Over the past few years, ever since when the emergence of social media, big data analytics, smartphones have been changing the way of lives and the way of work. Virtual Assistants are being fast as the industry is in high demand with the growth of new technologies and evolutions.
This rapid change and increase in the development of technology made many expectations to the customer’s who have been publishing the enterprise, their end to end strategy and also solutions that provide an enhanced experience which in turn increases the revenue, satisfaction, customer retention in this competitive world.
Virtual Assistant technology is a new area that is integrated with the existing applications, therefore, helping users in a natural language and also adds value to the services provided.
It ‘s a rapidly growing industry that offers flexibility, freedom and control. Breaking in virtual assistance is like breaking new grounds that are completely unfamiliar territory. It not only resolves the query of the clients but also can configure more information that is needed for promotions and offers.
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What is it all about?
An independent entrepreneur providing creative, technical and administrative services and utilizing advanced technological modes of communication. A professional virtual assistant area of expertise is the own office area which is on a contract basis.
Virtual Assistants are the key roles for any business to run efficiently and successfully. Virtual assistants handle business administration support virtually.
In most of the web applications, there are online FAQ’s to help users. Whenever a user wants to look at this specific information it may take more time for them to go through all the questions and find a related answer for their query.
Many times it is a time-consuming process that is prevented by many of the users. Users mostly prefer to call back to the provided numbers and solve their queries.
Virtual Assistants generate reports for those frequently asked questions thus making the customers more satisfied and responding also which also gives an opportunity to improve the responses given by the users.
While starting up a new business :-
Here are some of the golden rules that are needed to implement while you get started in your new found career :-
The first and foremost consideration is you should deliberate, careful with what kind of field you are perfect enough so that you can deliver excellence. You should have knowledge about the field chosen and also, should be able to deal with all the matters that are related to the field. By this way, you are able to build your career on your own network, which in turn widens your idea and improves your thinking capability and also discovering new things which you were previously unaware of.
Search for virtual assistant job posting in Google and get through the interview. The internet being the most helpful resource can make your job more easy rather than searching for a job outside. The field which you have selected focus on it, search for similar jobs that are required according to the specifications. Once you have selected the country specific button found in most of the virtual assistant directories on the net.
Modify your resume so that you get calls and you boost well. Your resume should speak about administrative skills of graphic design and the capabilities that you possess. Highlighting your assets and expertise that provide greater odds for employees to find and ask for services.
Virtual Assistant In present market :-
When users expect a response to their queries about a particular website they contact the helpdesk & they visit that particular website. They expect their queries to be answered. They expect a satisfactory answer that they should understand and indeed give a better feedback on that particular website. Therefore, high-quality services should be provided to the customers via email, phone etc.
Enterprises are increasing their brand value by providing customers’ responses, fast and correct through an effective customer engagement services.
Vendors are becoming more and more popular in the market. Some of the popular vendors are Creative virtual, next IT, ANBOTO etc. Virtual Assistants are more in demand.
Challenges faced in Customer Engagement services:-
Here are some of the key challenges faced by most of the enterprises, in managing the customer engagements. Meeting the new and ever increasing expectations of users that have various channels of communication which includes the web, mobiles, social networking sites like Facebook, twitter etc.
Making a good impression when a mobile app and a web application is accessed for the first time, therefore  increasing the chances of revert.
Providing a personalized support while they create a new account and product registration that is needed involving an agent.
Providing a user-friendly service feature that is faster in talking to live agents as a preferred mechanism.
Mobile Virtual Assistants :-
Mobile based virtual assistants provide user-friendly services as they develop web applications, for smartphones. They are capable of understanding users and their profiles  therefore, offer a powerful engagement which in turn will be more and more effective.
With the advancement of technology and speech recognition technology, the mobile virtual assistant can turn smartphones into a voice-enabled customer service person. They understand the customers better enough, what the customer is exactly looking for, they recognize the customers and interact with them in a normal conversational manner to facilitate the way of interaction.
Virtual Assistants are more than a voice-enabled help file and have inbuilt intelligence that can help in providing a more personalized help and give the further inputs sensing the context of the help being asked.
For example, when we need to book a ticket between two places, the help can also be personalized to ask other questions like the type of food preferences, preferred seating arrangement. Users can be asked whether they would be interested in hotel booking at the destination, any vehicle requirements, taxis etc. to add cross-selling to the list.
