Data Supplies Blog

What to Look for in a Virtual Assistant

We think it's really important for business owners to find a virtual assistant that is right for them. Companies tend to put a lot less effort into finding an outsourced member of staff than they do for permanent staff members. Though this is unavoidable, we think that going the extra mile when looking for a VA can be hugely beneficial.

Below, we've shared a few tips on what to look for in a virtual assistant.

Make sure you like them

You may think this sounds silly... but if you're going to hire someone as a virtual assistant, you need to make sure you like them! Not only are you going to need to work closely with them, you're also going to be asking them to speak to your customers on your behalf. Make sure that you choose a virtual assistant who you think is professional and friendly.

Make sure you're happy with their working style

Before you make your choice, make sure you speak to any potential VAs about their working style. Are there particular processes and timetables that they work to? How will you fit into this? Are they able to be flexible enough to fully meet your needs?

Make sure you ask what VA services they offer

Maybe you're only looking for a simple telephone answering service now... but it's great to leave yourself more options for later. Over time, you might find yourself needing more virtual assistant services, and it would be great if your additional VA was able to help.

Make sure you ask for references

Any virtual assistant who is good at what they do will be more than happy to supply you with testimonials or references from other customers. This is a great way to find out more about a potential VA, and whether they're a good fit for you.

If you're looking for a VA and want to see if we might be the perfect fit, why not get in touch?

Why Is Security Important in Dictation?

Over the past few years, there has been a real focus in improving the security of dictation machines. Data encryption has become a common feature, and we've even seen machines with extra secure features such as biometric pads! But why has security become so important for dictation machines?

Many of the professions that commonly work with the dictation process are working with data that is in some way sensitive. For example, the medical profession relies greatly on the dictation and transcription process to function. Doctors and consultants tend to use a dictation machine to record patient information and compose correspondence. These voice files are then transcribed by administrative staff - freeing up the medical staff's time to spend with their patients. Of course, health information is often very sensitive, and so it's important for healthcare providers to have confidence that the information they record is secure.

Another reason security has become more important over recent years is that dictation machines have become smaller, lighter, and more portable! When machines become more easily portable, the risk of them being lost or left somewhere becomes higher. If you're carrying a dictation machine with you on a train, it's great to be safe in the knowledge that the data on it is only accessible to you! Even if the recordings stored on it aren't especially sensitive in a legal sense, you probably still don't want them to be accessed by whoever finds your lost machine.

Is data security important to you? We're always happy to discuss which machines and features would work best for you. Why not contact us for a personalised recommendation?

How Quickly Can You Explain What You Do?

When you're in business, it's vital to be able to explain what you do to others quickly. Being able to sum up the offerings of your business in a sentence or two is a great skill to have - even better if you can make these few sentences interesting and engaging! 

This action is often described as an 'elevator pitch'. The idea behind this is that if you were lucky enough to get in a lift with a top executive, you should be able to enthuse them about your business before they reach their floor! This pitch has become even more important with the rise of the networking group. Often at networking events you are asked to stand up and give a 30 second introduction to what you do. Being able to do this in a way that is clear, concise, memorable and fun is a brilliant skill to have!

At Your Reception Desk, we've been practising just how quickly we can explain how our telephone answering service works. If you've been on our homepage recently, you'll have seen that we've made some changes to the header of our website. Namely... we've used the opportunity to tell visitors to the site what we do in less than thirty seconds!

Here's a preview...

Using a VA as a Full Time Receptionist

There are many ways that a company or individual can use a telephone answering service. Some of our customers choose to use our support only when they're on holiday. Some use it whenever they're away from their desk. Some use it on a full time basis. 

This third option is particularly appropriate for customers who are using our full Personal Assistant service. Instead of redirecting their phones to us only when they're not available to answer - it's possible for them to have their phones redirected to us all the time. Whenever they get a call, we answer it quickly and professionally in their company name. Depending on the needs of our customer, and the exact package they're using, we are able to deal with the call or patch it straight through to the customer. 

There are a number of benefits to doing this.

• Small businesses may not be able to afford a full time receptionist, but they may want to benefit from the perceived professionalism of having one. For a fraction of the cost of hiring a member of staff, we're able to provide that for them.
• It's a huge time saver. Imagine if someone else was able to answer sales calls on your behalf and save you the trouble of dealing with them?
• We're also able to deal with many genuine calls. We can process orders and answer questions, on behalf of our customers, meaning that they can concentrate on what they do best.
• We can help our customers to manage their day. Our diary management service means that we can book appointments and meetings on behalf of our clients, then simply send them through a weekly or daily schedule. 

Are you thinking about using a vrtual assistant as a full time receptionist? Why not get in touch?

Introducing Two New Olympus Machines

This week, we have added two new Olympus machines to our online stores. The Olympus DS7000 and DS3500 are both professional machines that have a great deal to offer. Both machines are designed to be really hardwaring with a full metal body. The DS7000 even comes with a dedicated docking station. Olympus claims; "Professional dictation has never been so powerful and simple."

The DS7000 is a more advanced machine. We're selling it at £359 (+ VAT, free delivery). The DS3500 has many of the same features but is slightly more budget friendly at £295 (+ VAT, free delivery). The main advantage of the DS7000 over the DS5000 is that it has a better mic and the software integrates better with Speech Recognition software.

Earlier this week, when we took delivery of the first DS7000 machines, we took a good look at them to see just what was different between the new machine and the older DS5000 model. Here are our conclusions;

1. The screen of the DS7000 is a lot bigger (2 inches) and is in colour. 
2. The on/off switch has been moved to the back of the machine.
3. The mic input and ear piece output have been moved to the side. Initially we thought this would mean they could be accessed with the recorder in its leather case, but sadly this still isn't possible.
4. The DS7000 is almost identical to the DS5000, but it is slightly wider.
5. It has 'joypad' style buttons on the front which are a nicer design than the previous version, and are a lot easier to use. 

