A lot of tutors work independently or take on contract jobs. There are some, however, who have full-scale tutoring businesses that offer various services to students and others who are looking for a little assistance. In either case, having an assistant or receptionist could be a huge help when it comes to keeping things organized and making sure communications are answered promptly.Â
When you hire a receptionist, virtually or physically, they are the face of your business. They need to reflect your mission and values and they need to deliver the level of service that you have committed to providing all of your visitors. When it comes to tutoring and education, people expect a higher level of professionalism, so itâs more important for you to hire the right people for this role than you think. Fortunately, itâs also not difficult to do if you know where to look and how to go about finding the right talent.Â
Hopefully, by the end of this guide, youâll feel more confident in going out and getting the ideal receptionist solution for your business. For now, letâs start by talking about how todayâs consumers require a higher level of service than ever before.Â
People today want everything instantly, and thanks to the Internet, they think it should be possible to get it. They want fast answers, readily available support, and solutions that deliver a personalized experience that is curated to the exact needs of each visitor. Thatâs a tall order, even for the biggest businesses out there. SMBs and mid-size businesses struggle even more.
Fortunately, everyone can alleviate the stress by hiring a receptionist that can field all the calls, messages, and other communications coming your way. People have a lot of expectations of modern businesses, and that includes things like:
These might seem like big tasks to undertake when youâre just getting into improving your customer service. However, itâs something that youâll be able to deliver on when you partner with the right people to develop a communications and admin strategy to handle it all. That starts with choosing the right receptionist for your tutoring business.Â
Once you have that in place, it will be easier to revamp your customer service and admin services so that theyâre efficient, accessible, and readily available to anyone who needs them. Now, letâs get back to talking about how to go about getting the right person for the receptionist role in your tutoring business.Â
This is a question that youâll have to ask yourself, not someone else. Your tutoring business might just need some assistance in the form of a virtual receptionist that works remotely and makes sure that certain tasks get handled when you canât do the work. Perhaps you need someone available full-time and in person. Maybe still youâre the kind of business that could benefit more from a dynamic solution like a team of virtual receptionists to handle your every need and manage it all for you.Â
Think about things like:
Tutoring businesses are often smaller, operated by an individual person, or even run out of a home office. Therefore, there may simply not be room or need for an employee thatâs part of the payroll to handle receptionist duties. In that case, outsourcing to a third-party service can deliver the professional solution that your business needs without breaking the bank.Â
We canât tell you exactly which receptionist will be right for your business (although weâve got a sneaking suspicion weâre near the top of the list, but more about our virtual receptionists later). What we can do is help you figure out what will be best. Part of that comes in knowing which qualities to look for when youâre hiring or outsourcing help.Â
You may already have some skills or qualifications in mind, which is fine. Itâs good, actually, because the more specific you can be, the better help you will find. Along with your own list, consider qualities like:
Of course, youâll also want to consider other qualities and hard skills that could be relevant, such as phone system experience, computer and software literacy, any special training or related certifications, and so forth. But mostly, you need someone that people can feel comfortable reaching out to while youâre busy tutoring clients because thatâs where your skills shine brightest.Â
Again, we canât tell you the exact numbers here. Youâll have to look at your budget and compare that to the available solutions. We can tell you that outsourcing is generally going to cost significantly less than hiring an in-house employee, and youâll generally get more services for your money. However, thereâs a valid case for hiring someone to staff your front desk if you need them, and itâs a worthy investment for many.Â
Speaking of the investment, remember that this is one. Itâs not an expenseâyouâll get an impressive return on this investment when you do it correctly. Currently, receptionists in the U.S. earn approximately $10 to $18 per hour for their skills, with those in professional services or with more experience earning at the top of this range. Donât forget sourcing, training, and onboarding costs, too, along with any benefits, overhead, equipment, supplies, and so forth.Â
The numbers add up quickly, and it can be a lot to take in when youâre just getting started. However, if you can compare the options and know what to expect, it will be easier to find the right solution for your needs. When looking at outsourcing, youâll find lower hourly rates or some contractors and services that might charge on an a la carte basis. Others might offer monthly rates for services based on the ones that you need.Â
In any case, familiarize yourself with the costs involved in this investment so that you can be prepared for your own. You might realize that outsourcing is a great choice because you get more for your money, or you might decide that your physical office needs a face and itâs worth investing in a salary and other costs.Â
To wrap things up, letâs cover some frequently asked questions about hiring a receptionist, both specific to tutoring and online education, as well as some general Q&A that youâll want to keep in mind. Take the time to take notes so that you can make the right choice in your tutoring receptionist.Â
There are several places to look when you are going to hire a receptionist. You will want to make sure that you first consider what type of receptionist youâre hiring. You wouldnât look on job boards for a third-party receptionist service, for example. You can search the Internet, ask for referrals from your colleagues and peers, and even do a search for the âbest receptionists for tutoringâ or something along those lines.Â
There are several different types of receptionists, and they all have different roles. Some general receptionists will do just about any task required of them and handle phone calls and messages primarily. Others may be called office coordinators or managers, and they may be in charge of a lot of administrative duties in addition to communications. Then, there are also administrative assistants, which is usually the person responsible for things like, scheduling, travel arrangements, staff support, and other needs. You can pick and choose the type of receptionist that you need based on the services you seek.Â
This is something only you can answer. Do you need full-time help? Is your need only temporary or do you have a smaller business, so you donât need full-time support? Think about whatâs going to be best for your tutoring business because thatâs what matters. You might start with a part-time service and upgrade later, too, if youâre just starting and want to make sure itâs the right fit.Â
Experience is always going to be helpful, but itâs not absolutely necessary. In this case, the soft skills mentioned above, along with basic receptionist and administrative abilities, will be far more valuable to your tutoring business than actual education or tutoring experience. The latter, you can generally train people on, while you canât train someone to be organized, diligent, a self-starter, and so forth.Â
Your tutoring is your top priority, but your clients still need attention. When you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, youâll be able to deliver both and do so without missing a beat. Our team of 24/7 agents will be available to assist with things like after-hours calls, live chat, Facebook message and SMS message answering, scheduling and payment collection, and even lead intake, and so much more.Â
Plus, weâll take all those tasks and admin duties and wrap them into a perfectly-crafted strategy to ensure that your communications are managed effectively so that you can focus on the rest of your business. Let us teach you how to do more with a receptionist than you ever imagined, and all while giving you more time to spend teaching.Â
To learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss what the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do for your tutoring business. You will also be able to reach us at (650) 727-6484 or hello@smith.ai.Â
Accelerate growth with live receptionists and AI.
Accelerate growth with live chat agents and AI
GEt Started NOWGEt Started NOWContact us at (650) 727-6484 or schedule a call.