Examples from the world and user experience

Today’s technology provides countless different possibilities, and one of them is the service of a virtual secretary. Although everything is “virtual” and business can be done from any part of our planet, on the other hand there is always a real person who makes sure that all jobs are done in the best possible way. Virtual service can be more or less complex. We distinguish between the services of a virtual secretary and a virtual assistant.

The term “virtual assistant” is often used abroad, which in most cases includes the activities of a virtual secretary, such as administration, calendar management, data entry, phone calls, and complex tasks such as marketing, design, translation services, social networking management, selection of ideal candidates for work (HR), project management, accounting and other activities. Virtual assistant services differ from provider to provider.

Virtual secretaries and assistants are not a foreign term in the world and have been used for many years. The offer of Croatian companies follows world trends and in recent years these services have become increasingly popular. Services in our country and in the world do not differ much, but as said, they depend on the abilities and knowledge of each secretary / assistant.

In today’s business world, when modern technology allows flexibility and work from anywhere, and the pressure of time and numerous commitments influence our decisions, using these services contributes to raising the quality and success of business.

It ensures simpler, faster, cheaper and safer business, with which we have more time and energy to improve and a full focus on achieving goals and making key strategic decisions.

As for the prices of services, they are really extremely variable. Payment is made either on the principle of advance payment or by the sum of hours spent at the end of the month. In the case of advance payment, formed packages are offered with a certain working number of hours of use of the secretary / assistant. If more working hours are taken, the hourly rate is lower. For more complex tasks / projects, it is possible to pay per job done. Prices on websites are often roughly formed, adaptable to customer needs, and depend on the type and complexity of services. It is therefore necessary to contact the service providers and clearly define your requirements. I just want to mention that I think this is an advantage, because I have the feeling that the service is really formed according to the needs of each user individually. I also bring the approximate prices below.

• Prices overseas from $ 10 to $ 35 per hour, depending on services
• Prices in Croatia from 80 to 200 kuna per hour, also depending on the required services

In addition to a brief research of the offer I came to via google, below we bring the experience of Martina Badovinac manager in the company Virtual Office, which is a leader in the region through the concept of Virtual Office, with offices in Zagreb and Ljubljana.

H: Martina, which companies usually choose the services of a virtual assistant or a virtual secretary?

M:First I want to point out that we as a company have a diverse number of clients from all over the world. We count clients from Japan, Australia, India, China, Turkey, EU countries, Canada, USA and many other countries. All these companies use various forms of our services based on the concept of Virtual Office. As for the virtual secretary or assistant service itself, most often these are companies that want to build a complete branding on the site and it is very important for business partners or customers to have a person who can receive clients or calls on behalf of their company. The second segment of users are various clients who do not have the need for full-time employment of a secretary or assistant and they need someone who will be occasionally available on the phone, or perform various tasks of office administration. Also, I would like to point out that the service is particularly useful to all those involved in web sales, because apart from the contact center we provide them with return services, i.e. packaging and sending packages.

H: Can you please explain the part about the web shop in a little more detail?

M: Of course. It is specifically a service that has proven to be very useful to anyone who has any form of online sales (web shop). I would like to immediately emphasize that at our location in the business skyscraper, in addition to the company’s branding, our clients have all the conditions for registering a warehouse and performing sales activities through a web shop. What I want to say is that we completely legally cover all aspects of a technical nature for our clients. Another important thing is that our service also provides a “return center”. This means that we serve as the address to which the purchased goods are returned. We keep records, receive packages, issue certificates and inform our clients about everything with the delivery of packages. In addition to all the above, we also have the services of a contact center for inquiries and the services of packing and sending packages. Virtual Office is also a proud partner of Croatian Post, with which we have excellent cooperation.

H: What would you single out as the advantage of Virtual Office over the competition? I mean primarily the service of a virtual secretary?

M:Virtual secretary is a member of our team who, with her experience and professional approach, solves daily administrative tasks quickly and efficiently. It is an individualized and personalized service that solves those tasks that are necessary for business success, but usually require a lot of time. Using a virtual secretary is an excellent choice for all those who want to increase income and ensure growth. It is ideal for freelancers, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs who lack financial and spatial resources such as large companies. Our main advantage is that we are maximally flexible and provide services without a contractual obligation and we approach each client individually, forming a price and service for specific needs.

H: Can you tell us briefly what the services of your virtual secretary are?

M: As I said before, we are able to customize each service separately for each individual client, but I can briefly single out the following services; answering phone calls, answering e-mails, various forms of office administration, inquiry notifications, mail scanning services, office management, organizing business documentation, arranging meetings and managing the calendar, and various services as needed. I would like to mention that we have a whole team of experts with knowledge in the field of marketing, design, management, project management. This way we are able to prepare everything in a very short time and start almost every project within 48 hours.

H: Finally, can you tell us how the situation with COVID19 has affected your business and the business of your clients?

M: Honestly, when it all started in March 2020., it was a big shock. The shock was visible with the literally panicked first reaction of a small part of the clients, who started to freeze or cancel the services. With great uncertainty and the future of our business, we quickly realized that our flexibility is a great advantage and that with minor adjustments we have a great opportunity. We decided to further develop our services, projects and marketing. Specifically, we started with the development of the application, additional new services, equipment and modernization of our office space. I think it was a good move because we have numerous inquiries and the arrival of new clients.

H: Martina thank you very much for this conversation

M: Thank you.

 Prepared by Hana Puljiz 11.12.2020.