Case Study - Mediation Services
Mediation is a flexible and confidential process used to settle disputes between two or more people, businesses or other organisations. It involves appointing a mediator, who is an independent and impartial third person, to help the parties talk through the issues, negotiate, and come to a mutually agreeable solution.
Mediation can be used to resolve almost all types of civil disputes, including personal injury, breach of contract, money disputes, wills and probate disputes, trust disputes, charities disputes, guardianship disputes, land or property disputes, landlord and tenant disputes, neighbour disputes, intellectual property disputes, defamation and more.
Mediation can also be used to resolve family disputes, such as separation and divorce, child maintenance, contact and living arrangements. Mediation can help families in conflict to communicate effectively with each other and find solutions that work for all. Mediation has many benefits over going to court. It allows the parties to stay in control of the outcome and not have to accept a decision imposed by a judge. It is usually much quicker and much less expensive than litigation. It provides a safe and supportive environment where the mediator listens to all views and guides the parties through the process. It is confidential and private between the parties. It can help preserve the relationships between the parties by reducing the adversarial nature of the dispute.
However, mediation also has some challenges. One of them is that mediators are often within sessions for many hours and have no access to answer their phones. For callers using mediation services, reaching an answerphone is not ideal. They may be in the early stages of separation and divorce and need to speak to someone as a matter of urgency. They may have questions about the mediation process or want to book an appointment. They may need to cancel or reschedule their session. They may want to provide feedback or make a complaint. Having a well-trained and sympathetic team to answer calls allows mediators to focus on sessions without being concerned that important calls are going unanswered. A virtual receptionist can provide this service at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time staff member.
A virtual receptionist can:
- Answer calls in a professional and friendly manner
- Set expectations on when a call might be returned
- Reassure callers that they have reached someone who can help them
- Take messages and forward them to the mediator
- Book appointments and manage calendars
- Confirm appointments and send reminders
- Handle cancellations and rescheduling
- Collect payments and issue invoices
- Provide information about mediation services and procedures
- Handle feedback and complaints
By using a virtual receptionist service, mediation services can improve their customer service, increase their efficiency, reduce their overheads, and grow their business. At The Virtual Business Centre, we have several mediation services we work with. We understand the nature of mediation services and the needs of their clients. We have a team of experienced and empathetic virtual receptionists who can handle calls for mediation services with professionalism and care.
For more information about how we can help please call us on 01666 511340, use our contact form or email enquiries@virtualbusinesscentre.com
