Virtual receptionist vs in-house: what’s best for your business?

The role of a receptionist is a crucial one for many organisations.

Often the first voice a prospective customer, candidate or supplier hears, and the first impression they form, comes down to how that call is answered. Whether in person or over the phone, receptionists are brand ambassadors. They set the tone, create confidence and help people feel looked after from the very first interaction.

With that in mind, deciding whether to outsource to a virtual receptionist or hire someone in-house is not a small decision. It deserves careful thought, and the right choice will depend on your business, your setup, and how you want people to experience and remember your brand.

How the role of reception has changed

For some organisations, an in-house receptionist is still essential, particularly where there’s a need to physically meet and greet visitors. But as workplaces have evolved, many businesses no longer operate a traditional front desk.

Hybrid working, flexible offices and rising employment costs have transformed how we work. Some companies now rely on visitor management systems. Others prefer informal, open-plan spaces with no fixed reception desk at all. These approaches can reduce overheads, but they don’t remove one vital question.

Who answers the phone?

As customer expectations evolve, this question goes beyond whether you have a physical reception desk. It’s about how people experience your business across every point of contact, now and in the future.

Outsourcing to a virtual receptionist can be a practical and surprisingly personal solution, whether or not you have a front-of-house team in place. When done well, it supports a more joined-up approach to customer contact, ensuring calls are answered consistently, professionally and in a way that reflects your brand. Rather than acting as a distant service, a virtual receptionist becomes an extension of your team, helping you stay responsive as demand, channels and customer expectations continue to evolve.

First impressions still matter, perhaps more than ever

With a professional virtual receptionist service, businesses are supported by dedicated receptionists who take the time to understand how your organisation works.

Calls are answered in your company name, with warmth, confidence and knowledge of what you do. Enquiries are handled professionally, calls are transferred where appropriate, and messages are taken and passed on immediately by email or text. The result is a consistent, polished first impression, even when your team is busy or unavailable.

For callers, it feels seamless. For businesses, it removes the pressure of needing to be constantly available.

The true cost of hiring a receptionist

Salary is the most visible cost when hiring a receptionist, but it’s rarely the whole picture. In reality, employing someone brings a combination of upfront hiring costs, ongoing payroll commitments, and day-to-day operational overhead.

Hiring often starts with recruitment. That can include advertising the role, reviewing CVs, interviewing, checking references, and onboarding once someone is appointed. If a recruitment agency is used, fees can add up quickly. Even without an agency, the time spent hiring has a real cost, particularly for small teams.

Once someone is in post, there are the additional costs that sit on top of salary. Employer National Insurance contributions and workplace pension contributions can materially increase the real cost of employment. Paid annual leave needs to be covered, as does sick leave, and many businesses choose to offer enhanced benefits to attract and retain good people.

There are also the practical overheads that are easy to overlook. Desk space, equipment, software, training time, management oversight, and cover during holidays or unexpected absences all add up. If one person is your front line, there’s also the risk of calls being missed when they’re busy, pulled into another task, or simply not there.

None of this is a reason not to hire. It’s just the reality of employing someone, and it’s why many businesses explore outsourcing as a way to maintain service quality without taking on the full weight of staffing overhead.

Availability and flexibility that fits your business

One of the biggest advantages of virtual reception is flexibility. Call answering can be tailored to the hours that make sense for your business.

This means calls can be answered during lunch breaks, evenings, weekends or holidays, without stretching your team or increasing headcount. For many organisations, that flexibility transforms how customers experience them, particularly during busy periods or seasonal peaks.

Flexibility without the staffing headache

One of the often-overlooked benefits of outsourcing reception is that support can be switched on and off as your business needs change.

Instead of relying on bank staff, temporary cover or casual workers who need regular retraining, a virtual receptionist service gives you access to trained professionals only when you need them. There’s no ongoing challenge of keeping people up to speed, no disruption when demand dips, and no pressure to justify a permanent role during quieter periods.

For businesses with seasonal peaks, unpredictable call volumes or event-led demand, this flexibility is invaluable. You get consistent, professional call handling at busy moments, and you’re not carrying the cost, admin or management burden when things are quieter. It’s support that adapts around your business, rather than the other way round.

A real-world example: raising the bar in hospitality

Llanerch Vineyard Hotel is a great example of how a blended approach works in practice.

Set in the Welsh countryside, Llanerch is a 36-bedroom boutique hotel with an award-winning restaurant and a busy calendar of weddings and events. They also have a clear ambition to deliver a five-star guest experience from the very first interaction.

For Managing Director Ryan Davies and his team, call volumes fluctuate throughout the day and across seasons. Enquiries arrive early in the morning, late at night, and at peak times when the in-house team is already stretched. Hiring additional reception staff purely to cover those peaks wasn’t practical, but missing calls or leaving guests waiting was never an option.

By using a virtual receptionist alongside their in-house team, Llanerch ensures every call is answered. Whether it’s a restaurant booking, a wedding enquiry or a guest checking availability, callers are met with a friendly, professional voice who can help immediately or pass them through seamlessly when needed.

The impact has been tangible. 2025 has been their busiest year on record, with more calls answered, more bookings captured, and a smoother experience for guests from the very first ring. For Llanerch, virtual reception isn’t just about managing demand. It actively supports their goal of delivering exceptional service, consistently.

Additional support, even with an in-house reception team

Even for organisations that do have a traditional receptionist, outsourcing can be an invaluable safety net.

During busy periods, lunch breaks, holidays or moments when someone steps away from the desk, calls can easily go unanswered. A virtual receptionist ensures nothing slips through the cracks, protecting both revenue and reputation.

This blended approach is increasingly popular with growing businesses who want resilience without automatically increasing headcount.

So which option is right for your business?

Hiring a receptionist can make sense in environments where physical presence is essential. But for many modern businesses, outsourcing to a virtual receptionist offers flexibility, reliability and consistency, without losing the human touch.

The real question is not whether someone is sitting at a desk. It’s whether your callers feel heard, welcomed and confident in your business.

A quick way to decide what’s right for you

If you’re weighing up whether to hire a receptionist or outsource to a virtual one, ask yourself these questions. You’ll probably know your answer in under a minute.

A virtual receptionist is likely a good fit if

• You don’t need someone physically greeting visitors every day
• Call volumes fluctuate, with busy peaks that are hard to predict
• You want calls answered during lunch, evenings, weekends or holidays
• Missed calls mean missed bookings, leads or opportunities
• You want professional cover without recruiting, training or managing another employee
• You’re growing, but not ready to commit to a full-time hire

Hiring an in-house receptionist may make sense if

• You have high daily footfall and in-person welcome is central to your business
• The role involves multiple on-site responsibilities beyond answering calls
• You’re comfortable managing cover for holidays, sickness and busy periods
• Call volumes are steady and predictable throughout the day

For many businesses, the answer sits somewhere in the middle. A blended approach, using a virtual receptionist to support an in-house team, can offer the flexibility and resilience modern organisations need without increasing headcount.