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Home - Software and Tools - Best virtual receptionist for small business: A complete review
Reviewed by : Prasanta Raut
Approximately 72 to 80% of callers will hang up without leaving a voicemail if their call isn’t answered. This alarming statistic highlights a major challenge small businesses face—missed opportunities due to unavailable receptionists. But what if you could ensure every call is answered, professionally handled, and never missed? That’s where virtual receptionist services come in.
In this review, we’ll explore the best virtual receptionist for small businesses, helping you streamline communication, improve customer experience, and enhance your professional image—all while saving time and money.
So, let’s get started!!!!🚀
Table of Content
A virtual receptionist is a remote, professional service that handles incoming calls and inquiries for businesses. They act as the first point of contact for customers, providing a professional and consistent brand experience.
Unlike an in-house receptionist, a virtual receptionist works remotely, often using advanced technology like call routing, AI answering services, and live chat solutions to ensure every call is answered promptly and professionally.
These services are ideal for small businesses since they save you time and money, and your business is always accessible to the customer. If it’s outside of business hours or even within, a virtual receptionist will step in to answer calls for you.
Some of the key benefits that a virtual receptionist for small businesses provides include increasing efficiency in business operations and pleasing customers.
Following are some of the main benefits:
A full-time receptionist in-house is very costly, especially for companies that have a tight budget.
Cheap answering service for small businesses is the new alternative offered to you so that you pay only for what you need without having to hire a full-time employee or incur overhead costs.
A small business owner handling several tasks at once can let a virtual receptionist handle calls, allowing them to spend more time on strategy, sales, and growth.
You can go to meetings, work on projects, and address other pressing matters while knowing that calls are being taken care of efficiently.
Virtual receptionists can handle scheduling and managing appointments, keeping your calendar in order.
The scheduling application can also be integrated for better efficiency and less risk of double booking or missed appointments.
Imagine being in a position to fulfill the needs of your customers even beyond your working hours. Virtual receptionists make this possible by offering 24/7 coverage.
It does not matter if the call comes early in the morning, late into the night, or on weekends and holidays. Your clients always get a friendly answer.
This 24/7 service puts your business ahead of competitors and gives you an edge in a global market where needs are solved immediately.
Virtual receptionist services are designed to be flexible and to accommodate your business’s specific needs.
They can easily adjust to changing conditions, such as seasonal demand or unexpected growth. Further, they can provide temporary coverage in case an employee is absent.
With this flexibility, you are able to scale your business and not be dependent on long-term arrangements.
How customers see your business is very important. Virtual receptionists help improve this by showing a professional and well-organized image.
They make sure every call is answered quickly and with great care.
By using a virtual receptionist service for small businesses, you can trust that your customers will always have someone reliable to talk to. This helps you keep your customer service at the highest level.
Most of the virtual receptionist services are multilingual, which will enable you to serve more customers without any barriers in language.
This will be particularly helpful for those businesses serving a diverse community or even international clients.
While virtual receptionists offer many advantages, there are also some disadvantages that should be noted before opting for this service.
Here are key disadvantages to consider:
Virtual receptionists receive calls outside of your premises. This means that they will not be available to welcome visitors to your location or carry out in-person tasks on-site.
This is a drawback for companies requiring face-to-face interactions or in-person support.
Virtual receptionists operate from remote locations, and hence, sometimes, communication may become a problem. This could be due to the poor quality of the call, technical issues, or misinterpretation of the message.
However, these challenges can be kept at bay if proper communication protocol is established and proper training is imparted.
Virtual receptionists follow your business guidelines and scripts. However, they wouldn’t understand your company like an in-house receptionist would.
This may result in interactions that feel less personal and can cause a mismatch between their responses and your business’s core values.
This is because they don’t have the same level of understanding your business has.
While virtual receptionist services are more cost-effective compared to an in-house employee, prices go up when you want advanced features.
For example, live chat support, multilingual services, or extended call handling may require an extra fee. This might make the services less cost-effective for some small businesses.
Here are the top virtual receptionist service companies:
AnswerConnect is a great virtual receptionist service that helps businesses by answering calls and taking messages. They offer 24/7 support, meaning they are always ready to help you, even after hours.
AnswerConnect also provides services like call forwarding, where they can send calls to the right person in your business. They are known for their friendly receptionists who make customers feel welcome and taken care of.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Ruby Receptionists has been making customers happy for more than 20 years. They provide virtual receptionists who are human-powered and live chat for businesses to help them save more time and increase customer loyalty.
Ruby receptionists are available any time, whether after hours or all day, to make sure your business is always covered. This means you won’t miss any calls, and your customers will have a smooth experience. They can even help you set up a free number to make talking to your clients easier.
The Ruby team is full of friendly, skilled people who know how to talk to customers. hey can convert even the briefest chats into the best experiences. This will definitely keep your customers happy and loyal.
Using their unique tools, Ruby’s team answers calls quickly and easily. They have access to important local and business details, which helps them sound like a natural part of your team.
Key features
Free trial: No.
Pricing
Posh provides professional live virtual receptionist services that answer calls and schedule appointments. Their receptionists are available 24/7, all year round, to assist your customers. They quickly address any questions or concerns.
With Posh, you can customize how your calls are handled based on your business needs. Whether you need help all the time or just occasionally, Posh is always there for you.
The Posh team works directly from their office in Virginia Beach. They don’t outsource calls to other companies, so every customer who contacts your business gets the personal, high-quality service that Posh is known for.
Free trial: Yes, 7-day free trial.
Smith.ai is an all-in-one communication service for businesses. It provides professional answering AI for calls, chats, texts, and social media messages. Smith.ai helps businesses by handling calls, capturing important details, screening calls, and even scheduling appointments. It also keeps track of information in your CRM and calendar.
