Virtual Answering Services Are the Future of Client Service

Virtual answering services (or VAS) are an established part of most modern businesses. Having someone to answer your phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week can be a decided advantage over the competition. Add to that the client satisfaction that results from your customers calling in and getting a live voice rather than a machine recording and hiring a VAS becomes a clear choice.

But one of the great things about technology is that it’s always improving. The benefits of having a skilled operator answer your calls and route them correctly and efficiently are clear, but as we move forward the options for virtual answering services are becoming more and more advanced. It’s interesting to notice that as technology is being more and more developed, the one thing that no one wants to change is having the personal touch of a live person at the other end of the phone.

One interesting development that is showing up in some parts of Asia is phone operator avatars. Video phones are more a part of the business culture there, and some VAS companies present computer generated images, or avatars, of their operators that pop up on the client’s image screen when they call. The avatars can be changed automatically depending upon what company the client calls, so one operator has several different looks depending upon what business is being called. Some avatars have actually been copyrighted and are considered the property of the company that they represent.

Another aspect of VAS that is being explored more is instant translation services. Bi-lingual and multi-lingual operators shift their call load to another person when they receive a call that requires translation. Once they connect the call to the right person, the operator stays on the line and translates the conversation for the two parties. Rather than having to set up a visiting translation service, the answering service itself provides the needed skill at the moment it’s required.

Even with the advent of avatars and translation services, the focus of virtual answering services is customer service and support. Having a live person answering phone calls makes a difference, and having an answering service that covers your incoming calls round the clock is a smart move for any business both now and in the future.