Category: Happy Customers

5 Ways to Make a First-Time Caller Feel Comfortable

By | 05.16.2013 |

Make Callers Feel at Home

When a potential client interacts with your business for the first time, you may need to ask for a few pieces of information in order to begin working with this new person. Asking someone to share personal information isn’t always easy; however, there are ways to make the interaction more comfortable for everyone involved, and it all begins with your approach. Here are some tips to set you up for successful screening!

Your questions are coming from a place of helpfulness.  Surely, the reason you ask a caller for their email address, financial information, or the details of their case is so that you and your company can provide them with the optimal support and assistance. Keep that in mind as you move forward with gathering personal information, and your good intentions will naturally come through in your questions.

Ask confidently.  It’s no secret that self-assuredness is the key to success, and when we portray confidence, the people we interact with will in turn have confidence in us! If a caller senses a tone of uncertainty, they may feel hesitant to give private information.

Create a conversational tone. Start by asking how they heard of your company and what brought them to you. It’s a great opener and a fantastic way to break the ice!

Tell them why — people love to know! If a caller seems uncertain about answering your questions, tell them, if you can, why providing this information is beneficial to them as a customer.

We typically correspond through email, if possible. That way you will receive documents immediately rather than having to await their arrival in the mail.

Know when to fold ‘em. Don’t push too hard if someone declines to give information right away. You can always ask again once you’ve established a more solid working relationship. By letting them create the boundaries they need, you show flexibility and willingness to work within their comfort level. Even though it may be a small inconvenience, you’ll make a great first impression!

You may find yourself in the opposite position, and your caller will want to provide much more information than is necessary during that first interaction. For tips on guiding a talkative caller in the right direction, check out the post, Make the Most of Your Conversations by Guiding Chatty Callers.

Photo via Cathy Cheney of the Portland Business Journal

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How to Help When You Can’t Give Someone What They Want

By | 05.02.2013 |

Please use other door

A close friend of mine works at a boutique app development company, and he told me the other day about a French woman who called and was having some difficulty with an app they had designed for a client. Speaking in impeccable English, though more slowly than a native speaker, she began describing every detail that led up to receiving an error. Some of the information was useful, but much was not related to the issue. My friend listened patiently, but it was clear within a few minutes that the client he developed the app for was the only one with the power to fix it.

What was he to do? It felt rude to interrupt, or tell her that he didn’t need to know all of the information she was taking such great pains to describe. He genuinely wanted to help her, but his hands were tied; she had to contact the company who commissioned the app and go through the whole story again. He told me, “I really wanted to tell her I sympathized and be able to offer her a credit for her trouble — or even just give her a couple bucks of my own money!”

It can be frustrating when you don’t have all the tools to solve someone’s problem. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help!

Step 1: Empathize. My friend was on the right track; it’s always nice to hear someone’s on your side! Remember to frame things positively; rather than commiserating, try saying, “That does sound frustrating; I would feel the same way!”

Step 2: Guide them. It’s counterintuitive, but sometimes interrupting is helping! Repeating the same information to multiple people is a common complaint among customers. Anyone who’s ever called their cable company can attest to that. Listen for a pause and interject, “I hate to interrupt, but I think I know what the problem is. ABC Company would actually be able to help you with this,” or “I’m sorry for the interruption! John in Support would be the best person to speak with about this type of error.”

Step 3: Offer assistance. Ok, so yo might not be able to give them a credit or fix the problem. But there is always something you can offer. Perhaps it’s just looking up the phone number to the company that can help. Maybe it’s offerring to jump on a conference call to cut through the technical jargon, or sending an email with a succinct description of the issue that they can read to the customer support tech. Nine times out of ten, they’ll decline, but anything that shows you want to help is a huge comfort. Even a simple, “If you have any more questions or there’s anything more I can do to help, please let me know!” will help!

Your customers are people, too. Focus on connecting with your caller on a personal level and treating them how you’d like to be treated, and you’ll both feel better!

Photo via Flickr user James Cridland

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WOW Story of the Month: Be-Dazzling Our Clients

By | 04.16.2013 |

Our virtual receptionists don’t see each call as just a call; they see 250 opportunities to make a connection each day! We form relationships with our clients and really get to know them and their businesses. In this WOW Story of the Month, two of our wonderful employees, Problem Solver & Happiness Maker Jennifer Christensen and virtual receptionist Madi H., got to talking about how wonderful they thought one of our clients was:

“Madi and I were outside chatting one day, and she mentioned we have a pretty famous country music singer as a client. Instantly I said, ‘Frank Ortega!’ We chatted about how utterly hilarious and friendly this man is and decided to get him a gift for always making us laugh and smile. We sent him a Bedazzler!” Why a Bedazzler? Jennifer explains, “Frank is a force of nature with an amazing sense of humor, and no matter who he speaks with he is kind, friendly, and funny!”

