Reasons for this are many, but the simple reason is the company's decision to use virtual PA services accomplishes its goal. The company saves money without a loss in "production." First, virtual PA services are much less costly to the company than hiring a comparable salaried employee. Secondly, a virtual PA telecommutes so there is no additional company out of pocket cost for office space.
A virtual VA is an entrepreneur providing clients their professional administrative, technical, or creative assistance from their location to the client's home office. Since a virtual PA acts as a contractor the client company is not responsible for employee-related taxes or benefits.
VPA as Super-Receptionist
As client, you can customize your virtual PA service. Most often this will begin with your virtual PA operating as a phone answering service but not just as a back up to handle overflow, off hours, vacations, or holidays but acting more as a personal receptionist. You specify how your virtual PA answers your calls. Have your calls screened, announced, routed, and seamlessly connected.
Alternatively, have calls responded to with specific responses dependent on call content. Send brochures, provide basic FAQ answers, take an order, and most important obtain customer contact details for a more personal response. With time, your virtual PA will realize when calls rate an immediate transfer/response because of content or caller identity and when to act like an in-house receptionist. Most importantly, the personal response will avoid the possible loss of business from of callers (as many as 80%) that don't leave a message. First impressions count and a polite and efficiently helpful operator can mean gaining not losing business.
VPA as Executive Assistant
The true value of a virtual PA at your disposal can go well beyond serving as a super receptionist. If fact, these functions if actually included, may become quite secondary to the many secretarial and office services a professional virtual PA can provide. In the end or from the beginning, virtual PA services can provide remote personal assistance equivalent to an-house executive secretary or executive assistant.
To enumerate, virtual PA services can often provide audio transcription, word processing, typing, diary management, event management, spreadsheets, data entry, accounting tasks, proofreading, copy-editing, desktop publishing, Internet research, collection services, data entry, editing/proofreading, event planning, payroll entry, schedule management, spreadsheet creation, statements/billing/invoicing, and writing press releases. In some instances, a VPA might even manage your web site content.
Remote requires daily, if not hourly, correspondence regarding the assigned tasks or projects in progress. Virtual assistants work closely with their clients and correspond regularly by phone, instant messaging, VOIP, Skype, or e-mail. Technology makes communication between client and VA simple and instant, no matter how geographically distant they are from one another.
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Many companies and businesses are, with the recent global economic slowdown showing no indication of an imminent turnaround, being forced more than ever to continue cutting costs. Unfortunately, lowering the expense of maintaining current staff levels is an inevitable choice. Obviously this can be achieved either by reducing hours or individuals. Often the position(s) of receptionist/secretary/ personal assistant are often a first target.