Category: Office Etiquette

Receptionist Etiquette Tip: 3 Steps to Turn a Tough Call Around

By | 07.19.2011 |
Turn lemons into lemonade

Photo by Rachel Titiriga

If telephone answering is part of your job, odds are you’ll cross paths with a frustrated caller at least once. Although tough phone calls are certainly not the norm at Ruby® (who can resist a cheerful voice?), our virtual receptionist team is skilled at turning them around. We feel a frustrated caller is just a happy caller in disguise! Here are three mood-improving steps that work wonders on even the grumpiest of callers:

Step 1: Acknowledge your caller’s frustration. A few supportive words like I can see where you’re coming from or That sounds frustrating can go a long way. But don’t fake it — frustrated callers are great at sniffing out insincerity. If you don’t feel it, leave acknowledgment out.

Step 2: Offer Assistance. Your caller is probably frustrated because you can’t provide what they’re seeking. But there is always something you can provide, right? Offer it! Use helpful phrases beginning in Let me and I’d be happy to. While you’re at it, try framing your role: “As the receptionist, I’d be happy to take a detailed message and read it back to you. I’ll be sure everyone on our tech support staff receives it.”

Step 3: Guide your caller. Here’s the clincher: always end with a question. Guiding a caller with questions keeps you in control of the call, and helps you gather any necessary information. Any polite question will do — just ask for whatever you need!

Let’s check out these three steps in action:

“That certainly sounds frustrating! Let me do what I can to help. As the receptionist, I’d be happy to take a detailed message and read it back to you, so we’re sure it’s conveyed as you’d like it to be. I’ll make sure everyone on our tech support staff knows you need assistance as soon as possible. What is the best telephone number for a return call?”

We just made the simple act of taking a message seem pretty impressive! Pair this routine with a pleasant tone of voice and a positive attitude, and you’re sure to make a good impression. When a frustrated caller crosses your path, remember this mantra from our live virtual receptionist crew: Acknowledge, assist, guide, repeat!

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How a Virtual Receptionist Service Can Bring out Your Inner Don Draper

By | 07.13.2011 |

Photo by Jonathan Mueller

If you’re an ad exec or work for a creative agency these days, you may covet Don Draper of AMC Mad Men‘s coolness factor. He’s slick, he’s hip, he says all the right things. But let’s face it, he has a lot of help. Would he still be so mysterious and cool if he were answering his own phone? Or worse yet, if he were available 24/7 on his cell phone?

These days you don’t need an in-house pool of receptionists to help you achieve the professionalism and charm of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price; Ruby can help! Here are five ways a friendly virtual receptionist service can help your agency:

Appear more professional. Most of the time, people don’t expect to get the head honcho on the phone immediately. Since the time of switchboards, it’s become the norm to speak with an intermediary before reaching your desired party. You may not have the need or budget for an in-house receptionist, but with a virtual receptionist service like Ruby, your callers won’t know the difference!

Enhance your company’s image. With the technology available today, you may work with designers who are spread out all over the country. Whether you’re under one roof or work with a slew of remote employees, Ruby can present a unified image for your business. Every call is answered with the enthusiasm and care one would expect from a posh agency, at a fraction of the price of an on-site receptionist.

Work where you’re inspired. To get those artistic juices flowing, sometimes you need to break out of your normal routine. You may want to work one day at a local coffee shop, energized by the bustling crowds (and, of course, caffeine) and the next you may want to brainstorm in a park. With our handy whereabouts tool (and iPhone app!), our virtual receptionists are able to transfer calls to wherever you are.

Manage interruptions. Of course, you’d like to take calls when you can, but when you’re on a creative roll or stepping into an important meeting with a client, feel free to let our virtual receptionist team know. We’d be happy to hold your calls while you create your next Glo-Coat-like masterpiece.

Increase productivity. With our virtual receptionists as a resource, you’ll be able to manage your time more wisely. We can even make outbound calls on your behalf to relay information or confirm appointments! You can then block out your time to make the best use of your talent.

And since your virtual receptionist service is helping you be more productive…maybe you’ll have a little extra time to catch up on episodes of Mad Men!