Along with the Bedazzler they included the following picture of a man wearing a “blinged out” suit. Little did they know, that picture held a special meaning to Frank.

dazzle

The response Madi and Jennifer got is the reason WOWism is one of our favorite Core Values. He called saying, “How in the world do you know me so well?!” As it turns out, the man in the picture is wearing a Manuel outfit, and Frank knows Manuel personally; Manuel has designed clothes for everyone from John Lennon to Frank Ortega himself! Jennifer and Madi had the pleasure of hearing Frank tell some exciting rock and roll stories and felt more connected to him than ever.

Frank went on to give the girls a shoutout on his Facebook page and sent a kind follow-up email:

“Hey there, again thank you both for the nice gift and kind words. I have attached some pictures of me wearing some Manuel pants and a few other things that I mention to you, there is also one in there of myself, Garth Brooks and Manuel in which I’m wearing a brown Manuel coat. I also included one of my favorite posters that I like about the universe and a baby picture of me for no reason whatsoever.

If y’all have a minute, stop by www.mycrappypicture.com. They will be making some changes to the homepage and announcing that all the money I raise there will be going to charities for animals and breast reconstruction for women who cannot afford it (read the testimonials, they are superb). Look forward to coming your way after my single hits the radio.”

Frank, Garth Brooks, and Manuel

Frank, Garth Brooks, and Manuel

Practicing WOWism helps us foster and strengthen our client relationships, fulfill their unexpressed needs, and in a lot of cases, it gives our clients room to WOW us right back! These are some of the moments that make our days filled with happiness and excitement at Ruby.

Check back next month to read about another wonderful WOW story!

 

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“Hey, What Do You Want?” And the Downfall of Being Too Casual

By | 04.12.2013 |

Yesterday we wrote about how being overly formal in business can make customers uncomfortable. A client playfully quipped on our Facebook page: “Along those lines, can Ruby start answering our firm’s calls with the following: ‘Hey. What do you want, fool?’ Would that be effective? I don’t know. You are the experts.” Jokes aside, he’s absolutely right! Being overly casual can turn off customers, too!

You want to be friendly and make a personal connection, and formality can create a sense of detachment that is hard to overcome. But on the other hand, being too familiar, too fast can have callers doing their best Stephanie Tanner impression:

Stephanie Tanner from Full House

How rude!

So how can you up the friendly factor without seeming rude? Remember to do these four things every time you interact with a customer, and you’ll surely be on the right track:

Enunciate and use proper grammar. This goes for every medium your company uses to communicate with customers, from phone calls to email to social media. It can be tempting to respond quickly with a “Thx! U r awesome!” — especially when you only have 140 characters to work with. Spelling out words completely and correctly and using proper punctuation is worth the extra time; your customers will appreciate the extra care and clarity.

Stay positive. Expressive phrasing can make a huge difference on the tone of the conversation. “Absolutely!” and “Certainly!” sound so much more enthusiastic than “Yeah” and “Sure.” You’re glad to have their business; don’t be afraid to show it!

Offer assistance. Keep on the lookout for additional ways to help. If you’re unable to do something, propose a different solution. “Let me…,” “I’d be happy to…” and “I’ll gladly…” are fantastic solution starters!

When in doubt, get Grandma involved. Try adding “Grandma” to the end of your sentences: “I can’t do that, Grandma,” or “What do you want now, Grandma?” Yikes! Just writing it makes me want to call my grandmother and apologize!

Balancing formality and casualness can be challenging, but it’s all about making your customer feel comfortable and creating a connection. After all, people do business with people they like!

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Why Formal Doesn’t Equal Professional in Business

By | 04.11.2013 |

Formal does not equal professional in business“Manners are sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter which fork you use.” – Emily Post

What do you think of when you hear the word “formal”? Do you see visions of a suit and tie, someone who addresses folks by Mr. and Ms., maybe even someone who is a bit…stuffy? Now think of the word “professional.” You might think of someone who is great at what they do, gets projects done on time, and is always courteous. In business, having manners isn’t so much about following a strict set of rules; it’s about making the other person feel comfortable and doing a top-notch job.

In fact, being overly formal can be just as offensive as being too casual. Clients could interpret your aloofness as coldness, disinterest, or even condescension. Even something as simple as addressing customers can turn into a faux pas. Say you receive a call from a new client by the name of ”Pat Jennings.” It can be difficult to distinguish gender over the phone, especially if they’re on a cell phone or speakerphone. One slip up – ”How may I help you, Ms. Jennings?”…”Oh! My apologies! Mister Jennings!” — can ruin a sale.

