WHAT IS A VIRTRUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)[UPDATED]

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Virtual Assistants

Back in the day, if a customer had a question, comment or concern, they’d have to call a 1-800 number & listen to crappy hold music until a Customer Service Representative picks up. However, people today don’t have time for all of that-They want answers ASAP! Eliminate that stress for your clients & get a Virtual CSR that’s available right away. Continue reading this blog to learn what a Virtual CSR is, what they do, how to pay a Virtual Customer Service Representative & other benefits of having a virtual customer service representative on your team!

What is a Virtual Customer Service Representative?

A Virtual CSR (Customer Service Representative) provides various services to small business owners & entrepreneurs from a remote location. A Virtual CSR handles tasks ranging from social media management, email marketing & appointment scheduling. Here are a few other tasks that a Virtual CSR handles:

  1. Social Media Management
  2. Various Digital Marketing Task
  3. Reports & Analytics
  4. Reputation Management
  5. Some Personal Task
  6. Event Management

Whatever work you need out of a Virtual CSR should be stated clearly in the job description. The advantages of a Virtual CSR for your business are undeniable, a Virtual CSR gives your business a sense of professionalism, support & security your audience expects. In addition, you’ll never lose a lead again, have better organization & much more.

Why Should You Hire A Virtual Customer Service Representative?

We know the value of money & how important it is to make a small budget stretch. This is true for any business, so why waste money on a person hired to do one task when you can hire a Virtual CSR. Here are a few reasons why you should Hire a Virtual CSR:

Reduce Cost

As a business owner, we’re sure you have stumbled upon the question: “how can I reduce my business labor cost?” With a Virtual CSR, you’ll be able to cut your labor cost in half due to no office expenses.. Hire a Virtual CSR for a certain amount of hours or even specified times a month. Virtual CSRs are great if you have a limited budget or if the work load tends to fluctuate.

No More Training

Hiring a Virtual CSR  means you no longer have to spend money to train a regular Customer Service Representative. Hire someone who’s already a virtuoso in their field by investing in a Virtual CSR!

Prioritize Better

 As a business owner, you can’t do everything. It’s a hard pill to swallow. A Virtual CSR, gives you the ability to focus on your brand. What you may not know, a Virtual CSR will. Your business’s longevity is crucial. You can’t afford handling overwhelming tasks a Virtual CSR could do. Employing a Virtual CSR will keep you from micromanaging. Thus, you can  a focus on bigger & better opportunities for your business.

Support Growth

Another great reason for hiring a Virtual CSR is that there’s always room for growth. As your business grows, you’ll be taking on projects that require immediate attention & fast turnaround. These projects include: Email Marketing Campaigns, Digital Marketing Campaigns, Inventory, & Reports- all suitable for a Virtual Customer Service Representative.

Better Organization

Have a lot on your plate? A Virtual CSR can help with your business’s organization skills.  They can ultimately help you fill in those areas where you just can not reach.  A Virtual CSR can be found anywhere from sites like Fiverr to Upwork, & can range from any price depending on their skills . It’s always great to get some familiarity with your next Virtual Customer Service Representative, as they’ll basically handle the front end of your business. If you want to learn more on what a Virtual CSR can do for your business – Give us a call by clicking this link!

What Can A Virtual CSR Do?

Social Media Management

Social media management is crucial to your Digital Marketing Strategy. Most businesses can’t survive without a Social Media Manager. This can be a job foe your next Virtual CSR. If you don’t have enough time for the hustle & bustle of Social Media, why not outsource?
 
A Virtual CSR will be in charge of basic to intermediate social media task like:
 
  • Scheduling Social Media Post
 
  • Social Engagement
 
Content Creation for various social media accounts like facebook, instagram, snapchat, etc.
 
Be sure your next Virtual CSR can handle the complexity of social media management. It’s vital for your business to engage with your followers. Today, leading brands turn to Virtual CSR professionals. They handle large scale social media projects with ease.

Administrative Work

A Virtual CSR is great for handling your businesses administrative task like:

  • Data Entry
  • Booking Appointments
  • Scheduling meetings & appointments

Basically a Virtual Customer Service Representative can do anything an administrative assistant can do but from anywhere and at a lower cost.

Content Creation

Content Creation is important for your business and your SEO ranking. If you’ve wondered why brands like yours post so many blogs. It’s to increase their SEO ranking.

 
Here are a few reasons why consistent blog posts are a great idea for your business!
 
More Website Visitors
 
Higher Ranking on Search Engines
 
Higher Conversion Rate
 
Your Next Virtual CSR can be in charge of your business’s content writing which is a critical aspect for any brand. Content Creation and copywriting isn’t that easy. It takes up a lot of time for small business owners. This is why outsourcing those efforts to a Virtual CSR is a fantastic option for your business!
 
A virtual customer service representative can use tools like unsplash, canva, and photoshop. These platforms can help anyone create great, engaging content.

Bookkeeping

A Virtual CSR is great for bookkeeping, imagine someone handling small financial task from any location, no stress to you. Virtual CSRs can manage your  budget, make small business purchases on your behalf & much more! Depending on their knowledge, a Virtual CSR can help you during the next tax season, and that’s what matters the most right?!

Analytics, Reports, & Research!

A Virtual CSR can do many things such as: Reports, Research and Analytics. With a Virtual CSR, you’ll receive help with:

  • Consumer Trends
  • Resumes
  • Keep track of competitors & website analytics
  • Generate reports and track social campaigns
  • Digital Marketing Trends & much more!

