Ruby’s WOW Story of the Month!

By Sarah Sackett | 01.06.2012 |

We’re adding a new feature to the Watercooler called “The Ruby_® WOW Story of the Month!” We’re in the business of WOW here at Ruby, and we believe that whatever your industry, dazzling customer service is not only “a nice thing to have,” but in fact, it’s vital to making your business stand out. The key is having the right tools and the right culture.

One of the ways we shape our culture to makes exceptional customer service possible is by sharing stories. Stories are a vital part of our business; from sharing compliments to nominating coworkers for a Core Values in Action award, storytelling can create “legends” that will foster happiness, inspire, teach, and perpetuate the remarkable customer service that makes our clients rave about us. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing some of the narratives that inspire us and celebrate those who make Ruby who we are. We’ll kick things off with a WOW story brought to you by thoughtful virtual receptionist Whitney L.!

The ever-cheerful Whitney L.!

As you might know, last March, Ruby completely revamped our communications platform and designed one-of-a-kind proprietary software to provide even better receptionist service for our clients. We also hired our own full-time Software Architect, Steve Severance, so that we can add more features. One such feature we added recently is our “About” field, where our virtual receptionists can add helpful information and get to know our clients better.

Whitney was transferring a call to one of our clients, and she noticed in his “About” field that he was a runner, so she asked him if he had gone for a run that morning. It turns out he had in fact gone for a run, and he shared that it was part of his training routine for his first time in the New York Marathon! Whitney was really inspired by that, and she wanted to make sure that he knew that his Ruby team was behind him and cheering him on from 3,000 miles away on his big day. She did a little searching and found the perfect gift for him. She sent him a running go-belt that could hold his cell phone, keys, and credit cards while he was focusing on getting to the finish line. Whitney also sent a card letting him know that we would all be rooting for him and couldn’t wait to hear how it went.

The wonderful part of the story was when we got a response from this client. He told us that the timing was extraordinary; he was about to order the exact same thing for himself that day!

This story is definitely a favorite around the office, and it is a perfect example of how our Core Values guide us. I will let you in on a little Ruby service secret: Good service comes from doing what is asked of you, but one thing that will propel you to exceptional service is going above and beyond and filling unexpressed needs. That “WOWism” that we hold so dear is really a commitment to listening, always looking for ways to help without being asked, and most importantly, making a personal connection.

When’s the last time you were surprised with some really excellent customer service? We’d love to hear your story and share the love!

Resolve to Make Your Clients Happier this New Year!

By Katie Wilson | 01.05.2012 |

Photo by Caleb Roenigk

2012: A new year, a fresh start for your business! Great customer service can be an incredible boost to your company; happy customers will stay with you longer and word-of-mouth buzz can grow your client base exponentially. But how can you make your customer service wow-worthy?

Here at Ruby, Fostering Happiness is one of our Core Values, and we aim to make our clients’ and their callers’ days brighter. Besides doing a crackerjack job at answering phones, we’ve developed quite a few ways to accomplish this. Here are five ways we make our clients smile – you may find that they’d be just what the doctor ordered for your customers, too!

1. Hand-written note cards. These days, most of the snail mail people get is junk mail and bills — who doesn’t like to receive a bit of personal mail in the bunch? Just about anything can be an occasion to write — delight your customers by dropping a surprise note in the mail!

2. Following up calls with an email. Like our virtual receptionists, our Client Services department is incredibly helpful and always looking for ways to make our clients’ lives easier. One way they do this is by following every call from a client with an email. It’s a great way to summarize or confirm the information you discussed, especially if it was complicated or may be useful to have on-hand in the future. If you don’t have much to relay, it’s also a great way to create a personal connection; a simple “It was wonderful talking to you” may make their day!

3. Be flexible. At Ruby, we empower our virtual receptionists and staff to make judgment calls on based on our Core Values. Rather than sticking to policy, we believe that not all situations are one-size-fits-all. For example, if one of our clients has instructions to take messages only, of course the majority of the time we’ll only take messages. However, if a family member calls with an emergency, we’ll try to put them in touch with them right away.

In fact, virtual receptionist Kristen C. has experienced exactly that scenario. An extended family member called one of our clients’ lines, and Kristen was able to connect him to the client’s cell phone.

