Ways a Virtual Receptionist Can Help Hotels
- June 29, 2018
- Jack Cunningham
- 0 Comments
The hospitality industry is unique in many ways, as it involves a very high level of human interaction and how hotel staff treat their guests is a critical factor in their success – or lack of it. Wearing uniforms (from the companies who tend to specialize in hospitality uniforms melbourne) to maintaining the proper etiquettes in the industry, they have to be very wary about the image they portray to their guests as they represent the hotel. From the very first contact – which is typically with a phone enquiry – to the final goodbye, it is essential to maintain professional and courteous communication. Despite the arrival of the Internet, people still prefer the telephone and very often a person will book a hotel room after having a short phone conversation with the receptionist and that essential human interaction is usually the deciding factor when making a hotel reservation. Of course, having the facility to self check in hotel is also preferred as it can save time and is an automated process.
What is a Virtual Receptionist?
If you have mental images of a robot that carries out the receptionist’s duties, you’ll be happy to learn that the receptionist is, in fact, a qualified and experienced telephone operator. What makes her “virtual” is the fact that she is located at a call centre rather than the hotel reception, not that the caller would ever know, and fully briefed on the client’s business, the virtual receptionist would promptly handle all calls in a professional and courteous manner. The virtual receptionist offers a cost effective and very professional solution to answering the phone, and when you consider they can handle any amount of calls, it makes for a very attractive proposition for a business such as a hotel.
Tailored Service
One of the market leaders in call handling can be found at https://www.officehq.com.au/ who offers a wide range of essential business services and that includes hotels. When you consider how many of your bookings come via the telephone, you really can’t afford to be slack in that area, and with professional receptionists working on your behalf, your reception staff can focus on taking care of current guests.
Small Hotels, Inns & Guesthouses
In the hospitality sector, guesthouses, small resorts and hotels are the businesses that can benefit the most from virtual reception services, with perhaps 4 or 5 employees who each has to wear several hats at the same time and answering the phone is down to whoever happens to be passing. Once you’re hooked up with a virtual receptionist, calls are always handled promptly and efficiently, with bookings made and messages passed and everyone is informed, which guarantees your pristine image remains intact. The truth is, such a business has no idea how much custom they are losing, as unanswered calls remain undetected, and any potential guest who has to wait for their call to be answered will simply select the next one on the list and make a mental note never to call that hotel again.
Cost Effective Call Handling
While it is essential to have professional call answering, one has to consider costs, and while any small hotel would like to have a full-time receptionist, we all know how expensive that is. Hiring the services of a virtual receptionist is the most cost-effective way to handle calls and today’s provider is geared up to deliver a range of services, all at an affordable price.
If you would like to discover the potential that virtual reception has to offer, an online search will bring up a list of providers and you can take the first steps towards professional call handling.