Customer Service

Of course, a  Virtual CSR is well-prepared to handle your brand’s customer service needs. As a busy owner, we’re positive that you won’t have time answering phone calls, emails, or messages all day.  Just because majority of a Virtual Customer Service Representative job is done through digital platforms doesn’t mean that they can’t answer your phone calls either. A Virtual CSR can virtually do anything and taking it old school and doing your dirty work is one of them.

Website Management

Today, majority of communication is through digital means. Like facebook, tiktok, instagram. This has changed the way we do business today. Social media platforms like facebook and instagram make businesses a message away. It gives your audience instant gratification. Also, it easier for your business to put in place Virtual CSR services. Some customers won’t have time to call the number on your website. Get someone to answer questions from your website, email, facebook or instagram. It’s a sure way to attract new customers. and keep the ones you have happy.
 
Your website is your #1 digital hub to your audience. Without a website, your business is nonexistent, and lead capturing will be impossible. For info on our web design services, click here! . A Virtual Customer Service Rep can help keep the reins on your website visitors. They can see which webpages get the most hits, and answer your visitor’s questions.

Managing Your Virtual CSR

Hiring A Virtual CSR can raise some concerns, seeing that you won’t be able to interact with them in person, as you would a typical customer service representative. But if you’re able to keep up good communication skills, delegate work efficiently, and build & gain trust, along with great time management skills- you’re in the clear!

Here’s a detailed list on how to manage your next Virtual CSR:

Communicate With Your Assistant

Communication is key when you’re managing your next Virtual Customer Service Representative. All it takes is a little research on the best communication tool for your business, we like to use whereby. Whereby is great for communicating with your team over video or audio calls. You can share screens and type messages. Local or miles away, whereby gives your Virtual CSR a direct way to contact you, any time or place. You can also share business files, ideas, content & much more!

Delegate Duties Properly

To manage your Virtual CSR , you must be able to allot task and manage time . There are many project management platforms able to keep your Virtual CSR on trac. Like Trello or Slack. These Project management tools have tons features. They help manage your time, and your Virtual CSR’s time better.
 
Toggl, helps you keep track of your Virtual CSR hours on a specific task. You’ll see what their putting their hours into, track breaks & more.

Have Trust In Your Team

When all said in done, none of the things we listed above won’t matter without trust amongst you and your Virtual CSR. You & your Virtual Customer Service Representative must establish some sense of trust before you (the owner), will ever feel satisfied with any of their work. No one likes to be micromanaged and a lack of trust will only aide that behavior. Have a diligent hiring process when looking for a Virtual CSR for your business. Make sure to ask questions that matter to you the most and be sure that your next Virtual CSR can do the job effectively, diligently, and is trustworthy.

How To Determine The Pay of a Virtual CSR

There are a few things that come into play when deciding the pay for your next Virtual CSR. Here’s a look at a few factors that compile a Virtual Customer Service Representative’s pay scale.

Experience

When all said in done, none of the things we listed above won’t matter without trust amongst you and your Virtual CSR. You & your Virtual Customer Service Representative must establish some sense of trust before you (the owner), will ever feel satisfied with any of their work. No one likes to be micromanaged and a lack of trust will only aide that behavior. Have a diligent hiring process when looking for a Virtual CSR for your business. Make sure to ask questions that matter to you the most and be sure that your next Virtual CSR can do the job effectively, diligently, and is trustworthy.

Type of work

You get what you pay for as they say, & that’s the case here too. The more you expect from your Virtual CSR, the more you will end up paying. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing. Good, you’ll have a person on your team that has a wide-variety of skills. Bad, the more your Virtual CSR may know, the more you may pay. As a small business owner, you must ask yourself, can you afford a Virtual CSR and their duties. If the answer is no- it’s probably best to find a better solution for your business needs. 

Generally, a Customer Service Representative handling inbound calls can make up to $30/hr. Administrative Assistants can earn up to $25/hr or more. You must take into consideration all the things you will be expecting from your Virtual CSR and pay them accordingly. From Copywriting to Social Media Management, your Virtual Customer Service Representative will be juggling various tasks, so make it worth their while.

Paying A Virtual Customer Service Representative

There are many ways you can pay your Virtual CSR. If your Virtual CSR is in another state or country, that doesn’t mean paying them will be a hassle.  You can use software like Paypal, Cashapp, Google Pay, Payoneer, Transferwise. Go old school & do a Direct Deposit. With today’s technology, payment methods have become easier than ever. Find a payment tool that’s right for you and your next Virtual CSR. Make sure you do your research. Never commit to a software that isn’t transparent. Take note of hidden fees (if any) and read the fine print before putting in your credit card number.

Where Do I Find A Virtual CSR?

It’s easy to find a Virtual CSR. Drop the stress of finding someone you trust or a person able to fulfill your business goals. Here at Center Stage Social, we not only offer Digital Marketing and Automation. We also have a friendly staff of Virtual CSRs waiting to help build your brand. Our Virtual Customer Service Representatives train in everything you need to be successful. Give us a call today and get your FREE Virtual CSR quote. From Small businesses to Enterprises. We have the right package for your business. and your customer’s questions answered!

Are you working virtually? Check out 15 tools to manage a business digitally – virtual csr not include!

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