customer service Archives - Virtual Latinos

12Mar '21

In today’s business world, working remotely is not just a popular option. It is the way that many businesses keep moving forward. COVID-19 made it necessary for business leaders to think outside of the box to remain competitive. Remote workers were already a significant part of many tech business models, but the pandemic broadened its application to other industries as well. As remote work has become more normalized, it is often a first-choice option for filling many newly open positions. If you are currently considering hiring a virtual assistant, you likely have several questions about the process. One of the main questions may be, “how much does a virtual assistant cost?” When considering the cost of hiring a virtual assistant, a business must take into account several factors that make up the real costs and the potential savings for the company.

Unlike many positions, there is no standard hourly rate for virtual assistants. The hourly rate can range from $1 an hour to over $100, depending on the job and the applicant. The key factors that determine the cost of a virtual assistant include:

The type of work the virtual assistant is capable of doing
The amount of experience the virtual assistant has
The parameters of your project
Where the virtual assistant is based

Hiring the right virtual assistant can save your business significant amounts of time and money. The key is to hire the right virtual assistant to match the needs of your company without sacrificing the quality of work you would expect from an in-house hire. One of the considerations when hiring a virtual personal assistant is whether to limit your candidate search to the US or to explore options in other countries. Hiring a virtual assistant from outside of the United States can offer significant cost savings for your business. It is important to compare the costs as well as the pros and cons of hiring from various countries before making that decision. The following questions can help you decide which option is best for the needs of your company.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in the US?

Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) in the United States will have an average cost of between $10-$40 an hour. The virtual assistant cost will depend on the type of work you expect the VA to be able to perform. Hiring a VA to handle low-level administrative tasks or miscellaneous services such as research, marketing, and SEO work will average $10-20 per hour or more. Executive-level VA services can average $30-40 an hour and higher.

The benefits of hiring a virtual assistant in the US, as opposed to a permanent employee, include the cost savings from only paying an employee when you need them and not having related auxiliary costs such as insurance and benefits. Virtual assistants are a great option for startup companies that need help to succeed but cannot handle the cost of a full-time employee. Hiring virtual assistants from inside the US can provide a part-time solution with a high rate of success, and they can be in your home time zone.

Hiring a virtual assistant from the US takes only 3-4 weeks, as opposed to a full-time employee who can take anywhere from 1-4 months. Recruiting full-time employees can also involve significant recruitment fees.

Virtual assistants provide the same level of flexibility as hiring a freelancer. Unlike freelancers, VAs tend to provide the same level of accountability, loyalty, and top-level professionalism that you can expect from an in-house staff member.

Virtual assistants from within the United States provide the benefit of being easily understood by customers. This allows customers to have their service-related needs met easier and faster. Choosing a VA from within the US also provides you with an assistant that understands the cultural norms unique to the country.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in Europe?

Hiring a European virtual assistant will be much more expensive than choosing a VA from other countries outside the United States. The exception is virtual assistants from Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. Additionally, many companies also levy an additional tax of over 20% on the cost of virtual assistants. While the cost of virtual assistants from Eastern Europe can average $7 an hour, the cost of VAs from the UK or Western Europe will be three times as much or higher.

Choosing a European VA offers some benefits that a virtual assistant from other non-U.S. companies cannot. The cultures of both Europeans and Americans are fairly similar, so you can avoid misunderstandings that can occur due to cultural differences. Most Europeans are fairly fluent in the English language, which can make communication easier for both virtual employee to employer relationships as well as customer relationships.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in Asia?

Hiring a virtual assistant from Asia can offer greater cost savings than choosing a VA from the United States or Europe. VAs in countries such as India or the Philippines can cost as little as $3-5 an hour. However, the hourly rate may not be enough to make them the best option. Some of the drawbacks to using a virtual assistant from Asia include:

Language barriers. Many VAs from Asia use English as their second language, but there may still be frequent communication barriers that result in instructions being misunderstood or questions not being answered properly. This can lead to loss of efficiency and no real-time savings that you need from your virtual assistant.
Technology issues. Internet and phone connections are often not as reliable in some Asian countries as they are in many other places. This can make it difficult to complete tasks on time. It also can make it challenging to communicate with your virtual assistant when you need them.
Security Issues. Working with a virtual assistant in Asia can subject you to exposure to data breaches and privacy issues. You may also need to be cautious about avoiding scam operations. Laws surrounding intellectual property and other privacy issues will vary between countries, and litigation overseas can be extremely challenging.
Time zone differences. Working with a virtual assistant in a different time zone can present several challenges. If you need a project completed by noon, and the VA is in a different time zone that is 12 hours ahead, it can cause confusion as to project timing.
Cultural differences. There are many distinct cultural differences between countries in Asia and those in the western hemisphere. These differences can result in confusion and misunderstanding between an employer and the VA.