Intelligent Virtual Assistant IVA:-
With the new technological advancements and techniques, the concept of “Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA)” is developing, therefore providing new technology enablers to improve such as:
- Algorithms that enable natural language interactions
- Artificial Intelligence which is induced by self-learning
- Context-aware, proactive search of knowledge portals
- Voice-assisted user interfaces for mobile devices like smartphones with speech recognition/analytics
- Voice biometrics
The Intelligent Virtual Assistant IVA is used to improve interactions on smartphones, as well as on traditional online web portals. Additionally, an IVA offers more personalized engagement of the client’s as their identity while talking.
They can also customize recommendations by leveraging the capabilities and features that are provided by smart devices and accessories (e.g., Geolocation, accelerometer etc. and feed provided by smartwatch and fitness wearable) extending the boundary of their services and making them context aware.
The future generations of Intelligent Virtual Assistant can leverage artificial intelligence using self-learning algorithms to provide more relevant solutions to customer queries.
Customer Engagement Solutions :-
To verify the usability and viability of Virtual Assistant products Virtual Assistants have developed two Proof of Concepts (POC) based on the use cases that is needed from the insurance domain:
(i) Product Enrollment: A web-based Virtual Assistant solution for customers that provides assisted form filling while enrolling for a new insurance product.
(ii) First Notice of Loss Application: A mobile-based Virtual Assistant solution assisting users to log their First Notification of Loss (FNOL) using voice for a vehicle in case if any accident took place.
Virtual Assistant for Product Enrollment
In the product enrollment form, users who want to enroll for a policy are required to enter their personal details and express interest in the mentioned product. Typically, the form could be complex asking for various details about the policy and customers may feel difficult to fill up and therefore, might call up for support asking how to fill it. This solution uses a Virtual Assistant in helping the user filling the enrollment form, thereby asking questions and considering the user responses as input values.
Virtual Assistant for First Notice of Loss (FNOL) Solution
Let’s consider an example, A person driving a car has met with an accident, he will report the accident to the insurance company at the earliest. Since there are multiple pieces of information that are required at times additional help would be needed by the person and the person therefore, will get in touch with the support team.
This smart-phone-based application uses a Virtual Assistant and provides a voice-assisted solution to capture the information. Users will simply need to respond to questions spoken by the tool and respond to them in speaking. The whole process can be completed as a natural conversation which is easy and fast.
Virtual Assistant Technology Advantages
Implementing a Virtual Assistant solution for business possibility provides many benefits of increasing the efficiency and productivity. With this, an enterprise not only increases the overall customer satisfaction, but also the cost involved. Some of the key benefits are as follows:
- Enhanced customer satisfaction
- Increased overall productivity and efficiency
- Optimized support team
- Reducing costs
- Better monitoring and control
Customer support is being no more seen as a nice thing anymore that any businesses have a strategic view towards it. Virtual Assistant technology combined together with other emerging technologies is now empowering them to revamp their customer engagement platforms. It has huge potentials in the areas where a lot of interactions take place as a routine with a large support team.
Enterprises can reap tremendous business benefits through a well versed Virtual Assistant implementation. A profitable virtual assistant reveals closely guarded secrets that can increase the business profits and the ability to earn extra whenever needed.
Virtual Assistants provide business support for the growth and development of your business by any contractor of a virtual assistant. However, only limited services are focused on the administrative organization from small to medium sized business organizations offering services. A Virtual Assistant, when hired, can perform the following functions :
General Typing-Â A administrator and a secretary are no longer needed in the same office as manager and the supervisor. Typing can be done from any location and can be emailed directly to the required person.
Social Media – The importance of social media marketing for small and medium sized business can regularly update the organizational social media sites like Facebook, twitter status with the help of a Virtual Assistant. They keep the customers up to date with what’s happening in the organization.
Blogging – An excellent way for businesses to get increase their awareness of the organization basically in terms of reaching out to customers and raising their search engine status. Blogs were written and blog posts are generally a time-consuming process which should be easily and affordably be delegated to a Virtual Assistant.
Customer Service – It is the vital role in any organization that needs to be successful and run smoothly with efficient business and should also deal with the customer queries and inquiries which are a tough task that needs to be managed. It is a task that can be handled by a virtual assistant who can deal with the concerns surrounding the organizations or questions related to the products.
Online Store Management – It is difficult for any single person to manage a business that can run effectively. As small business grow and develop a virtual assistant should be in a perfect position who can assist the management to run an online store whatever capacity is required.
Data Entry – It is often cumbersome that is a necessary aspect for any businesses to run smoothly. A virtual assistant should be engaged to enter the data from information sheets and to focus on the reports when required.
Personal Assistant Services – A Virtual Assistant can also be a personal assistant as and when services are required. It is a cost-effective for any organization to hire without the cost of hiring a permanent employee.
