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Virtual Receptionists For Massage Therapists

Running A Massage Therapy Practice

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In this Post: Answering services or virtual receptionists for massage therapists can significantly reduce the number of missed appointments, but picking which service is right for your business can be daunting! Check out our list of businesses to help you from missing calls.

Choosing a virtual receptionist or answering service.

At my massage business, we have been on a quest lately – a journey to find the perfect virtual receptionist or answering service for our massage business.

Someone to answer calls, book appointments, and prevent lost revenue.

Have you been considering an answering service for your business?

In the beginning of a massage career, it can be a little intimidating to think about outsourcing this critical task. Not only is it an added expenses, but it also adds an element that is out of your control. Another thing that COULD go wrong.

I don’t know about you, but I am a bit of a control freak, and the idea of relinquishing calls has always given me some anxiety!

But if you have ever missed a call, returned it an hour later only to hear “I booked elsewhere,” you know the sinking feeling of missed opportunities. At times like this, the added expense seems more like a drop in the bucket than a huge mountain to climb.

My Story With Answering Phones

In my massage business, we have an office manager who works the desk Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00. However, we are open seven days a week from 8-8. This leaves times when the phones need to be answered.

Historically I have answered these calls. But after 11 years in business, this task has gotten old! I no longer feel so great about constantly being on call! And, to be quite honest, I miss calls. When my son is having a temper tantrum, or I’m driving over a mountain pass, I tend to ignore the phone. And then there are the times when I probably should ignore the calls (for safety or professionalism reasons), but I don’t.

Having this responsibility was all well and good in the beginning, but now after some years of dealing with them and having a child, I’m over it.

I was booking appointments on my wedding day. I was rescheduling appointments when I was in the delivery room laboring with my son. I’ve been on vacation in Alaska and Hawaii while continuing to book appointments. Does it sound redundant? Well, it is!

Like many things in my life, I’ve waited far too long to deal with the issue! So often I lament about all the possible pitfalls before making a change. Change is hard, but that doesn’t mean that it is bad!

You may think since you have a small one or two man operation that this service is a bit of an overkill, and maybe it is, but if you have ever missed a call which resulted in missing a massage you may want to look into a virtual receptionist. Perhaps it won’t be something you pull the trigger on right away, but information is power and the next time you are overwhelmed with a barrage of constant phone calls you will be prepared.

My office manager and I have been looking into a variety of options for this service, we have yet to settle on a provider, but thought we would share the list of potential businesses we came across. The following businesses are listed in no particular order. I hope the list can help you narrow your options.

Virtual Receptionist For Massage Therapists

Map Communications

  • https://www.mapcommunications.com
  • Plans start at $39/month with no minutes included + $1.15/minute
  • No contract – month to month
  • Can switch plans as needed
  • 100% employee owned 
  • US-based 
  • 24/7 
  • Highly rated 

Specialty Answering Service

  • https://www.specialtyansweringservice.net
  • Plans start at $31/month with no minutes included + $1.19/minute
  • $50 set up fee
  • No contract – month to month 
  • Can switch plans when needed
  • 24/7 
  • 14-day free trial

Frontdesk AI – Changed their name to “True Lark” because they are going to be expanding into different markets

 

  • https://www.frontdesk.ai 
  • Auto Response to Missed Calls, Texts, Voicemail
  • $199 per month for 200 calls
  • Remarkably Human-like Conversations
  • Staff Notifications
  • Schedule Appointments
  • Booking Software Integration – MINDBODY
  • Custom Booking Instructions 
  • Collect Payment Info
  • Enforce Cancellation and Reschedule Policies
  • Live Dashboard
  • Web Chat
  • No Contract 
  • This is not an answering service, it is a text messaging service with humans who check for errors. 
  • Month to month or they offer discounts if you commit to longer time periods. 
  • They don’t charge more for holidays.
  • 24/7

 

Answering Service Care

  • https://www.answeringservicecare.net
  • Plans start at $39/month with 40 minutes included
  • No contract – month to month 
  • Can switch plans as needed
  • US-based 
  • 24/7

Holistic Practice Management 

  • https://www.holisticpracticemanagement.com
  • $98 Initial set up fee
  • Plans start at $64.77/month with no minutes included + $1.58/minute 
  • No long- term contracts
  • They will also handle emails
  • Developed for the holistic industry