In the instance of hiring a virtual assistant from Asia, the lower hourly rate may not be a true saving.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in Latin America?

Hiring a virtual assistant based out of Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and others can be cost-effective and provide the best answer to your staffing needs. The cost of a virtual assistant from Latin America starts at $5 an hour. The rates will vary depending on the level of expertise you require for your project.
Choosing to hire a virtual assistant from Latin America offers several benefits:

Virtual Assistants from Latin America are in the same time zones as companies based in the US. Being in the same time zone makes it easier to communicate with your VA since they are typically working the same hours as you. There is also less miscommunication around project timelines.
VAs based in Latin America are fully bilingual. Hiring a virtual assistant who is fluent in English and Spanish can provide enormous benefits for your company. This is especially true in areas that have a large population in which Spanish is the primary language.
Latin America has a vibrant and growing higher education community. A virtual assistant from Latin America is likely to have acquired more secondary-level education experience than VAs from other countries outside the US. Latin American countries such as Argentina are becoming well known for their IT expertise, and Latin America is developing a reputation as a prominent destination for outsourcing.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant on Your Own vs. From a Virtual Assistant Agency?

Once you have decided that a virtual assistant is the right option for your business, you will need to decide how to go about finding the VA that will be the ideal fit for your project’s needs. There are several options for searching for a virtual administrative assistant, but on a basic level, it comes down to researching potential hires on your own or hiring an agency to do it for you. Both choices come with benefits and costs. Consider the following when deciding which path is the best for you:

Pros of Freelance Virtual Assistants:

Hiring a freelance virtual assistant provides you with greater control over the hiring process. You are getting the virtual assistant that you deem is the best fit for your project, rather than the one the agency has available or that they feel is best for your needs.
Using a freelance virtual assistant can often be less expensive than dealing with the fees that agencies or freelance platforms may add.

Cons of Freelance Virtual Assistants:

Hiring a freelance virtual assistant for each individual project will require a great deal of research and time. You will need to use platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and others to post a job description, search through tons of applications, interview the best of the lot, and make an offer. This can be time-consuming and counterproductive considering you are hiring a VA to free up your time.
Another downside of hiring a freelance VA is that you have no recourse if the work is not what you expected.

Pros of Virtual Assistant Agencies:

Using a virtual assistant agency gives you access to a wide variety of professionals with specialized skillsets ready to help with all of your project needs. There is usually a monthly fee that gives you access to a pool of professionals that match your needs.
Agencies usually provide better recourse and oversight in the case of employees who do not meet your expectations. They can also provide substitutes and backups, which are not an option if you choose the freelance route.

Cons of Agency Virtual Assistants:

The cost of hiring a virtual assistant through an agency can be much higher than a freelance virtual assistant.
For some agencies, you pay a monthly fee for access to company VAs, even when you don’t need them.

The decision between searching for a freelance virtual assistant through various platforms or working with an agency will depend on your desired level of control over the process, your budget constraints, and the importance of having a convenient source of vetted professionals at your disposal.

Why Is Virtual Latinos the Best Cost-Effective Option to Hire Virtual Assistants?

Virtual Latinos offers the best solution for hiring virtual assistants. Hiring a virtual assistant through Virtual Latinos will cost you 40-75% less than hiring a VA within the United States. Choosing Virtual Latinos Agency will also provide you with experienced virtual assistants, the recruitment team will handpick the perfect match for your project needs. Both options will provide you with a Spanish-and-English bilingual virtual assistant that can provide the reliable and professional level of virtual assistance you need for your company.

When you hire a virtual executive assistant through Virtual Latinos, you have access to affordable, top-quality candidates from all over Latin America. You can be confident that the VAs you employ are committed to a long-term relationship with your company and will provide the same loyalty as an in-house team member. Over 90% of Virtual Latinos VAs have earned a 4-year college degree, and top VA applicants normally have training and certification in areas such as digital marketing.

Your VA will be working from the same time zone as you, providing ease of real-time communication. Virtual assistants that you hire through Virtual Latinos will have the technology and reliable high-speed internet service to ensure that they can complete task assignments on time and without technology-related issues. They are also more familiar with the cultural norms of America and can help to expand your business to relatively underserved markets.