4. Listen. This one’s pretty basic, but it bears repeating: listen to your customers. Sometimes all it takes to make your client happy is to make them feel heard. If a caller sounds emotional, rather than interrupting them, our receptionists will take a moment to listen and let them vent. Try also repeating what your client says back to them to reassure them that you’ve understood their concerns and reassure them that you’ll make things right. Being compassionate and responsive can make a big impact.

5. Check back in. Making a big change to a client’s account? Don’t stop there! When our Client Services department revamps one of our clients’ call handling instructions, they always check back in with them to make sure everything’s working out correctly. Our Sales department also follows up with potential clients after a few days just to see if they thought of anymore questions or they can do more to help. Just knowing that your company is thinking of them and values them enough to take that time will make for some happy campers!

In addition to making your customers happier, resolve to make yourself happier! Happiness is good for you, and it’s contagious. If you’re smiling, relaxed, and have more time to focus on your work and yourself, your clients will notice. And as always, the virtual receptionist team at Ruby would be delighted to help you become more productive and foster happiness with your callers.

We wish you and your business the very best in 2012! Happy New Year!

4 Questions to Ask When Looking for Phone Service for a New Business

By Katie Wilson | 01.03.2012 |

Eureka! You’ve got a fabulous idea for a new company and can’t wait to get things up and running. As a virtual receptionist service for small businesses, we know that there’s a lot of work that goes into building one from scratch, even before you open your doors; not least among them is choosing your phone service. Hearing your phone ring with potential clients will be a thrill but telephony may not be your specialty. To take some of the headache out of picking a phone system, we put together a few questions you may want to mull over when considering which out of the myriad of options is right for your budding business.

Do you need a local number, a toll-free number, or both? If your customers are locally based, or are based in a certain area code, you may want a local number. If you deal with customers nationally, a toll-free number may be more appealing. Ruby clients are welcome to publish the toll-free number we assign them; we cover any charges associated with the number, and at the end of service you may take it with you.

Do you need a physical phone installed? You may not need a landline if you will be maintaining a virtual office. Remote call forwarding lines or number hosting services may suffice.

Will you have more than one employee? You may be flying solo to start, but looking to the future couldn’t hurt. It’s handy to have a central, published number that your customers can call to reach anyone in your business. If you have a physical phone line installed, you will most likely be able to add lines through your service provider in the future. However, if you’ve opted not to have a landline and end up hiring additional employees, you could set up an auto attendant to route calls or step up your customer service by forwarding your number to a live virtual receptionist service like Ruby. That way, your new employees don’t have to give out their direct number which could lead to problems if they’re out on vacation or someone else takes over their responsibilities. With a centralized number, your callers will always reach someone who can direct them to the most appropriate person.

Who will answer your phone? Many soloprenuers answer their own phones, but perhaps it won’t set your company up for success. You may be in meetings or away from your desk and calls will have to go to an impersonal voicemail system. And when potential clients do reach you, they may wonder why the CEO is playing double duty as receptionist. Every phone call is an opportunity: an opportunity to set a great first impression for your business, an opportunity to WOW a current client, an opportunity to make a meaningful connection. Whether you answer your calls yourself, have in-house staff to help, or hire a service like Ruby, being prompt, friendly, and professional will always make a splash.

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a phone service, and we would be happy to help in any way we can. Do you have other questions? Post your comment below!

Tips for Gathering Customer Feedback

By Jason Lander | 12.13.2011 |

Jason Lander - Founder & CEO of Hively

Guest blogger Jason Lander is the Founder and CEO of Hively. Hively lets your customers give you real-time feedback with 1 click, at their convenience. Ruby_® will soon be incorporating Hively’s interface into our Problem Solver & Happiness Makers’ email signatures to get real-time feedback on how we’re doing. We asked Jason for his advice on what other small businesses can do to get stellar feedback.

How many times a week do you get this email? “Will you please take a few minutes to fill out our survey?” My personal email inbox currently holds requests for survey feedback from more than 10 companies. Apple’s in there, a hotel, two retailers, a car company, etc.