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Phone Etiquette Tip: 4 Steps to Speakerphone Success

By | 07.12.2011 |

Photo by Stewart Chambers

At our virtual receptionist service, the Ruby® crew takes pride in being charming, friendly, and professional during every call. Our telephone answering connoisseurs usually chat with callers one-on-one, but we revel in the chance to wow a group of people when we receive the occasional speakerphone call. If you use a speakerphone often, try these four tips to add a little Ruby-style charm to your routine:

Ask first. Before placing someone on speakerphone, ask permission, and introduce anyone in earshot. “Would you mind if I put you on speakerphone? Tim and I are in the room, and I’d love for him to be a part of our conversation.” If the person you’re speaking with doesn’t wish to be placed on speakerphone, don’t put ‘em on speakerphone! It may not be the most convenient thing for you, but you’ll build rapport by respecting your colleague’s wishes. 

Introduce. If you need to generate a call on speakerphone, always alert the person you’re calling right off the bat, and include an opt-out:

 “Hi, Susan! I have you on speakerphone because I am driving. Please let me know if you have any trouble hearing me.”

“Hi, Kevin! Claire and I are here, and we have you on speakerphone. If this is a bad time for you, just let us know!”

Broach the subject. If you receive a call and hear that telltale speakerphone echo, try inquiring with this polite question: “May I ask if I’m on speakerphone? I’d love to say hello to anyone who is part of the conversation!”

Limit background noise. When on the speaker-end of a speakerphone call, be mindful of any noise you create — if you’re rustling papers or moving about the room, you may sound like you’re not devoting your attention to the folks you’re chatting with.

Do you have any speakerphone etiquette tips to share with our phone answering team? Leave a comment below!

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3 Ways to Make a Great Impression When Answering the Phone

By | 07.07.2011 |
Welcome mat
Photo by Craig Dennis

When potential clients call your business, you want to be sure they’re met with a friendly, helpful voice, like those of our virtual receptionists. How does the Ruby® team make a great impression every time? Here are three tips from our telephone answering experts:

Greet gracefully. As the phone answering pros at Ruby know, a greeting is an opportunity to present your company and yourself well, offer assistance to your caller, and extend a bit of friendliness and goodwill, all within a few seconds. Don’t discount the importance of the first words your callers hear — check out these tips for making a great greeting!

Deflect with style. When you answer the phone, you’re on the front line for answering callers’ questions. Knowing all the answers may not be a must, but knowing how to respond is. Keep a few helpful phrases like these in your arsenal, so you’re ready to respond to any query:

     “Great question! Let me find out for you.”

     “I’d be happy to find out for you!”

     “Great question! Let me put you in touch with the best person to answer it.”

Don’t go easy on “please” and “thank you.” Being polite is one of the simplest ways to make a great impression on your callers. Look for opportunities to say “please” and “thank you,” and try using exuberant words like “Wonderful!” “Absolutely!” and “Certainly!” instead of “sure” or “okay.” You may only have a few words to share with your caller, so make them count!

How do you wow your callers from word one? Share your tips by commenting below!

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How to Leave a Great Voicemail in 3 Steps

By | 06.30.2011 |

Photo by Flowers for Clarence

Leaving a solid voicemail message seems simple enough, but when that beep goes off, it can be easy to fumble over what to say. Fear not, fair caller! The bright and savvy virtual receptionist team at Ruby® Receptionists has the solution to your voicemail woes.

In addition to answering phones cheerfully, our virtual receptionists also make calls on behalf of clients to relay information or confirm appointments. If they reach voicemail, they know that with a bit of forethought, every message can be clear, concise, and friendly. Here are three steps to a superb voicemail message:

Step One: Introduction. Start with an upbeat greeting that includes the name of the person you’re calling: “Hi, Tim!” ”Hello, Susan!” “Good morning, Tom!” Then, introduce yourself by giving your name, company name if applicable, and telephone number. Stating your contact information up front is an easy way to ensure that the person you’re calling knows how to get in touch with you, even if your message gets cut off: “Hi, Jim! This is Phoebe Osborn from Ruby Receptionists. I can be reached at 866-611-7829.”

Step Two: Message. Keep it short and sweet. Many voicemail systems only record for a few minutes, and that time can really fly. Plan ahead, and run through the message in your mind before leaving it. If you can’t summarize your message in a sentence or two, explain generally what you’re calling about, and ask for a return call: “I have some questions about our upcoming meeting. Would you please call me when you have a chance?”

Step Three: Recap and sign off. End your message by restating your name, company name, and telephone number, then wrap things up with a friendly comment: “Again, this is Phoebe Osborn from Ruby Receptionists at 866-611-7829. Have a wonderful day!”