Managing Email – With many unnecessary emails being received in the inbox are necessary to read and acknowledge a virtual assistant to manage email accounts that are time-saving
Booking Travel – If anybody travels regularly for a business purpose, a virtual assistant can arrange the transportation and also accommodation to meet your required needs that will be fulfilled by the profit was driven tasks.
A number of skilled virtual assistants are now entering the virtual assistance field, for more and more businesses which are being adapted to the convenient outsourcing method in order to reduce their overheads and take their business to the next level of progression.
A Virtual Assistant may be required to work for a greater pay in order to block the freelancers work for multiple employees. Many conflicts may arise during the time of crucial projects which are needed to be handled with effective techniques.
One of the most important points that is to be noted is to consider that target person is available or not. Here availability means loyalty, sincerity and readiness for work and also should sustain business policy for long range perspective.
During the hiring process of virtual assistants for any part time and full-time work makes sure that they are good enough with the required stuff and also remember about the budget that fits the assistants perfectly into that position. Remember that integrity and excellence are the two main features that are required for any employee at the workplace. The character is an optional choice.
The main thing is being loyal and loyalty refers to business standards that should be established by trusting the employee’s capability and credibility to decide in which areas they need growth and success and by taking control within the management scope. Suggestions and recommendations to keep the business in focus which will create a harmony in the long term business relationships.
Here are the basic qualities that are required for any virtual assistant to be well settled in any business for the growth and development :-
Professionalism – It is the primary quality for any Virtual Assistant (VA). The necessitates that any virtual assistant requires have been adequately trained and should also gain well experience for that particular task or tasks in the contract. Having made that commitment, the Virtual Assistant will carry the task within the deadline, without quibbling or dragging his/her feet. The VA will exhibit business at his or her work and will surely satisfy the expectations of the client.
Versatility – It is the readiness to undertake certain aspects of the job which are not one’s main strengths, which means that the person’s capabilities are many-sided and multi-faceted. Some agree that versatility comes from a willingness to adapt the features required. Any person who refuses to do another aspect of the job is not his strength, he will miss out a chance to learn.
Globalism – Is another necessary and important characteristic feature of any Virtual Assistant. It is the attitude of placing the interests of the entire world on those of the individual nations. This is also an attitude that shows when the Virtual Assistant gets adjusted to communication issues and cultural issues related to the job. Virtual assistants with global orientation will know how to work efficiently with employers in the global job market and meet their expectations.
Emotionally stable – It is a good trait to have if any of the clients is stressed out. The Virtual Assistant will be a foil to the supervisor’s volatile temper, her ice to his fire. East is east and West is west, and the two shall never meet, but the cool-headed Virtual Assistants can prevail upon her boss and can just take it easy. They will learn quickly to tackle with their boss. Breaking down into tears is the work of a fear, but not the work of a virtual assistant whenever a boss blows his top is not a good strategy to make him stop.
Determination – Every virtual assistant should have a very important quality which is determined. Getting gainful employment is like passing through a needle’s eye, and so, the virtual assistant will naturally do not want to leave his job. A determination should not quit if the work gets tough and also the task should be completed within the given period of time.
Forward-looking is the sixth quality that any of the virtual assistants should have . The virtual assistant will not look at the fluctuations of business but will look upon the enthusiasm which is needed to complete the tasks, either in a good or bad business weather. They will be an encouragement if ever you ever need.They will also be concerned about a shaky start, but will suggest your ways on how to persevere. Don’t ever ignore the judicious comments because training included being well-rounded on all aspects of the business. They might also show examples that have been also exposed to some situations dealing with other clients.
Prudent is a good trait and quality for everyone basically to have especially for those in the sensitive positions. Your virtual assistant knows when to keep their mouth shut. If your boss is a lady then she might be discreet, circumspect and sober at all times. If she is commonsensical in handling practical matters, then she might not be so brilliant with her ideas, but she may be a trustworthy person, nevertheless. You might take chances in believing her. This might look like an order for a person, but comparingly many virtual assistants get fit into this ball which is neither surprising to find many of them.
Every outsourcing company has the extensive manpower in regards to that high access to end technology and the employees are also well versed in almost all the basic tasks. It does not matter as he is mostly the jack of all trades as he has a back-end. The important things when you decide when you go for your remote help, ensure that you sign up with an outsourcing company that provides virtual assistant service and never ever go with any home based virtual assistant services. The only way to get in touch with their efficient services is to make full use of the internet and create a positive approach towards the assisters the company chooses and assign certain works to test their potentiality.