Reach out to Virtual Latinos to find out more about our virtual assistant hiring process and how we can help you achieve your hiring goals.

Why Hire a Virtual Assistant From Virtual Latinos?

The true cost of hiring a virtual assistant is much more than just a dollar amount. Although the hourly rate of VAs from Asia may be lower than many other options, they do not provide the same level of reliability, professionalism, and ease of interaction and communication that you can receive from someone within your own time zone. A virtual assistant from Asia may also not have the reliable technology to make project completion efficient. Other concerns such as cultural understanding and language barriers can negate the benefit of a lower hourly rate.

Choosing a virtual assistant through Virtual Latinos offers business owners like you, the possibility of saving costs and time by allowing the experts to match you with the person best suited for your project. Both options will provide you with an affordable, high-quality VA. The cost savings of choosing Virtual Latinos for your virtual assistant extends to knowing that the company has already done the hiring legwork for you and the applicants are already vetted. Hiring a virtual assistant with the help of the Virtual Latinos agency will save you both time and money. Contact Virtual Latinos for quality talent at an affordable price. We can provide the best option for your virtual assistant needs.

Physicians! Increase Your Bookings and Show-up Rates by Hiring a Latino Virtual Assistant

Virtual Latinos

Hiring

6Nov '20

Your priority as a physician is helping your patients get well, but you can only help them when they show up for appointments. On top of that, you have payroll and overhead costs to meet to keep your practice running. If you are not staying fully booked, there will be less money coming in to ensure the success of your office. There is a great, cost-effective solution, however, that can help improve your bookings and make sure your patients are there for their appointments. Latino virtual assistants from countries like Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Nicaragua are ready to help you succeed. These professionals are college-educated and bilingual, a huge plus in the United States, where nearly 17% of the population is of Latino descent. As you set out to find a virtual assistant, keep these details of how they can help in mind.

How Do Virtual Assistants Bring in More Patients?

There are various ways that Latino virtual assistants can help manage your medical practice and increase productivity effectively. Still, the most important benefit that they can bring to your office is increased bookings and show-up rates. Consider the ways that they can affect your patient schedule.

Satisfying Patients so They Come Back Again

Patient experience. If patients are not happy with their first visit to your office, chances are they will not return the next time they need medical attention. To make the doctor’s office visit more pleasant, virtual assistants can ease patients’ worries about seeing the doctor. Many people are anxious about medical appointments, and long periods in the waiting room only add to their fears and frustrations. Virtual assistants help streamline the scheduling and patient load from outside the office so that your waiting room is not full of people, and all necessary paperwork is taken care of before the appointment. When the clerical work is out of the way, and the schedule is not too busy, patients get more one-on-one time with the doctor and feel more at ease.

Increasing doctor-patient communication. When you only have time for a brief visit with your patients, it is difficult to gain a grasp of their unique circumstances and needs. This often makes patients feel that they are not getting the best care available. A virtual assistant can improve this experience for both doctor and patient by gathering information and documents beforehand, which allows you more time to get to know your patients and their specifics. When patients feel that you truly care about them, they are more likely to return to your office.

What Other Tasks Can Virtual Assistants Do?

When you are looking for the best virtual assistant, keep in mind that there are many ways they can benefit your daily operations. Many physicians find that they save a great deal of money by hiring virtual assistants to perform clerical work because they are typically part-time and offer affordable hourly rates. Look at some of the other tasks that a Latino virtual assistant can perform for your medical practice.

Online research
Live Interpreting & Translation
Data Entry & CRM/EMR management
Posting on social media
Organizing files and photos
Managing email accounts
Health Insurance Claims, Billing & Coordination
Patient tracking
Editing, writing blog posts
Creating presentations
Organizing spreadsheets

Virtual assistants have a wide range of skills and are often ready to jump in and help in any capacity. These are just a few of the many office tasks that they can handle when you are looking for an extra hand without hiring another in-house staff member. Best of all, virtual assistants are always on task. Since these assistants work remotely, they tend to be very focused while they are on the job. Without the distractions of the office environment, they are adept at getting a great deal of work done in the hours they put in.

Virtual Latinos Can Help

If you are wondering how to find a virtual assistant, Virtual Latinos is here for you. Visit our website or reach out to us at (619) 317-1198. From answering phone calls and scheduling daily tasks to manage data and billing, there are many ways our assistants can help your practice grow. Our virtual assistants are educated and experienced professionals who can increase your office productivity, get more bookings, and ensure that patients show up for their appointments. Call us today to find out what we can do for you.

