The Massage Business Mama

Virtual Receptionists For Massage Therapists

Running A Massage Therapy Practice

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

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?

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