Virtual Assistants - Your Secret Weapon for Business Growth

In order for any for-profit business to be successful, it must be for-people before anything else. When customers decide to spend money on your service or product, they do so by expecting to be served in the best way possible. That’s what customer service is for. Otherwise, if the service isn't satisfying, they may go shopping elsewhere. This holds true whether you are oriented on service or product and whether you're a B2C or B2B business.

Around the world, a staggering 96% of customers are saying that customer service is a major factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. Great customer service will create a satisfied and loyal audience, the business will experience growth in the best way possible and the customer experience level will rise substantially. However, just one wrong Facebook or Instagram complaint or dozens of bad comments and reviews will ruin the years of effort that went into building a high-quality business reputation.
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For small businesses, one of the better ways of achieving such high-quality customer service comes with using a virtual assistant to deal with all the nuances.

The benefits of using a virtual assistant for customer service

For starters, fewer costs for operation. This is one of the dominant reasons for companies to outsource work. A virtual assistant is commonly a self-employed individual who can provide professional customer service online from a remote location.

They own their own business and as such, it will be up to them to pay for costs of running a company such as electricity and other bills, rent and Internet. These costs will already be factored in their fee. When compared to a full-time employee, you won’t have to pay for benefits, health insurance or other expenses that come from in-house employees.
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Other advantages include improved quality of work and increased productivity. Why? Because most virtual assistants have had careers in the 9-to-5 industries before starting their journey as virtual assistants and know all the ins and outs required for high-quality work. Also, they are paid for their productive time, not for their sitting time, and as such, they watch carefully their performance metrics, milestones, and benchmarks. You can rest assured they will do their best to complete them. 

How to use a virtual assistant for customer service 

First things first, set clear expectations for your virtual assistant. Either conduct a trial with them or complete an example task by yourself. Defining expectations means setting a numerical list of steps needed to complete a task.

In order to lower the workload of your virtual assistant and allow them to answer the calls of your customers better, you can use 1800 numbers. These numbers have unmatched ease of access and create a simplified medium for consumers to reach your virtual assistant and thus enable them to work better and longer.

Lastly, build a relationship with your virtual assistant. Although they may be on the other side of the world, spend some time asking about them. Ask them about their family, hobbies, what they do in their free time, where they like to travel etc. 

When to hire a virtual assistant for customer service

A virtual assistant can be a valuable investment for your small business or startup if you know when and how to utilize them. These next few examples will help you figure out whether you should consider hiring a virtual assistant:

• You're multitasking all the time and there's a possibility of burnout.
• You have work that doesn’t need to be done in an office.
• When a full-time employee isn’t required, or you don’t have the money for one.
• You lose more time on organizing instead of executing.
• Your job requires a lot of traveling.
• You have tasks that must be done but have no manpower for it.

Just like when you try to hire a full-time employee, finding the right virtual assistant is about addressing the specifics of your company and its goals. 

If you’re ready to take your customer service to the next level, a virtual assistant might just assist you with it. Not only are they qualified and add value for customer service, but they will also bring other valuable skills into the company’s pool. The customers will benefit, and when your customers feel those benefits, you will feel them as well.

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Author Bio

​Keith Coppersmith is a business and marketing expert who has experienced both the rise and fall of many businesses. He enjoys writing and providing insight of the marketing industry based on both practice and theory.

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