Hire a Virtual Assistant for Customer Support, Cold Calling, and Follow-Ups

Virtual Latinos

Hiring

13Feb '20

Sales is a demanding field, no matter what industry it is in. It’s not uncommon for a high-performing sales team to become so bogged down with administrative tasks and housekeeping issues that they lose time that should have been spent actually selling. Sales teams should consider the value that top virtual assistant services can provide.

The right virtual assistant can lighten the burden of administrative tasks so sales teams can focus on selling their products and services.

What Can a Virtual Assistant Do?

A virtual assistant can provide all the services a sales team would expect from a typical office assistant, but the virtual assistant provides these services remotely. Thanks to the internet and the speed of digital communication, telecommuting is more popular than ever. Companies can retain top talent from a much wider pool of international candidates thanks to remote work. A sales virtual assistant will have the experience necessary to understand a sales team’s needs and address them appropriately.

Many virtual assistant companies in the US offer remote services, but they tend to charge exorbitant prices for these services. Overseas virtual assistant companies may offer more attractive prices, but sales teams that rely on virtual assistants from the Philippines or other overseas nations often contend with time zone conflicts, language barriers, and unfamiliarity with the North American business landscape.

What It Means to Hire Virtual Assistants

A Latin American virtual assistant offers the best of both worlds. Virtual Latinos offers virtual assistant services that rival most American companies in terms of quality and outshine overseas companies in terms of price. To boost your team’s sales performance with a valuable investment, consider some of the ways a virtual assistant can assist your sales team:

Your virtual assistant can build expense reports, helping you track your operational expenses without sacrificing time your sales team could spend actually selling.
A virtual assistant can handle scheduling, manage your sales team’s calendar, and book required appointments.
Virtual assistants can handle your customer relationship management software, allowing your team to easily track relationships with all your clients.
A virtual assistant can take care of cold calls and also act as a receptionist for your sales team so no customer call goes unanswered.
Virtual assistants are experienced with demanding research, helping a sales team break into new markets more efficiently.

These are only a few examples of the benefits a virtual assistant can provide to a professional sales team. If you decide to find a virtual assistant to shoulder the administrative tasks that keep your salespeople from actually selling, you should have a functional plan for leveraging your new virtual assistant to maximum effect.

Steps for Increasing Sales With a Virtual Assistant

Increasing sales should be a top goal for any sales team. A virtual assistant can be a tremendous asset in this effort, but it’s important to follow the right steps when it comes to increasing sales with a virtual assistant:

1. Determine your needs. Before you hire a virtual assistant, determine what you expect the virtual assistant to handle.

2. Assess your budget. Find out how much your team can afford to spend on a virtual assistant. It’s essential to get a good return on the money you invest.

3. Find the best virtual assistant. Many virtual assistant companies exist all over the world. Each offers different services and different price points. Virtual Latinos offers vetted professionals, English proficient and in the same timezone. Contact us, and we will find the best for your needs.

4. Train your new assistant. Once you hire a virtual assistant, conduct an onboarding process and make sure the assistant knows their role and responsibilities within your sales team.

5. Delegate administrative responsibilities. The primary function of your new virtual assistant should be to assume administrative responsibilities so your salespeople can focus on selling.

6. Treat your new assistant as an employee. You will get the most value out of your virtual assistant if you welcome them as if they are part of your in-house team.

7. Enjoy higher sales. A dedicated virtual assistant takes the pressure off your sales team so they can perform better, lightens the burden of your administrative responsibilities, and can ultimately boost your profitability.

These steps will help you ensure your sales team gets the maximum possible value out of your new virtual assistant.

Why Work With Virtual Latinos?

If your sales team has designs to break into markets in Central and South America like Mexico, El Salvador, or Costa Rica, a virtual assistant with experience working in both North America and Latin America can be a tremendous asset. Virtual Latinos offers cost-effective virtual assistant services to sales teams across the U.S., offering time zone alignment, language fluency, and expert-level sales support services. Contact us today to learn more about how a Virtual Latinos virtual assistant can help you boost your sales performance.

Experienced Virtual Assistants: Our VAs have worked with big US Companies

Many of the Virtual Latinos VAs from Central America have previously worked in big call centers – where they worked for big US companies like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and many others. They have received training in cold sales, lead generation, customer service, and many other tasks and know how to work for US companies.