Can a Virtual Receptionist be as Friendly as a Live Receptionist?

Can a Virtual Receptionist be as Friendly as a Live Receptionist?

It goes without saying that we live in a world where technology is advancing as we speak. There are plenty of new ways to engage office visitors and more are emerging every day. Nevertheless, the need for a receptionist is always mandatory as it is something which enhances customer satisfaction and helps you guide your clients to the right decision.

Lately, though, receptionists seem to be taking a lot of new roles which are reflecting the constantly changing needs of the customers of today. Brand-competent companies are well aware of this and, as such, they have managed to place the emphasis accordingly.

If your business is currently operating with an empty frontdesk, you might benefit quite a lot from a virtual receptionist. It is going to save your staff from being interrupted when someone comes in for, let’s say, a basic delivery, for example. It also adds a lot of additional features such as reports and evacuation lists. Is this the right way to engage office visitors? This is something which is up for a substantial debate, but the truth is that a virtual receptionist is unlikely to be able to fully replace a real one, at least not for the time being.

One of the things that you ought to keep in mind is that this free-standing tablet which is sitting right there in your lobby could easily backfire if you fail to set it up properly. However, it is also going to make your company look very tech-friendly and contemporary. But if you fail to take care of it properly, it might be the right way to engage office visitors.

We have prepared a list of a few steps that you might want to take in order to ensure that everything is handled as per the highest standards and that the virtual receptionist is set up perfectly.

Use a Friendly Tone

Needless to say, virtual receptionists can’t really speak. However, you can easily establish a tone which contains a careful word choice and sentence structure which is going to convey a rather caring and casual attitude.

A lot of the virtual receptionists are based on software which would allow you to customize the text which would allow you to customize the text which is shown to the visitors. You can use this particular opportunity to ensure that your screen looks a lot friendlier. You should avoid the unfriendly and formal buttoned-up language which is overly formal.

Take Advantage of Videos

There is a certain part of visitor check-ins which might actually benefit from a visual aid. For instance, safety protocols are commonly a lot better conveyed with a video. This can give the visitor a fairly clear idea of what they are supposed to do as soon as they actually step inside.

Videos are also capable of adding this much needed personal touch which is the right way to engage visitors.

Make it as Intuitive as you Can

You need to make sure that your virtual receptionist is brief and very easy in its usage. This is going to ensure that the visitor doesn’t have to go through a burdensome and challenging check-in process. Imagine this – you are in a regular office and you have to bypass a number of challenges with the receptionist at the front desk just to get where you need to be at the first place. That’s quite burdensome, right? Well, using a virtual receptionist can help you handle it without any additional hassle because it’s up to you to program it and to set it up in a manner that you like.

Establish a Quick Connection with a Real Person

While virtual receptionists can’t be as friendly as the perfect live receptionist, they can come very close. One of the easiest ways to personify a virtual receptionist is when you establish a connection with a live person as quickly as it’s possible. This is very easily done through a convenient visitor management system.

All in all, you ought to keep in mind that a virtual receptionist is something quite reliable and easily established. It is also something which is quite helpful if you manage to handle it properly. While it’s undeniable that it is unlikely to replace a live receptionist, it can come quite closely and it could be of great help.

One of the best things that you can do is to connect it with a visitor management system. You can also add quite a bit of personal touches to make sure that the visitor gets the best possible experience as soon as he walks through the door. Furthermore, this is also capable of enhancing the overall savviness of your company and enhance its overall brand positioning.