Do you have any voicemail tips for our phone answering team? We’d love to have you share them — please comment below!

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Receptionist Etiquette Tip: How to Answer Any Question With Confidence

By | 04.21.2011 |

Answer any question with confidenceIf you answer phones like our live virtual receptionist staff, you probably field a lot of questions each work day. The Ruby® telephone answering team knows that no matter how complex a question is, there’s always a friendly, professional way to respond. And here’s the best part: you don’t even need to know the answer to a question in order to respond with confidence. Is this magic? Nope — all you need to be confident in your call-handling skills is a few solid multi-purpose responses. Want to learn how to field any question without flinching? Take a gander at these riveting replies from the Ruby playbook!

When it’s a basic question, but you need a moment to find the answer:

  • Great question! Let me find the answer for you.
  • I’d be happy to find out. Would you mind holding for a moment?

When you don’t know the answer, but you know who does:

  • Great question! Let me put you in touch with Susan — she’ll be happy to answer it.
  • Tim would be the best person to help you. He’ll be happy to return your call. May I have your telephone number?

When you don’t know the answer, and you’re not sure who does:

  • Great question! Let me find the best person to answer it.
  • Great question! I’ll find the best person to answer it, and have that person return your call. May I have your telephone number?

When the question is about someone’s whereabouts or schedule, such as “When will he be back in the office?” or “When can I meet with her?”:

  • He keeps his own schedule, but I’ll be sure to have him return your call as soon as possible. May I have your telephone number?
  • She keeps her own schedule, but she’ll be happy to return your call and set up an appointment. May I have your telephone number?

When your caller presses you for information you don’t have:

  • I would hate to give you any misinformation. Susan is the best person to answer your questions, and she’ll be happy to talk with you. May I have your telephone number, so Susan can return your call?
  • Our attorney will be happy to help you — I would hate to give you any misinformation. Let me try to reach her for you.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re starting your first answering service job or you’ve been fielding calls for fifty years — anyone can shine like a Ruby by using variations of these great replies! We hope these examples boost your phone answering confidence. Do you have any tips for fielding tricky questions? We’d love to hear them!

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Ask a Virtual Receptionist! Today’s Topic: Pricing

By | 04.15.2011 |

We recently had a poll on the Ruby® Facebook page and asked which question you’d like to see next on ”Ask a Virtual Receptionist!” Without further ado, this week’s question is: What would you say if someone asked about the company’s pricing? Virtual receptionist Jami R. took on the challenge! 

Did you know that you can provide us with a short list of FAQs? For example, attorneys might tell us whether they offer free consultations and what their per hour rates are, so that the receptionist can easily relay the answer at a glance. We’d also be happy to include a price list for our receptionists to quote ballpark figures.

However, if we don’t have this info on-hand, or if you’d prefer to quote prices yourself, our whip-smart virtual receptionists have a professional, helpful response at the ready!

Virtual Receptionist Jami R.

Virtual Receptionist Jami R.

Going off the attorney example, what would Jami say if a caller asked about rates?

Jami: I would relay to the caller, “The attorney prefers to answer any questions pertaining to rates and fees himself. One moment while I try his line.”

Not a lawyer? No sweat – Jami has an answer for that, too!

Jami: If the company is not a law firm, I would scan the account for the person who takes new inquiry calls. I would then tell the caller, “So-and-so is the best person to assist you with that question. One moment while I ring their line.”

 As Jami said herself, “No matter what the question is- Ruby will find the answer! (Or at least direct you to the answer!)”

Keep your eye out for our next “Ask a Virtual Receptionist!” feature where we ask receptionist Lauren O., “When can I expect a return call?”

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Receptionist Etiquette Tip: 3 Things to Ask Yourself While Taking a Message

By | 03.29.2011 |
Our virtual receptionists are sure to verify phone numbers and addresses
Photo by Evan P. Cordes

If you’re a telephone answering pro like Ruby® Receptionists’ virtual receptionists, you know a thing or two about taking quality messages. But even the best and brightest forget to snag a key piece of information now and then, and that D’oh! I missed something! feeling is no fun.

Whether you’re an executive assistant, an answering service staffer, or simply filling in on phones for the afternoon, try asking yourself these three questions before wrapping up your next call, and you’ll be sure to catch all the important info:   

Am I confident the content is correct? If your caller wants to leave a detailed message, it may be best to read it back to make sure you’ve taken it down correctly. Don’t let fast talkers or folks with a lot to say make you lose your confidence — if you didn’t catch something, politely ask your caller to repeat it. A friendly “Would you mind repeating that?” does the trick! 