The key to success for any business is to keep your customers happy. Yet, measuring customer happiness can be a challenge. For over a decade I’ve worked with various methods for measuring customer happiness including surveys, public support forums, phone calls, the Net Promoter Score, etc. Over time, I watched my customer engagement rates decrease dramatically and the feedback become less and less relevant.

They main issue I’ve discovered is that customer satisfaction surveys rarely provide you the data you need to improve your business. Surveys are time consuming to administer and time consuming for customers to complete. Furthermore, the data gathered isn’t actionable because it’s often aggregated and the responses come in too far after the touch point with the customer.

So what’s a company to do? Our suggestion? Ask the right question at the right time. Here are some tips for effectively gathering customer feedback.

The first tip – ask one question and one question only. It’s always tempting to ask more, but why ask more when one will do? Ask one question with a simple answer choice and allow your customers to leave additional details if they want.

Tip number two – ask specific questions about a person or a product, not a general “how do you like our company?” General questions are too vague and are better suited for things like the Facebook ‘Like’ button. Asking specific questions about how one of your employees did resolving an issue or how your new product performed, provide you with much better feedback.

Our third tip – ask the question at the right time. There are several touch points you have with your customers that offer excellent opportunities to ask for feedback. For example:

After a product demo or training. It’s always good to get feedback after a demo or training to make sure your audience understood the information presented.

After initial set up. Once a new customer is up and running with your product or service, it’s an excellent time to ask for feedback. Talking to a new customer here can help overcome any initial frustration that might naturally exist when getting started with something new.

After the first 30 days. After your customers have been using your product or service for 30 days they should be in full swing. This is a great time to get initial impressions. If there are any issues, you’ll be able to address them quickly without the risk of losing a new customer.

After any phone call. Any time you speak with a customer on the phone, especially if they’re asking a question or reporting an issue, it’s always a good idea to send them a follow up email. In this email, give them assurance you’ve understood them be summarizing your discussion and take this opportunity to ask for feedback.

After cancellation. Losing customers is not something anyone wants to talk about. But let’s be honest – it happens. When it does, don’t run from it. Instead, take it as another opportunity to improve by asking for some final feedback. Who knows, you might just win them back!

Our final tip – provide your customers with a way to provide you real time feedback at their convenience. If you’re just asking customers for feedback when it’s convenient for you you’re missing a lot of opportunities. Be sure the mechanism you’re providing delivers customer feedback to you in real time and that you follow up in a timely manner. This helps your customers know you take their issues seriously.

Asking the right question at the right time gains you invaluable insight into your customer happiness. You’ll learn things about your customers, products and services that have a major impact on your business as a whole. So start asking your customers for more feedback, at the right times and start improving your customer happiness.

Learn more about Hively at http://teamhively.com/. Readers of this blog also get a chance to try Hively free for 60 days with any subscription plan by entering the code ‘CALLRUBY‘ (without quotes) during the payment process.

3 Ways to Offer Help in Your Telephone Greeting

By Phoebe Osborn | 11.15.2011 |

First impressions when answering the phone

Photo by macinate

The virtual receptionist crew at Ruby_® shared some tips for creating a standout company greeting in a previous post, and today, we’ve got a few more thoughts on this popular topic. Our telephone answering pros recommend ending a greeting with a friendly question that offers assistance. If you’re crafting a greeting and looking for the best way to show callers you’re ready to help, here are some welcoming words to consider:

How may I help you? This standby is a wonderful way to invite questions and comments from callers. If your phone answering team loves fielding questions and chatting with callers, consider wrapping up your greeting with these friendly words. Just because it’s a common part of many greeting doesn’t mean it’s ineffective — asking “How may I help you?” lets callers know you’re on their side and ready to lend a hand, and that’s great news for them!

How may I direct your call? This question allows your phone answering team to speedily route calls where they need to go. If you’re a Ruby client hoping to reduce your receptionists minutes, this offer of assistance may help, because it politely prompts callers to give our live virtual receptionists the info they need to direct each call quickly. Looking for tech support? Have a question about your bill? Calling to chat with a salesperson? Callers need only say the word, and the Ruby crew will get each one to the right place.