The next time you meet a new client or chat with an existing one, follow their lead. If they introduce themself as “John,” go with that. If they prefer “Mr. Smith,” say, “Pleased to meet you Mr. Smith!” Match their tone and pace, and remember: being cheerful and friendly will help put everyone at ease and make a great impression for your company!

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Behind the Scenes: How Ruby Sounds Like She’s in Your Office

By | 04.09.2013 |

IPhoneRuby

 

“Tell the person who answers the phone that she is fantastic. I want our people to be like her.”

“Wow! Thanks so much, Ruby! You’re awesome!”

These are just a few of the compliments that callers have said about Ruby. In fact, these are just a couple from the last week. Callers are so amazed to hear a live, friendly, helpful person answer the phone that they often don’t realize we’re not in the office!

How do several different women in Portland, Oregon, sound like one person in an office hundreds of miles away? Several key factors go into making Ruby receptionists sound like “Ruby”:

Advanced technology. We spent over a year gathering feedback to create the Ruby Operating System, or ROS for short. Programmers spent another year perfecting our one-of-a-kind software, adding new features and making sure all the information a receptionist might need is at her fingertips.

Once a call comes in, a window will appear on the receptionist’s screen with the custom greeting she’ll read, some general info about the business, and a list of employees. Navigating through the account, she’s able to see each employee’s preferences, availability, and more! The clean, intuitive interface makes it easy for our virtual receptionists to glide through your account and swiftly assist your callers.

Ultra professional phrasing. We use expressive phrases here at Ruby. “Yeah” and “Mhmm” won’t cut it. Instead, “Absolutely,” “I’d be happy to,” and “Gladly!” are ubiquitous. This shared vocabulary creates a unifying voice for “Ruby,” the upbeat, professional receptionist. Callers have even brought in lunch for her, thinking she was in our client’s office!

Super friendly virtual receptionists. Technology and vocab aside, people are calling your business because they have a question or have a pain that your product or service can ameliorate — they need help! When the person on the other end of the line is cheerful, friendly, and sounds like they genuinely want to help, your callers will trust they’re in good hands.

We’ve heard countless times from clients that their caller retained their services simply because the receptionist was so warm and kind. And that’s what it’s all about — when your clients are happy, your business is happy!

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How to Make a Connection in 30 Seconds or Less

By | 03.14.2013 |

30 seconds or lessWhen I first started working at Ruby Receptionists, I remember thinking to myself, “Okay, I can answer phones all day. That will be easy!” It wasn’t until I started taking phone calls that I realized it wasn’t just about answering and routing calls, it’s about adding extra value to our clients’ businesses and brightening callers’ days. The more personal connections I can make, the happier and more fulfilled I feel, and the more fulfilled I feel, the better I perform. The way I see it, a happy receptionist equals a happy business! Luckily, Ruby prides itself in making connections, as apparent in the Ruby Service Pyramid and in our Core Values.

I will never forget the first personal connection I made. It was with a paralegal at a law firm and we had exchanged a couple of sentences about how our days were going. That is when it clicked, my “Aha!” moment. I was so moved by that simple exchange of a few extra sentences with a client that I was left smiling for at least 15 minutes. I was hooked.

From that point on, I made it a personal mission to make those types of friendly connections with as many clients and callers as possible. Sounds simple enough! However, it’s tougher than is seems to make a connection in the seconds it takes to transfer a caller. It is also far more challenging to comment on the weather when you are talking to someone on the other side of the country or to charm the socks off of someone who is calling to inquire about an attorney’s divorce fees.

I have come up with a few tips that can help when trying to make meaningful connections. These are simple things that we have a tendency to forget but they can make a big impact.

1. Say my name, say my name.

Ask for your caller’s name and say it at least twice during your conversation.

Turn “One moment please” into “Thank you, one moment, Jan.”

And “Thank you for holding” becomes “Thank you for holding, Brian!”

2. Actually listen.

There is a difference between hearing and listening. The moment you are able to actually process and respond to what someone is telling you is the moment that you can add some depth to your conversation. Adding conversation-specific phrases tells the caller that you are listening and trying to help.

“I am sorry to hear that. One moment while I see if she is available.”

3. Match the caller’s tone.

It is important to be mindful of the caller’s tone of voice so that you do not come off as insensitive.

4. Mind your manners!

Always say please and thank you. Good manners are universal and can go a long way!

5. Wish them well.

I almost always end my calls with some variation of “Have a good day!” It just feels right and helps to end the call on a positive note.