Live Voice 

  • https://www.livevoice.com
  • Plans start at $39/month with 30 minutes included
  • 24/7
  • No info on contracts without contacting 
  • Free trial

Reception HQ

  • https://www.receptionhq.com
  • Plans start at $45/month with no minutes included + $1.80/minute
  • $50 set up fee
  • No contract – month to month 
  • 24/7
  • Free trial

Voice Nation 

  • https://voicenation.com
  • Plans start at $30/month with 30 minutes included
  • $99 set up fee 
  • 24/7
  • No contract – month to month 

VirtualHQ

  • https://www.virtualheadquarters.com
  • Plans start at $45/month with no minutes included + $1.80/minute 
  • Setup Fee – $50 
  • Month to month- can switch plans 
  • 24/7
  • Free trial

Vicky Virtual Receptionist

  • https://vickyvirtual.com
  • Plans start at $99/month with 60 minutes included
  • Setup fee – $50
  • Month to month 
  • Free 7 day trial

Jill’s Office

  • https://www.jillsoffice.com
  • Plans start at $97.50/month with 50 minutes included 
  • $75 set up fee 
  • No contract 
  • Calls under 25 seconds are free 
  • Charges capped at 7 minutes for calls 

Other Companies – Must Inquire For Pricing 

  • Apello (they price match)
  • A Better Answer
  • Call Management Resources 
  • Money Penny (3-month contract, no pricing)
  • Front Office Solutions 
  • AnswerForce
  • Nexa Receptionists 
  • Answering Advantage 
  • AlphaPage
  • AnswerFirst
  • Contact One
  • Hello Sells

* BoostMySpa – Recently merged with Vicky Virtual Receptionist

Expensive $$$

  • Gabbyville
  • Ruby Receptionist
  • Abby Connect 
  • My Receptionist
  • Smith
  • Davinci 
  • Smiledog

Questions To Ask A Potential Virtual Receptionist

  1. Will you give directions?
  2. Will you take payment for things like gift certificates or prepaid massages?
  3. How will you notify therapists if they have been booked massages?
  4. Can you text or email?
  5. Will you reschedule, cancel, and book appointments?
  6. How do you handle questions for which you don’t know the answer?
  7. How do they handle if multiple calls come in at the same time?
  8. If my call volume fluctuates from month to month am I committed to a tier or can I switch plans anytime?
  9. Can I have my calls forwarded to you, or do I need a separate number?
  10. Do you answer calls 24/7?
  11. How do you define a minute? If a call is 10 seconds, does it count for a full minute? This is good to know regarding sales calls, robocalls, and wrong numbers.

We are continuing to narrow down our options, and hope to choose a company in the next couple of weeks. We are trying to be thorough and complete in our search, and are excited for the start of this new relationship! Outsourcing can be tough, but we have reached a point were we can no longer ignore this important element of our massage business. Wish us well as we embark on this new journey!

Do any of you massage therapists use a virtual receptionist? If so, who do you use and are you happy with them?

Massage

Author Profile

Ali Boehm
- Boulder College of Massage Therapy Graduate
- Nationally Certified through NCBTMB
- Colorado Licensed Massage Therapist
- Certified CranialSacral Level 1 through Upledger
- Certified Herbal Therapist through Nutrition Therapy Institute
- Certified Fujian Massage through Barefoot Masters
- Fort Lewis College - Majored in Art, Minored in Business Administration
- 6 Year Winner of Best Massage Therapist for "Best of The Boat" Competition
- Massage Business Owner Since 2008
  • Episode 003: To Niche or Not to Niche Your Massage PracticeFresh Out Of Massage SchoolPodcast Episode 050: Show Up & Shine on Social Media with Stacey Hagen
  • Fresh Out Of Massage SchoolNegotiating A Massage Lease
  • Fresh Out Of Massage SchoolInsurance Billing For Massage Therapists
  • Episode 003: To Niche or Not to Niche Your Massage PracticeFresh Out Of Massage SchoolPodcast Episode 049: Diversifying Your Income with Soul Care Coaching with Christine Boye

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Comments

  1. Damon says

    October 10, 2020 at 9:43 pm

    Wondering which virtual receptionist you selected and why? How is it working for you? Thanks!

    • Ali Boehm says

      November 23, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      I ended up going with AI or True Lark. They are great to work with!

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the.massage.business.mama

the.massage.business.mama
My son is becoming quite the portrait photographer My son is becoming quite the portrait photographer. Don't you think? 

