Virtual assistant vs call center: Which is right for your business in 2025?

Answering your business phone is non-negotiable, but how you handle those calls can make or break your customer experience. Should you invest in a virtual assistant solution or go with a traditional call center for small business?

Let's cut through the noise and figure out which option actually makes sense for your specific situation.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant handles a variety of administrative work without being physically present in your office. Think of it as having an assistant who works remotely to answer calls, manage calendars, provide customer support, create social media posts, enter new data to a sheet—pretty much any administrative or creative task you might need help with in your business.

Is a virtual assistant the same as a customer service representative?

The answer: not exactly the same, but they can be. A customer service representative's primary focus is helping customers through chat, phone, email, or SMS.

Now, you could absolutely hire a VA to fulfill the same customer support role, but a VA would provide more flexibility if you have a need for other tasks outside of customer support to be done.

What is a call center?

A call center is a team of human agents that handle large volumes of calls. Traditionally housed in physical locations with dozens or hundreds of workstations, many modern call centers now operate with remote staff using cloud-based systems.

Call centers are great at managing customer interactions that need nuanced judgment. For example, a call center agent can detect frustration in a caller's voice, handle unexpected scenarios, and help resolve customer complaints.

Call centers work well for businesses with complex products or services where callers frequently need detailed troubleshooting. If your business regularly deals with emotionally charged customer service issues, the human touch of a call center might justify the higher cost.

What is the difference between a virtual assistant vs call center agent?

Let's break down the practical differences you'll experience day-to-day:

When to choose a virtual assistant

A virtual assistant is likely your best option if:

1. You need more than just call handling, you need flexibility

If you need someone who can manage your emails, calendars, data entry, and various other tasks on top of call handling, then a virtual assistant is your best bet.

2. Having extra personalization is important to you

Maybe you'd rather work with someone 1-on-1 and develop a close working relationship. This way, the VA gets to know your business and your customers on a deeper level, which can drive better overall service. Someone who knows your business well usually cares about the success of your business more, and can become a highly valuable asset to your business's daily functions.

3. Predictable pricing every month

Unless you have your VA working overtime every week, you know how much you'll pay for your virtual assistant every month. One salary for one virtual assistant. No surprise hidden fees.

4. You need someone with specialized expertise

Depending on your industry, you can likely find a virtual assistant with a background in your field, so you can spend less time training them and hit the ground running much faster.

When to choose a call center

A call center makes more sense when:

1. Keeping up with your phone calls is a constant issue

Running a business means having a full plate and then some. Having time to answer every call? Near impossible. If you're having trouble keeping up with the calls, it might be time to hire a call center, virtual receptionist service, or an answering service.

Not only will they just answer calls, but they can schedule appointments in your calendar, collect important lead information, and take messages. Some can even offer bilingual receptionists if you have a diverse client base.

2. Your business handles complex customer issues

If callers frequently have complicated problems requiring judgment calls and creative problem-solving, call center agents provide value that might justify their higher cost.

3. You need after hours call support

Does your business need to be ready to answer customers in the evenings, late-night, and weekends? An out of hours call handling service beats having a virtual assistant when it comes to those after hours inquiries.

4. You have an e-commerce business with physical products

Do people often reach out to you with product questions? A call center service or order taking service is great for this because agents can answer questions your callers may have, and even follow scripts to guide them to place orders with you over the phone, and even upsell/cross-sell your products.

What if I need both a virtual assistant and call center agents, but don't have the budget?

Alternatively, if you realistically need both, yet don't have Zuckerberg cash flow to afford the extra help, you could try out an AI phone answering service to handle your phone calls.

With an AI receptionist, you'd pay a monthly subscription like Netflix (Upfirst has affordable plans that range from $24.95/mo to $159.95/mo), leaving room in the budget for your business to hire some virtual assistant help.

Businesses from roofing contractors to veterinarians to property management companies use AI answering services every day to help with caller intake, collect lead info, transfer calls, and schedule appointments.

See here for what industries use AI answering services.

Bottom line: Choose based on your specific needs

The best choice depends entirely on your specific requirements and budget constraints.

If you need strictly call handling, then go for a call center. Better yet, sign up for an AI answering service like Upfirst. It's quick to get started and you'll save money.

If you need just some phone answering on top of other administrative work, then it's time to hire a virtual assistant.