Smith.ai gives businesses useful insights and data through a dashboard. This allows you to make smart decisions based on information like the actions taken, the priority of calls, and more. The data includes charts and tables that predict your business’s growth, costs, and return on investment.
Smith.ai’s receptionists can also make calls for you, which speeds up lead generation. They can contact leads, follow up on unpaid invoices, or even reach out to donors. After calls, Smith.ai even sends follow-up emails and texts to keep the conversation going.
Free trial: No, but it offers a free consultation.
Pink Callers offers customer service help specifically for home service businesses, especially those earning seven figures or more. They handle both incoming and outgoing calls and help with social media monitoring and other business tasks.
What makes Pink Callers different from regular answering services is that they don’t just take messages. The team talks directly with customers, answers questions, solves problems and takes care of customer details in your CRM during the first call.
Pink Callers also keeps an eye on your business’s social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They also check websites like Home Advisor, Angie’s List, Yelp, and others to make sure you don’t miss any important customer messages.
Jill’s Office is a great virtual receptionist service that makes sure your business is always available to customers. This helps you get more leads and saves you time.
Jill’s Office provides both full-time and backup receptionist support, so every customer gets quick help. This prevents you from losing clients to competitors. They’re available all the time, ensuring no calls are missed.
The receptionists at Jill’s Office are based in the US and get special training to offer excellent customer service. They also have a custom mobile app that sends live updates and notifications so busy business owners can stay connected while on the move.
Free trial: No, but it offers a free demo.
Abby Connect offers a mix of AI-powered and human receptionist services for phone calls and live chats. It helps businesses make a great impression on callers, save time, and grow.
By focusing on customer experience, Abby Connect helps keep customers happy and coming back, which can boost your sales.
Their team handles phone calls and live chat, offering excellent customer service 24/7.
The platform provides a team of friendly, reliable, and professional receptionists who become an extension of your business, helping it grow.
Free trial: No. Instead, it offers a 14-day no-cost calibration period.
PATLive offers a 24/7 live answering service, helping businesses get the most out of every phone call. For over 30 years, its team of 100% US-based virtual receptionists has been assisting businesses with call management.
In 2023, PATLive was named the “Best Virtual Receptionist Service” by Forbes, a recognition that highlights its dedication to excellent service.
With PATLive, you can choose to forward all your calls, only the overflow calls or calls at certain times. This gives you the flexibility to customize the service to fit your needs.
PATLive uses its own software to guide virtual receptionists during calls. This ensures that every caller gets the best experience and helps your business maintain top-notch customer service.
Nexa offers a range of communication services that help businesses grow and connect better with customers. With bilingual agents, Nexa provides top-quality service to businesses of all sizes.
Their live chat virtual receptionists, powered by humans, work to boost conversion rates by turning website visitors into customers.
Nexa’s real-time text messaging service is growing quickly. It helps businesses stay connected with customers, improving customer satisfaction and lead capture. This way, businesses can communicate more directly and engage with customers quickly.
The platform also offers 24/7/365 call answering, including overflow and after-hours support. This means no call is missed, and no potential customer slips through the cracks.
Pricing: Not listed on the website.
Choosing the best virtual receptionist for a small business requires thoughtful consideration to ensure that the service aligns with your specific needs. Here’s a guide to help you make an informed decision:
Make the virtual receptionist service integrate your own phone system and CRM. For example, using tools you already make use of and business telephone applications for small enterprises usually come ready-integrated to support process streamlining.
A virtual receptionist can make a big difference for small businesses by offering 24/7 availability, cost savings, and a professional image. They help you focus on growing your business while ensuring calls are answered promptly.
While they come with a few limitations, such as the lack of physical presence, the benefits of improved productivity and customer satisfaction far outweigh these concerns.
Carefully selecting a virtual receptionist service that aligns with your business needs will help you provide excellent customer support and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
PlayAI is one of the best AI receptionists. It lets you copy your own voice if you want the virtual assistant to sound like you or create a unique AI receptionist. With more than 900 voice choices, you’ll easily find a human-like voice that suits you.
A virtual receptionist is a valuable resource for businesses aiming to grow without adding more on-site employees or expenses. They can handle many of the same tasks as an in-house receptionist, often at a lower cost.
In short, a virtual receptionist can range from $25 to $3,000 per month, depending on the plan. These plans often include various features and components.
While “live answering” and “virtual receptionist” are often used interchangeably, they have distinct differences.
Live answering services typically rely on a team of operators who answer calls, take messages, and transfer calls. These services are more basic and focus on ensuring all calls are answered professionally. However, the operators may not be deeply familiar with your business.
On the other hand, virtual receptionists provide similar services but go beyond basic call handling. They can schedule appointments, manage customer inquiries, take orders, and offer detailed information about your products or services.
Virtual receptionists are more integrated with your business, serving as an extension of your in-house team and often handling more complex administrative tasks.
AnswerConnect was recognized as the best phone answering service for small businesses by Forbes, AnswerConnect has over 20 years of experience. They offer 24/7 services, including live call answering, live chat support, appointment scheduling, and after-hours coverage.
A virtual receptionist manages calls, schedules appointments, handles customer inquiries and performs other administrative tasks remotely. They provide professional support without the need for an in-house employee.
Yes, most virtual receptionist services can be customized to fit your business needs. You can tailor call handling, appointment scheduling, scripts, and other features to align with your specific requirements.
Prasanta, founder and CEO of Dialaxy, is redefining SaaS with creativity and dedication. Focused on simplifying sales and support, he drives innovation to deliver exceptional value and shape a new era of business excellence.
Prasanta Raut