Extra Credit: Play along! If the caller or client starts engaging in conversation with you, don’t be afraid or too hurried to respond! Keep the conversation going until a natural pause.

These tips are not just for the phone and can be used in almost any situation. By incorporating one or a few of these into your routine, you will be able to make more meaningful connections and impact that person’s experience with your company!

Photo via Flickr user Michael

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Don’t Leave Customers Hanging: How to Avoid Dead-End Replies

By | 03.12.2013 |

Avoid Dead-End Statements

Providing help to customers and potential clients is important, but for some tricky customer questions, there’s just no way to respond positively, right? Not so fast! The next time you feel a negative response on the tip of your tongue, try these three alternatives to common dead-end statements:

Dead end: “She’s unavailable.” Alternative: Offer to take a message. Don’t make customers ask for help — offer it before they have the chance! When the person your customer needs to reach isn’t available, always build a positive alternative into your reply:

“Mary is in meetings this afternoon, but I’ll be happy to take a message and ask her to get in touch with you!”

Dead end: “I don’t know.” Alternative: Help find the answer. Sure, it’d be great if you knew the answer to every question, but customers are more likely to be impressed by your eagerness to help than your ability to recite information. If you don’t have an answer, don’t sweat it! Instead, assure your customer you’ll look for the answer:

“That’s a great question. I’ll be happy to find the answer for you!”

“Thank you for your question! I’d love to research an answer and get back to you later today. May I return your call this afternoon?”

Dead end: “So-and-so handles that.” Alternative: Put your customer in touch with the right person. Don’t shrug a customer off just because you aren’t the best person to help in a particular situation. Instead, tell your customer where they can find the help they need, and then help them get there:

“A member of our sales staff would be delighted to help you! I’ll connect you with sales now.”

This works even if you don’t know where your customer needs to go:

“Great question! I’ll find the best person to answer it!”

“I’ll be happy to find the best person to help you, and have that person return your call.”

Bottom line: There’s no reason to respond to a customer’s question with a dead-end statement. If you put your mind to it, you can always find a way to help!

Photo via Flickr

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The One Thing Your Customers Are Yearning For

By | 02.20.2013 |
Photo from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 20th Century Fox

Photo from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 20th Century Fox

“Thank you for your patience. Your call is important to us. We will be with you shortly.”

The opening scene of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel begins with robotic repetition, its coldness undermining any comfort its words might have held. When Evelyn, played by Judi Dench, is finally connected to a person, she explains that her husband has recently passed away. The agent, beholden to a script, pauses and lets her know that she’s unable to discuss the account with her further since the accountholder is unavailable.

The situation is entirely too relatable. Around the web, you’ll find sites offering lists of what buttons to press in order to circumnavigate impersonal auto-attendants and reach a live person. If you are connected to someone, they might not be able to help you, either from lack of training, resources or straitjacket-like policies.

We’re more connected than ever, and yet ironically, more disconnected than ever.

Customers are yearning for meaningful connections with real people. People who empathize and care. People who are positive and helpful. People who treat them like people!

Thankfully, some businesses are catching on and using old-school etiquette (a modern rarity) and personal service to WOW clients. You may have seen the new Discover IT card commercials promising the ability to speak with a human being who treats you according to the Golden Rule. At Ruby, we are on a mission to bring personal connections back to the forefront.

But it’s not just those on the front lines who are taking this lesson to heart; managers, salespeople, and CEOs can all benefit! After all, we’re all people, and we’re all in the customer service industry.

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How to Make Your Clients Fall in Love with Your Business

By | 02.14.2013 |

Client Love

Love is a powerful motivator. You’re loyal to those you love, and give them the benefit of the doubt when they make a mistake. The same holds true when you connect with your customers on an emotional level! Like any healthy long-term relationship, love and trust are at the heart of good business.

Three ways you can start fostering meaningful connections with your clients:

1. Be kind and genuine. Greet your customers by name when they visit your office. Smile when you chat with them on the phone. Take a real interest in their life, and ask them how their family is doing or how their vacation went. Remember, your customers are people, too!

2. Send a notecard or surprise them with a thoughtful gift. These days, junk mail and bills take up most of our mailboxes. Imagine your client’s delight when they open it to find a handwritten notecard or care package based on your conversation!

3. Give them what they don’t even know they want. Listen for ways to anticipate their needs; have your conference room stocked with things they might need before they get to your office. if your client sighs or hesitates, recommend an alternative. Hear a tickle in their throat? Offer a glass of water! Follow up your phone call by sending an email with information they might need. There are hundreds of ways you can help, even before they ask!

When your clients love you, they’ll shout it from the rooftops — or write a blog post about you!

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