Take a look at both the DS7000 and the DS3500 and their full specifications.

 

 

Featured Machine: The Philips LFH9375

A machine that we often recommend to our customers is the Philips LFH9375. This is a lightweight, hand held machine with enough features to make it suitable for low to medium professional use. It comes with SpeechExec software, making it a very attractive package!

We're currently offering the LFH9375 for the special price of £159 + VAT. This is £20 off the usual price, and we're also offering free delivery. Below we've outlined some of our favourite features of the machine;

• It has a recording time of 349 hours. Think you might need more? It also has an exchangeable memory card - meaning that the recording time is potentially limitless.
• It comes with rechargable batteries, and they can be recharged simply by plugging the machine into your computer via USB.
• It's really simple to use; it has voice activated recording, push button control and two smart buttons.
• If security is important to you, you'll be pleased to know that there is an author ID setting on the machine.
• It can be set to record in numerous differed modes, including SP, HXG, HQ and QP.

Are you interested in finding out more about the Philips LFH9375? View it here on dictationsupplies.com. Alterntively, get in touch to discuss how the machine could work for you.

 

Coping with Bank Holidays - Advice for Small Businesses

Bank holidays like today can sometimes be difficult to handle for small businesses. Coping with them can be especially problematic in Scotland where many cities and councils have their own local holidays. 

For some self-employed people, the solution to the bank holiday problem is not to take any of them off. However, we don't think this is always a good solution. Bank holidays exist for a reason; to allow workers to enjoy some time off and to ultimately boost productivity in the long term. We've blogged before about how we think down time is essential - and bank holidays can be a great way to enjoy that down time.

But what should you do with your business over the bank holiday? Our main advice here is to be clear about when you're working and when you're not. This clarity applies to both your customers and yourself! Decide which holidays you'll be taking off ahead of time and mark the days in your diary. Notifiy any ongoing clients and put the dates on your website if appropriate.

There's another very easy tip which we think is hugely effective. Before you down tools for the bank holiday weekend, record a new answerphone message. Explain that you'll be off for the bank holiday, but ask any callers to leave a message and tell them when you'll be getting back to them.

And most importantly? When you are taking the bank holiday off - try to relax and not to worry about work!

Answering The Phone Professionally - Our Tips

Everyone knows how to answer the phone, right? Maybe, but not everyone knows how to answer a phone professionally. 

At  Your Reception Desk, we manage phone lines for companies all across the UK, in a large range of industries. Because of this, we have to always be ready to present the best telephone image possible for our customers. 

Below we've put together a few of our top telephone tips. Bear them in mind when you're manning the phones - and you can be sure you'll be presenting a professional image. 

One: Make sure you have a standardised phone answer, and make sure all your staff know what it is. This way, whoever answers the phone your customer will receive a consistently professional response. It's a nice idea to ask your staff to answer with the company name, and tell the caller their own name.

Two: Don't leave it ringing. A phone that rings endlessly is a clear message to your customers that their call isn't as important to you as it should be. Make sure you pick up the phone as soon as possible. 

Three: When you answer the phone - make sure you smile. This simple act will make your voice brighter and friendlier, and your customers will appreciate it.

Four: Speak clearly. It sounds simple - but you'd be surprised how many people don't make an effort to do so. This is especially important while on the phone to new and potential customers.

Five: Take a note of all phone calls. Using a record book to note down the name of the caller, their contact details and their enquiry is very useful when it comes to chasing up leads.

Have you got any tips to add?

 

We Recommend: For Professional Use

Are you looking for a dictation machine that will work well for high volume use? We're here to help.

If you're going to be using your dictation machine on a daily basis, we recommend investing in a dictation system such as the Olympus DS5000 or the Grundig Digta 7. These systems are bang up to date and come complete with features that will make a significant difference to your workload. Both these machines have slider function switches on the side. This makes them not only more ergonomically pleasing, it also means that you can use the machines quicker and more effectively. 

If you're going to be using your dictation machine in a professional setting, we also recommend that you invest in a docking station. This has a two fold benefit - firstly that putting a dictation machine in a docking station charges it. Secondly, a docking station allows for easy transfer of files to your PC - no additional cables required!

Finally, to complete your dictation system we also recommend that you use professional software. Both the machines mentioned above, the Olympus DS5000 and the Grundig Digta 7, come in a package with professional software. In addition to making the transcription process easier, software can also be set up to retrieve voile files as soon as the handset is docked, and to automatically send it to the secretary. 

Would you like to talk further about which professional dictation system is right for you?

Diary Management - Could It Work For You?

You may know already that we have two levels of telephone answering services. Depending on what our clients need, and how much they have to spend, two options are available. The first of these options is Pay As You Go. This telephone answering service does exactly what it says on the tin; we are available to answer your calls for you as often or as rarely as you need. Each time we answer a genuine call on your behalf (we don't charge for sales calls), we'll take a message, pass it on to you, and deduct one credit from your account.

Alternatively, clients who require a higher level of service may choose our Personal Assistant service. With this service, we can offer a range of additional add-on services to suit you. One of these services is diary management.

Diary management is perfect for busy clients who are always on the go. Using diary management software, we can book and manage appointments for you. When we take calls on your behalf, rather than just taking a message and passing it on we can book meetings and appointments straight into your diary. This means that when you do have some time in the office - you don't have to spend it retuning calls and booking appointments yourself. 

Does this sound like a service that would be of value to you? Why not have a chat with us to discuss how it could work?