Today is moving day for my business, and I'm finding myself quite sad! 

I've been in my current location for a little over three years. It was a COVID move that brought me to my current location. For FOREVER I was month to month, not fully committing to the space. 

And here we are 3+ years later, finally moving to a space that feels more like home, more aligned with my goals, more appropriate. 

Yet I'm sad!

I'll miss my neighbors and my current routine. I've helped so many people in this space. I've spent some life here! 

So today, I'm just going to feel the feels:)

#themassagebusinessmama #massagestudent #massagelife #massagetherapist #massagetherapistlife #massagebusinessowner
A few years ago, when I still had therapists worki A few years ago, when I still had therapists working for me, we had an unfortunate occurrence.

A young woman who had recently been sexually assaulted came in to receive massage. She was trying to regroup and recover from her negative touch experience through massage. 

Her therapist insisted that she remove her bra.

Under "normal" circumstances, this wouldn't have been a huge deal. Not appropriate, but not a huge deal. But in this situation, it was catastrophic.

The young woman was extremely sensitive. The recent assault left her jumpy, nervous, and unable to stand up for herself.

She didn't feel comfortable speaking up and spent an hour feeling further violated. 

I was heartbroken a few days later when the situation was brought to my attention! 

Our job as therapists is to make clients feel comfortable. We have a responsibility to tap into our intuitive sense to see when our client's unspoken needs are not being met.

WE ARE NEVER TO TELL SOMEONE THEY MUST TAKE OFF MORE CLOTHING THAN THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE!

Chances are good we are working on people with turbulent touch histories. We need to be sensitive!

We must be vigilant in our observations. Sensitive in our approach. And avoid getting stuck in ruts. Each client has a complexity of emotions and past histories that they bring to the table, and it is our job to be aware of this range of experiences.

Our job is to develop tools that allow us to give fabulous treatments regardless of whether or not a client is fully clothed because healthy touch is an essential healing tool! 

#massagetherapist #massagestudent #themassagebusinessmama #massagetherapyproblems #massageentrepreneur #massagepreneur
How do you know you are a “Massagepreneur?” # How do you know you are a “Massagepreneur?”

#massagepreneur #themassagebusinessmama #massagepodcast #massagetherapist #massagelife #massagelifestyle #massagestudent #massagecoach #massagegoddess #massage
Setting your massage rates is one of the most diff Setting your massage rates is one of the most difficult things to determine in the beginning of your massagepreneur journey.

If you have yet to determine your rates, I know this might feel daunting and that you have undoubtedly spent much time lamenting over it, but now is the time to set your prices once and for all! 

However, before you arbitrarily pick a number out of thin air, I want you to do a little research/homework/reflection. 

Setting rates is a tricky thing.

Charge too little, and you will be in the poor house. Charge too much, and you risk pricing yourself out of the market. 

BUT it is important to note that often people perceive those with lesser prices as less than therapists. Charging a higher price might actually make you more appealing. 

Oh, they charge a lot, they must be good! 

Food for thought.

#massagepreneur #massagetherapist #themassagebusinessmama #massagebusiness #massagerates #massagestudent
Have you ever heard, "No publicity is bad publicit Have you ever heard, "No publicity is bad publicity?" While it isn't entirely true, there is something to this notion!

Lately, I have been encouraging therapists to contact their local publications with press releases to get featured in their local news sources. 

While promoting yourself in this way can be intimidating, it IS your job as a business owner to put yourself out there and ensure you are being seen! 

Let's first talk briefly about what a press release is. A press release is a tool you write to a news outlet to announce something newsworthy that you want them to cover in their publication. The purpose of a press release is to get coverage and get noticed by a target audience.

Some Ideas for Press Releases Include:

🖤Opening Your Business
🖤Adding Unique Modalities
🖤Classes or Events You Are Hosting
🖤Touch Deprivation and Massage Benefits

Steps Involved: 

1) Identify who to address your press release to. 
2) Properly format your release. 
3) Include useful and timely statistics. 
4) Make your hook obvious.
5) Supply high-quality images. 

When you successfully follow these steps, you will be amazed as your name and image gets shared all over town! 

If you choose to reach out to your local news sources through a press release, I would LOVE to hear how it goes for you or has gone for you in the past! Please share!!! 

#massagetherapist #themassagebusinessmama #massagepreneur #massagestudent #massagenews #massagebusiness
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