The right receptionist can be an invaluable member of your team, building customer relationships and lessening many of the burdens of small business ownership. However, the financial commitment of hiring an in-house employee can be downright crippling to a budding business. Before you place that want ad, consider these expenses:
Salary, and then some. Depending on where you live and how experienced your receptionist is, you could be looking at a base pay of around $33,000 per year. Paid time off is another cost to consider—the national median amount for receptionists is around $4,000 annually, and many states have requirements for paid sick leave as well. Factor in insurance and benefits, employment taxes, even office supplies (at the very least, a receptionist needs a phone!), and it all adds up quickly. With Ruby’s plans starting at around $260 a month, your employee’s base pay alone will likely cost at least 10 times as much as a virtual receptionist service.
Finding a receptionist in the first place. Sifting through resumes and holding interviews can take hours, if not weeks. You could pay a third party to recruit for you, or you could oversee the hiring process yourself, forsaking billable hours. Either way, there’s no guarantee the person you hire will work out.
Training. Most likely, you can’t afford to wait for your new receptionist to get up to speed—your phone will continue ringing as you show them the ropes! Plus, you may not have a receptionist training program to speak of. At Ruby, our virtual receptionists attend “Ruby University,” a comprehensive two-week training program complete with proper phone etiquette and lessons in phrasing, tone, and grammar.
The cost of unavoidable absence. Employers are required to provide at least two 10-minute breaks and one 30-minute lunch for every 8 hours worked, and even the very best receptionist needs a day off now and then. While your receptionist is at lunch, out sick, or sipping pina coladas on a much-deserved vacation, your potential clients will meet the odious voicemail void. 67% of callers admitted to hanging up when they couldn’t talk to a real person, so even a quick bathroom break could cost big bucks!
Regardless of what type of employee you’re seeking, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who will work seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Ruby’s talented team of virtual receptionists does just that, and best of all, our clients are only charged for the time our friendly, professional receptionists spend on the phone. That’s a tough bargain to beat!
