Virtual Offices
Global Virtual Office Solutions Sets Record Straight
Published December 30th, 2008 by Jennifer LeClaire
In an effort to demonstrate how virtual offices are making the world a smaller place, I wrote a post on Monday about Global Virtual Office Solutions, an Ireland-based virtual office provider that specializes in international services.
As I investigated the company’s website, I wound up with lots of good answers about what Global Virtual Office Solutions offered, but also lots of good questions that needed clarification. Some of the folks who commented on the post came up with some good questions, too.
I set out to find the answers to clarify certain points in the article, such as the depth of features and functionality on its global phone lines and the pricing model. So I e-mailed the company and a good fellow named Alan Clerkin in Dublin e-mailed me back at what must have been near midnight his time with some solid answers.
Setting the Record Straight
The first thing Alan pointed out was that Global Virtual Office Solutions provides virtual office services in 120 cities/locations worldwide. He said he plans to update the company’s website accordingly. Right now, the sites speaks of 35 countries and doesn’t list all the cities. So the company’s breadth of coverage doesn’t appear as strong as it truly is.
Alan also explained the pricing issue. In one pricing example, Global Virtual Office Solutions charges 400 EUR for a local phone number in Manchester, U.K. Some of us wondered if this was for a 12-month period seeing as it was so much more than what Phone.com offered. Indeed, it is. All the prices posted on Global Virtual Office Solutions’ website are for a 12-month period.
“The prices are set as listed on our site, however we do offer discounts for clients who order more than one service,” Alan told me. “For example, if a client were to order a Dublin, London and Berlin mail drop and mail forwarding service we would offer a discount of 15 percent and may offer higher discounts for larger orders.”
That’s called smart business. A truly global entrepreneur can work with one provider as he makes his way around the world and contain costs while he does it. This is a strong selling proposition for Global Virtual Office Solutions. Again, the only downside for a company in the U.S. may be paying in euros, but the gap between our currencies has narrowed and the difference is no longer that great.
Reviewing the Virtual Office Services
With regard to features and functionality, it seems Global Virtual Office Solutions does not offer some of the bells and whistles that come standard with the Phone.com virtual phone service, such as conferencing, dial-by-name directories, and call handling rules.
Andy outlined the range of services as followed:
- mail drop/business addresses
- mail forwarding worldwide
- dedicated telephone and voicemail number
- live call answering in company name/message forwarding via email/sms
- call forwarding services
- dedicated city fax to e-mail numbers
Andy also assured there are no hidden costs such in the prices listed on the website, such as set up costs that many other providers mandate when you sign up. That is comforting for the mobile professional that just wants to try out the service for a few months without investing $50 or $100 up front to get the service rolling.
“Call forwarding can be set up for most cities and mostly costs 450 EUR for 12 months and includes 500 minutes of call forwarding per month,” Andy told me. “So unless one expects a high volume of calls, there would be no extra charge for the 12 month period, i.e. you would pay 450 EUR for a dedicated landline telephone number in any city worldwide with calls forwarded to any number worldwide.”
That clears up a lot. Thanks to Andy for the quick reply. If any one has any additional questions about this international virtual office service, Andy is happy to field them. Just leave your comments on this post and he’ll drop by himself to respond, or we’ll e-mail him again around midnight his time.
If you still have questions about what a virtual office is and the pros and cons of different virtual office models, click here for a good primer.
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Marcus Hester December 30th, 2008 at 7:09 am
This is helpful information. It always helps when virtual office providers spell out in no uncertain terms what you really get. There are a few virtual office companies out there that do have hidden fees you have to watch for. Some have charged me for phantom calls, saying they were call from a payphone. Some virtual office phone services make you jump through hoops to get those calls blocked. Others make it simple to pay for only the legitimate calls you are really receiving.
Alan December 30th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you once again. As you stated if anyone has any queries they can email our office at info@global-virtualoffice.com and we would be glad to assist them.
Alan
Bill Brookshire December 30th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I thought it interesting how Andy said they needed to update the website. This whole exercise demonstrates how players in the virtual office and serviced office space need to stay on top of their online presence. People are searching and comparing one executive office suite rental to another and I bet many times the site that gives the clearest, most comprehensive information gets the first call. There is something to be said for not listing prices for serviced offices, but with virtual office solutions it seems more like a commodity where people want to see what the costs are upfront so they can shop “virtually” for their global phone service.
Elizabeth Sanchez December 31st, 2008 at 6:50 am
In the course of writing these posts, Jennifer inadvertently uncovered a characteristic of this virtual office service that is admirable: quick responses. Jennifer said Andy wrote back at about midnight his time, which would have been just a few hours after she e-mailed him by U.S. time standards. That shows not only a quick response but also a willingness to respond even after hours. Then we see Alan responding again inviting any questions about its virtual office services. Bravo to Global Virtual Office Solutions on the customer service front.
Mike Sullivan December 31st, 2008 at 8:37 am
I recently was doing research on some products I wanted to buy and I narrowed my selection to two choices. The final decision was simple. In reviews, many people talked about how great one company’s customer support and warranty service was. Customer support was never mentioned for the other company. I chose the product from the company where customer support was never mentioned. They had a “perfect” product that rarely failed. The other company had a great product, but it routinely failed after about 2 years and they always fixed the problem for free - no questions asked. Otherwise the products were comparable.
The analogy isn’t perfect here, but it does pay to keep one’s website up to date and offerings clearly articulated. Then little or no customer response is necessary. And to Bill’s point, if competitors have a clearly defined set of product information on their sites, then prospects are likely to quickly leave a website with incomplete or unclear information.
Maggie Correta January 6th, 2009 at 4:46 am
I agree with Mike. Customer service goes a long away in any industry — even serviced office space and global virtual solutions. I might even say “especially” with virtual office solutions on an international scale.
Since you can’t just drive over to Global Virtual Office Solutions and speak with someone, virtual customer support becomes vital. This company demonstrated that customer service is one of its foundations.
I think keeping the website up to date is also vita. Good customer service doesn’t market one thing and then offer another. In this case, Global Virtual Office Solutions was offering more than its website offered, which is definitely the side of the fence to fall on.
Alan January 8th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Hello again,
Glad to be of serivce. If anyone has any queries regarding our virtual offices worldwide please email us at info@global-virtualoffice.com or view our site http://www.global-virtualoffice.com
For the month of January we are offering 20% discounts on all listed prices.