Did I check my 123s and ABCs? Always confirm numbers and contact information, including all telephone numbers, email addresses, reference numbers, and mailing addresses. Our virtual receptionist staff recommends reading info back from your notes one character at a time (“That was 866-611-7829, correct?”). Remember, some letters are tricky to discern over the phone, so you may want to reference a spelling alphabet. 

What else? Want to be sure you got it all? Just ask! A wrap-up question like “Is there anything else you’d like me to relay?” is a great way to show your courtesy and attention to detail. Best of all, it ensures a thorough message. Look at you, capturing every detail without batting an eye — why, if you keep this up, how could you not get that big raise? 

Are there any questions you think we should add to this list? Please share by commenting below. Our phone answering team would love your feedback!

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Voicemail or Written Messages: Which Works Better for You?

By | 03.25.2011 |

So you have a great new receptionist (or virtual receptionist service!), and now it’s decision time: Do you want your receptionist to take messages, transfer calls to voicemail, or offer both options to callers when you’re not available? Our phone answering team suggests you consider the following:

Accessibility. Is it easier for you to listen to messages or read them while on the go? At Ruby®, our clients are emailed a .wav file of every voicemail they receive, so there’s no need to dial in and sort through old messages — just open your email, click, and listen! But if you don’t have this feature, it might be easier to have your receptionist email written messages to you — it depends on whether you keep your laptop or smartphone handy, and whether listening to a message is a reasonable option. If you’re in court, for example, you may not have the chance to listen to voicemail, but you can probably access your email and discretely check for new messages.

Detail. Voicemail allows people to talk candidly and directly to you, so if you value that openness, voicemail might be best. On the other hand, if you need a key piece of information with most messages (an email address, for instance), a receptionist can gather and confirm that info each time, whereas folks may forget to leave it on voicemail, even if your outgoing message contains a reminder.  

Storage. Generally, an email will stick around as long as you want it to, and most systems can hold a lot of old messages before getting bogged down. Sorting and searching is also a snap with email, so it’s a great way to go if you need to hang on to many messages. Ruby clients get the best of both worlds — we can email written messages to clients, and we email .wav files of all client voicemail messages, so both are easy to save for as long as desired. But if you’re not a Ruby client and keeping old voicemail messages is important to you, check out your voicemail specs, as many systems delete old messages automatically after a certain period of time.

If reading and listening to messages are both convenient for you, letting the caller choose is a nice touch. This friendly offer works well for our virtual receptionist team: “I’d be happy to take a message or transfer you to voicemail.”

Do you prefer voicemail or written messages, or is either okay with you? Leave a comment and share your feedback!

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3 Reasons to Follow a Phone Call With an Email

By | 03.24.2011 |

Follow every phone call with an emailAt Ruby® Receptionists, we’re not just about phone answering — from our virtual receptionists to our managers, the entire Ruby crew is constantly seeking new ways to impress our clients, our callers, and everyone we interact with. We’re not your typical answering service, and we’re always looking for ways to show it. One way our Client Services Team shows their devotion to excellent customer service is by following every phone call from a client with an email to that client. Here are three reasons why you might want to do the same:

1. To riterate information. A follow-up email is a great way to make sure your client is heading in the right direction. If you relayed a telephone number, web address, email address, driving directions, or, well, just about anything during your conversation, do your client a favor and send an email with that same information. A post-call email is the perfect way to confirm an important date or meeting, à la “Nice chatting with you today! I’m looking forward to our lunch on the 12th.”

2. To provide additional information. Forget to mention a bit of helpful info during your conversation? No worries! Include it in your follow-up. It takes just a minute or two to write an email, and the information you include might be a big boon to your client. Who doesn’t appreciate a bit of extra help?

3. To wow ‘em. Maybe there’s more you’d like to say after a phone call ends, and maybe not — it really doesn’t matter. Regardless of whether it’s four paragraphs or just a few words, a follow-up email is an excellent way to show your client you care. Kind sentiment goes a long way these days, and considering how easy it is to send an email, there’s just no reason not to follow a conversation with a friendly message. And you don’t have to rack your brain coming up with something to write — a simple “It was great to talk to you” goes a long way.

Do you follow up every phone call with an email? Tell us how it’s working for you in the comments below!

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