Ruby Has a Sports Team

By Sarah Sackett | 06.29.2010 |

Ruby's Virtual Receptionist Kickball Team

No dogs nor Rubys we harmed in the making of this photo.

Rubys love fun. It’s pretty much a job requirement given that our core values revolve around Fostering Happiness and Creating Community. And what could possibly be more fun than reliving elementary school with our favorite recess game? And so, the Ruby Death Squad kickball team was born!

The Ruby Death Squad is a team of about 20 or so Rubys and friends of Ruby that meet every Wednesday in Alberta Park during the summer for some good old fashioned kickball fun. Last year, the team made it’s debut with bright pink shirts adorned with flaming skulls (designed and printed by of our wonderfully talented Client Services Representative, Heather Q Brackett) and had a phenomanonal summer of soaking in sunshine and cheering our hearts out. Just because our virtual receptionists sound so sweet and professional on the phones each day, doesn’t mean we can’t yell and huzzah with the best of ‘em; even though we didn’t win a single game last year, the Death Squad was “Team of the Week” in our league twice that season due to the never-ending support and cheer that our team gave to every single game.This year, we have come back with those same bright pink shirts and that same sparkling Ruby attitude…and a few new team members! We still haven’t won a game yet, but we are optimistic that we might just win one this year. And if not, that’s ok too, because we are just happy to be wearing matching shirts and playing the game together.

If you would like to come check out a game, our schedule is posted here thanks to the wonderful people at Underdog Sports Leagues. The Ruby Death Squad is always accepting new members to our cheering squad!

Ruby Receptionists Takes #45 Spot at the “100 Fastest Growing Companies” Awards!

By Katie Wilson | 06.28.2010 |

Ruby Happenings

Ruby Receptionists is #45 There was a tremendous turnout at the Portland Business Journal’s “100 Fastest Growing Companies” awards reception. The list is based on revenue and employee growth over a period of three years, and our remote receptionist service was able to grow by a 48%. This was the third consectutive year for Ruby_® Receptionists to be included in the list, and we Rubys definitely showed our excitement! The 30 dazzling Rubys (2/3 of the company!) in attendance gave a standing ovation when we found out we made it to Number 45. There was also a lot of cheering from our corner when Ruby clients, vendors, and other Entrepeneur’s Organization members took the stage to accept their awards. The publisher of the Portland Business Journal and last night’s Master of Ceremonies, Craig Wessel, was sure to mention to the crowd that they didn’t even have to pay us! Sounds like he appreciated the standard Ruby enthusiasm!

Ruby President Jill Nelson accepts the award

Beaming from ear to ear, Ruby Receptionists founder and president Jill Nelson accepted the award on stage. The rest of the night was spent relaxing, enjoying the beautiful Portland Art Museum (decorated with fun hanging Japanese-inspired fish and woodblock paintings) and socializing with other Oregon business owners and employees. Here are some more pictures from the big night. I’m hoping this will be an annual event for Ruby for many years to come!

A view of the gorgeous Portland Art Museum ballroom

From left to right: Ashley Hampton, Jewel Miller, Jill Nelson, Janel Hodge (and a cameo by Holly S. peeking over Jewel's shoulder!)

All smiles!

Ruby Receptionists Succeeding Through Fostering Happiness

By Kendra Neal | 06.15.2010 |

This is the third installment of the Core Values in Action series. Be sure to check out my previous posts on Innovation and Creating Community. I know I’ve said it before, but our core values define who we are and what we believe. They are the qualities we would never compromise, no matter how unpopular or unprofitable: Innovate, Foster Happiness, Create Community, and Practice WOWism. These are the values that drive us.

Where do I even start? Everything we do is built on the belief that Fostering Happiness is our most important job. How many virtual receptionist services can say that? I know for a fact that it is Ruby_® Receptionists CEO Jill Nelson’s favorite core value, and she sure walks the walk. That’s why we’re one of Oregon’s 100 best companies to work for!

How we’re fostering happiness at work:
- We believe in the power of contagious friendliness. We operate on the assumption that we can leave every caller with a day that’s just a little better because they spoke with a Ruby.
- Last month, a Ruby switched desks. No big deal, right? Maybe. But Serenity, her new neighbor, made a card and decorated the Ruby’s new desk to welcome her to that side of the room. What a nice random act of happiness.
- There are always decorations about. From the plastic, sunglasses-wearing T-Rexes to various holiday decorations to the trinkets and photos the receptionists keep at their desks, our office is bright and playful. It’s like walking into a kindergarten classroom: welcoming, cheerful, and full of laughter.
- Did you know that Ruby has a massage chair, a library, and cable TV in a comfy breakroom? That’s right. We also have really good office coffee (provided by local Stumpton Coffee Roasters) and a wide variety of teas. Stop by someday and see for yourself!

That's right, T-Rex in sunglasses

We’re a happy bunch, and we like to make others happy. We see this concept in our branding, and we see it in our training. But mostly, we see it in our team. We see it in the glowing compliments from our clients. We see it in the smiles and laughter of our peers. Every day, we wage a war on impersonal service and stressed-out workdays. We take time to celebrate our successes, of which there are many. Work may be work, but that doesn’t mean we all have to be serious all day. Ruby puts the fun and happiness in professionalism, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s worth it because we foster happiness.

