Phone Answering service cost basics: How much can you save with a Virtual Receptionist?

Managing your finances is only one of the many tasks you have to juggle as an entrepreneur. While getting an extra pair of hands to ease your load is ideal, it isn’t always an option in the early stages. An easy and cost-effective solution is to take advantage of virtual services such as live answering services. But will a phone answering service cost you more than hiring new staff or will it save you in the long run? Let’s find out.

Eliminate the cost of hiring

Most people forget that before an employee is even hired, the business already needs to spend money just to find the right people. Recruiting not only costs in terms of ads, it also eats up a big chunk of your time. You have to review resumes, conduct interviews, do screenings, background checks, and other pre-employment tests. These tasks will take you away from other aspects of running your business.

With a call answering service for small business, your provider shoulders all hiring costs. Choose a trusted business communications specialist like Alltel to ensure that all operators are Australian based, and fully capable of providing the level of customer service your callers deserve.

Cut down on training costs

As much as you’d want to have an employee that’s ready to dive in at the get-go, chances are they’ll need some form of training first. Training is one of the most costly investments a business makes, and it’s not just limited to new hires. Add the cost of trainers, materials, and the time of managers and other coworkers and you’ll be looking at decreased productivity for weeks or months.

Outsourcing your calls to a phone answering service for small business relieves you of this burden. Any training is conducted by your provider and quality checks are constantly done to ensure the best service for you and your customers. Only highly trained professionals will answer calls for your business.

Save on salary and benefits

The reality is, to gain top talent, you need to have an attractive salary and benefit package. But more than compensation, there are other costs that you should keep in mind. There’s superannuation for employees earning more than $450 a month, annual leaves, sick days, public holidays, taxes, and so much more.

Needless to say, you can save thousands of dollars by choosing to go virtual and leaving these costs up to your provider. The best phone answering service costs as little as $29 per month. You have the flexibility to scale up or down whenever the need arises. So you can upgrade your plan during high seasons to meet customer demand, and scale back when things get back to normal. Making plan changes is absolutely free—cheaper than hiring part-timers and so much better than overworking your staff.

Keep overhead costs to a minimum

Free coffee, desk space, new phones, office furniture—these small things add up at the end of the month. Going virtual means you don’t have to think about spending on these things. You can run your business from your garage or kitchen table and still be professional over the phone. Your provider invests in all the equipment and operations, while your phone answering service cost remains the same.

Will a phone answering service cost you more?

Absolutely not! Stick with a trusted specialist like Alltel and watch your savings grow. Get the best value for your money by choosing a low cost answering service based on your needs. Choose Messages 24/7 for a basic 24-hour service, Team Messenger to support multiple departments, or Reception Connect for a complete virtual reception service. Talk to our business consultants at 1 300 ALLTEL or visit www.alltel.com.au to find out which service suits you the best.