receptionists both carry out traditional secretarial duties remotely but to different extents.

For virtual receptionists, this includes a range of phone answering services:

• Screening and forwarding calls
• Dealing with callers’ enquiries on your behalf
• Message taking
• Outbound calls 
• Setting up appointments and meetings
• Taking payments

For a virtual assistant, this includes a range of more clerical duties such as:

• Phone and email handling
• Social media management
• Appointment/meeting scheduling
• Travel arrangements
• Minutes taking

While there’s some overlap between the two, virtual receptionists and virtual assistants are useful for very different contexts. 

Essentially, call handling services are designed to manage and direct incoming phone calls to the appropriate department or individual within a company.

On the other hand, virtual receptionists serve as an all-in-one solution that does everything a traditional receptionist would, without the need for a physical presence. They can answer calls, schedule appointments, and even handle customer inquiries. 

While both services can be incredibly useful, the key is to determine which one would best suit the specific needs of your business.

Are Virtual Assistants worth it? Could a Virtual Receptionist be a Smarter Option?

Unlike Virtual assistants, virtual receptionists normally require a lower financial investment and less effort to onboard than a virtual assistant.

If you’re unsure of the incremental benefits the wider support of a Virtual Assistant might mean to your business, hiring a virtual receptionist can be a great place to start with.

Hiring a virtual receptionist can be incredibly helpful in freeing up your time, so you can get back to business without worrying about missing important phone calls.

Virtual receptionists provide real-time customer service solutions with a personal touch that helps build trust in customer relationships and leads to increased sales. 

They can also extend your office hours beyond the 9-5 model, support on out-of-hours calls, and even route calls based on the time of day or the nature of the call so that customers can always speak to someone. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits that a virtual receptionist can bring to your business, check out the top 7 benefits of a virtual receptionist here.

What to Expect From a Virtual Receptionist?

• Bespoke service

  Virtual receptionists will learn about your business in-depth and then take it from there. With this firsthand knowledge, your callers will never know they’re not sitting right there in your office.

• 100% live answering

  Most virtual receptionists, Posh for one, will have a friendly, professional, and engaging team that is trained to make the first impression — and each one after — one to remember. Virtual receptionists often provide a 24/7 live answering service whenever they’re needed.

• Keep Your Business Number

  Many virtual receptionist services allow you to keep your number, you’ll simply need to forward your lines.

• Customised Call Handling and Beyond

  Virtual receptionists aren’t just around to answer calls, if needed they can help to screen calls, forward an important caller to you, schedule appointments and many more helpful tasks.

• Time Saving

  With a virtual receptionist handling your calls and booking your appointments, you’ll get valuable hours back in your day to focus on other important aspects of your business.

If what you’ve read so far seems enticing, then it might just be the virtual receptionist that you’re looking for. You can find out more details about our services and virtual receptionist offerings here.

To Sum Things Up…

Virtual assistants and virtual receptionists can sometimes be confused with each other. They both work remotely and they both support your business with secretarial tasks and can help you save time.

However, the scope of tasks they cover is different and they can be beneficial for different purposes and different business needs.

A virtual assistant is typically a great option for those who need assistance with clerical tasks. A virtual receptionist, on the other hand, is ideal for those who are looking to free up time or increase capacity to handle incoming calls and make sure the business doesn’t miss out on income generation and customer retention.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, at Posh we’re known for being a leader in service and technology. Our team at Posh is made up of expertly-trained virtual receptionists who provide personalised services and around-the-clock call support. 

Learn more about how a virtual receptionist can help you business here or get in touch with us to find out more.