Ruby Receptionists Made the “100 Fastest Growing Companies” List!

By Katie Wilson | 06.11.2010 |

Ruby Happenings

The Portland Business Journal has once again named Ruby_® Receptionists as one of its “100 Fastest Growing Companies in Oregon for 2010!” This is the third consecutive time that we have been included in the list, and we are delighted and thankful to everyone who has made this possible.

This year’s theme is “Kings of the River,” and we are extremely grateful to have “successfully made it upstream in this challenged economy” as the list announcement proclaimed. Our first year in attendance, the theme was “Monster Growth,” and the reception featured decorations such as dinosaurs and monster posters (some of which now protect our cubes back at Ruby!). I for one am excited to see how the Business Journal party planners will incorporate these slick, savvy creatures into the reception décor. Salmon sashimi? A “roe” of orange balloons? “Streaming” Phish music videos? Check back soon for pictures!

If you’d like to register for the event on June 24, where we find out where we rank(!), you can do so here. And if you’re already attending, please come by and say hi! We’re a friendly bunch, and with about 30 of us going, I’m sure we’ll be easy to spot!

Training Tip: Create an Office Glossary

By Phoebe Osborn | 06.09.2010 |

Whether or not we realize it, most workplaces have some form of insiders-only terminology. This office-specific language can be anything from technical jargon to a nickname for everyone’s favorite lunch spot. Introducing new employees to internal terminology is a great way to make them feel like part of the group, and it helps to simplify the training process.

At Ruby_® Receptionists, our virtual receptionists review the Ruby glossary as part of training. Our glossary is a list of terms and abbreviations used regularly around the office. As Ruby grows, the glossary grows and changes. The glossary is posted on our internal training site for easy reference.

What terms and abbreviations do you and your coworkers use? If you’re fairly new to a company, think about the terms that confused you at first, and make a list of them. An office glossary can take a variety of forms–a printout posted above the water cooler, a collaborative document, an intranet Wiki library. Regardless of the format, a list of common office terms will be greatly beneficial to any new employees. The next time your company gains a new team member, welcome that person with an office glossary. It’s a great way to build community, limit confusion, and take some of the stress out of starting a new job.

Happy 7th Birthday Ruby!

By Sarah Sackett | 06.02.2010 |

On this very day 7 years ago, Ruby_® Receptionists started out in the home office of our president, Jill Nelson, and meetings were held around her dining room table. Our first receptionists were set up in a small office with a rickety old freight elevator and leaky pipes. Today things are very different, Ruby has gone from 5 employees to almost 50 and we’ve traded in that little office for our current home in our ever-evolving Pearl District office.

A birthday party!

The conference room is once again transformed, and the office is filled with gifts, balloons, treats and happy Rubys. We are always looking ahead at what Ruby will do next and planning for our future, but today is a great day to take a time out to celebrate how far we have come. We want to also take time on this occasion to thank all the people who got us to this day – all the people who took a chance on Ruby and gave us the means to grow into such a culturally vibrant business. Thank you to all of our friends, colleagues, supporters, and clients…without all of you, we could have never made it to our 7th birthday!

Happy Birthday Ruby!

Ruby Named One of the Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon!

By Sarah Sackett | 06.01.2010 |

We are proud to announce that Ruby Receptionists has made the Oregon Business Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon! And we made #19 on the list!

: L-R: Jewel, Serenity, Charlene, Janel, Pheobe, Tasia, Sarah, Jill, LeAnna, and Cat

At Ruby, we take our commitment to green living seriously. You’ve already heard about how we reuse our single sided paper, but our environmental consciousness runs much deeper. We do not use disposable dishes or plastic-ware and choose green cleaning products whenever possible in our kitchen. We have implemented a waste reduction campaign which offers our staff a chance to win sustainable prizes when they choose to reduce their lunchtime waste. With this campaign in place, Ruby now recycles twice as much as we throw away!

The office runs on wind power energy and our newest office spaces use energy efficient lighting. We are making a transition to make all of our light fixtures energy efficient. Ruby also offers a monetary alternative transportation incentive to help reward our employees for choosing more environmentally friendly modes of transportation like riding a bike or taking public transit. Along with these big strides, we also recognize that some of the things that can make a big impact, start small. By simply choosing to always print double sided, we waste less paper. We also choose recycled paper when creating any of our marketing materials.

We are proud of our achievement with this award, but what is behind it is an ongoing commitment to this sustainable and green way of doing business. We are looking forward for new ways to keep reducing our waste and keeping Ruby on the forefront of green practices. To keep up with this commitment and help us reach new heights, we are proud to announce the formation of a “Ruby Green Team”. Our Green Team is a group of receptionists and staff members that will meet on a monthly basis to brainstorm new action plans and help support the office to implement them. We are so excited to see what our team will come up with next!

The Watercooler.

Keeping it personal in a virtual world.

Archives: June 2010