A full-time receptionist seems straightforward until you count everything around the salary: benefits, payroll taxes, training, paid time off — and the simple fact that one person can't cover lunch, after-hours and vacations at once.
What you're really paying for
The headline wage is maybe two-thirds of the true cost. And even at full cost, you get one shift of coverage from one person who occasionally gets sick, takes lunch, and goes home at five.
- Salary plus benefits and payroll taxes
- Recruiting, onboarding and training time
- Coverage gaps at lunch, after hours and on PTO
- Management overhead when things go sideways
Always-on, fraction of the cost
A virtual front desk covers every hour you choose — including the ones a single hire never could — at a fraction of the loaded cost, with no HR risk and the flexibility to scale.
The takeaway
Run your own numbers with the full picture. For most practices, always-on bilingual coverage costs less than the partial coverage they have today.
Priya Nair
Professional Services, iCall Connect
