FAQ
Quick answers to your burning questions!
What’s the difference between an answering service, and a virtual receptionist service?
Answering services typically take and forward messages and can sound impersonal. They tend to leave callers feeling like they are leaving a message with someone who has absolutely no connection to the person they want to speak with.
Our virtual receptionists sound as if they are sitting at your front desk, answering calls, scheduling appointments on your calendar, giving pricing information and answering FAQs while also taking messages and screening calls.
How much do you charge?
All of our pricing information is available here:
We charge a simple, monthly fee, with no contracts.
Are all of your receptionists Bilingual?
Our awesome, savvy, receptionists are bilingual, speaking English and Spanish clearly and professionally, and have neutral accents!
Will callers know they are talking to a receptionist service?
We answer all of your calls on behalf of your business. The vast majority of the time, your callers will just assume that the person they are speaking with is a receptionist in your office.
The only time we will ever tell the caller that we are a receptionist service is if we are asked directly.
Do I need my own phone number, or do you provide me one?
We provide you an assigned phone number with your local area code*.
You have 3 options:
1. You can either forward your calls to this number using your existing phone provider.
2. You can publish this assigned phone number on your website, marketing materials, etc. (but note, we retain ownership of this number, and cannot port it out to you in the future).
3. If you don’t already have a phone number for your business, we highly recommend purchasing an affordable phone number from a provider like Phone.com. You can forward this number to us, and publish this phone number on your website, marketing materials, etc.
*some area codes not available
Can I only forward calls to you part of the time?
Feel free to forward and stop forwarding your lines at your convenience, whether that be all day, a couple of days a week, or a few hours a day.
Overflow: You can also choose to have your phone provider ring calls in your office a few times before rolling over to our team of professional virtual receptionists.
Can you answer questions about my products/services?
Yes! We want to get to know your business. The more information you are willing to share about your business the more we can help you with. With the use of technology and good old-fashioned smarts we can handle your calls the same way you would.
What hours are your receptionists available?
Monday – Friday, 8:00am EST to 10:00pm EST (5am to 7pm PST)
After hours, all voice mails will be delivered directly to your email.
Can you schedule appointments for me?
Yes! We can book appointments on your existing calendar (Google Calendar, iCalendar or Office365).
What will the receptionist say when they answer my calls?
Our virtual receptionists will answer your calls with your personalized greeting.
Our recommended, 3-Part Greeting includes, “Thank you for calling [Your Company]!
My name is [Receptionist’s Name].
How can I help you today?”
How do you transfer a call to me?
Our friendly virtual receptionists let you know who’s on the line and, if you would like to take the call, they will connect the callers to you live, wherever you are.
Typical call-handling protocol for our virtual receptionists is as follows:
1. The call is identified and answered. The call is screened and placed on hold.
2. The client is contacted and asked whether or not he or she wishes to accept the call.
3. If accepted, the call is transferred immediately.
4. If denied, the call is either sent to voicemail or a manual message is taken and delivered via email.
*Please note: We are happy to adapt our call-handling to your unique business, including only taking messages, collecting specific information from callers, trying multiple lines, scheduling appointments, taking orders and more. Each individual in your business may set their own individual call instructions.
How will you know when I am available to accept a call?
You may update us as to your whereabouts as frequently as you like! Let us know when you are stepping into a meeting, working off your cell for a bit, or would like your calls held. Update your status via phone or email.
“Whereabouts” are just one of the ways our virtual receptionists sound like an in-house employee: “John is at lunch at the moment, but I would be happy to take a message or offer you his voicemail.”
How do I know what happens on each call?
Our receptionists take down all of the relevant information from each caller, and sends you a call summary email after each call, so that you are always up to date on what is happening with your business.
We also offer the option to send these call notes to you via text as well!
How is my usage calculated?
Coitify Virtual calculates usage based off of handling time, which is the talk time of the call + the amount of time it takes our receptionists to send your the call summary email.
To give you an idea, the overall average talk time is around 45 seconds, with total handling time around 57 seconds. Conveniently, all handling time is charged by the second, not in increments. So if your handling time for a call is 52 seconds, that’s the exact amount that will be adding to your total (we don’t round up!)
Do you charge me for minutes once a call is transferred to me?
Nope! We only charge for the time that the receptionist is involved in the call; there are no charges per transfer, per message, or for the time that you talk to your caller.
Can you make outbound calls on my behalf?
We certainly can! Our virtual receptionists are happy to place calls to relay information or confirm appointments on your behalf.
These minutes are simply added to your inbound call minutes, and then subtracted from your chosen monthly package of minutes.
Is there a contract or lengthy agreement?
We offer a month to month agreement with no contracts. We do however require a 21 days notice to cancel your plan prior to your upcoming cycle date, once you become a paid client.