A custom question, like How can I make you smile today? Customizing every element of your greeting can be a great way to make your company stand out among competitors. Your greeting may be a potential client’s initial impression of your company, so why not use the first words of each phone call to make that impression a lasting one? If you feel like being quirky, funny, or extra-engaging with callers, a custom question might be the ticket.

Can you think of any company greetings that stand out to you? What do you think makes a greeting great? We love comments — share your thoughts by posting one!

3 Easy Ways to Welcome a New Employee

By Phoebe Osborn | 11.08.2011 |

A welcome gift can also set the stage for a great first day!

We’re all about great first impressions at Ruby_®, and making every new member of our virtual receptionist team feel welcome on day one is especially important to us. If you work one-on-one with a new hire, you have a great opportunity to establish a connection from the get-go. But you don’t have to be a new employee’s trainer or manager to connect — in fact, it takes just a minute or two to make a positive impression. Here are three easy ways to welcome the latest addition to your office:

Say more than “Hello.” When you’re introduced to a new employee, don’t stop at “It’s nice to meet you!” Try asking a get-to-know-you question or two when you meet. Anything that sparks a bit of dialogue will do — it can be as simple as asking “How is your first day going?” or “What do you think of the office?” You may be having a busy morning, but take a moment to learn a little about your new teammate. A quick conversation will establish rapport and help the new employee remember your name.

Offer to help. Being the new kid on the block isn’t easy, but you can help put a new employee at ease by letting your teammate know you’re happy to lend a hand. You don’t have to offer anything grand to show you care. Here are some examples:

“If you have any trouble with the copy machine, I’d be happy to help you!”

“Let me know if you’re looking for good restaurants nearby for lunch!”

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know!”

Check in. After you’ve met, make a follow-up visit to your new teammate. It’s as easy as swinging by your newbie’s desk to say hello and chat a bit. This is a great opportunity to offer help, if you haven’t had a chance yet. A quick conversation will mean a lot to your teammate, and ease new-hire jitters. You might just get a new friend out of the deal, to boot!

How do you and your teammates welcome new employees? Comment below with your suggestions!

3 Things to Consider Adding to Your Company’s Voicemail Greeting

By Phoebe Osborn | 10.25.2011 |

Small Business Tips

Photo by David Wilson

If you have a receptionist, or a stellar virtual receptionist team (ah-hem), you know your callers are taken care of during your business hours. But what about when the office is closed? If your company uses a general voicemail box outside of your telephone answering hours, here are three helpful things to think about adding to the greeting:

Business hours (and other basic info). When you receive a call after hours, chances are your caller wants to know when you’ll be around. If your company has standard business hours, add them to your voicemail greeting. Stating your website address or fax number may be helpful, too. You know your callers best — think about about what after-hours callers might want to know, and do them a favor by adding it to your voicemail greeting.

Alternative options. Sure, your caller can leave a voicemail for your company or for an individual employee, but if there are other ways to get in touch with you and your co-workers that you’d prefer, feel free to point it out: “If you’d prefer to email any member of our staff, our company directory is available on our website at www.abccompany.com.” Although, if you’re a current Ruby client, keep in mind that all voicemail messages left after-hours are emailed to you immediately as a .wav file; you never have to wonder if you have a voicemail waiting!

An emergency option. If you want urgent after-hours calls to be handled differently, include that information: “If this is an urgent issue, please call…” At Ruby_®, we can set your business up with an after-hours phone tree that gives callers the option to be routed to an outside number in the case of emergencies: “If this is urgent, press 1 to be connected to the attorney.” We can direct those urgent calls wherever you want — your cell phone, your home phone, anywhere!

While you’re mulling over these tips for your after hours voicemail, feel free to check out our previous post, 3 Things to Consider Adding to Your Voicemail Greeting, for suggestions on how to structure your personal greeting and ensure quality messages!

3 Things to Consider Adding to Your Voicemail Greeting

By Phoebe Osborn | 10.20.2011 |

Small Business Tips

Photo by Enokson

The live virutal receptionist team at Ruby_® is packed with phone answering and message taking experts. A thoughtfully-worded voicemail greeting can help ensure that your callers leave quality messages even when our skilled virtual receptionists aren’t taking them.

It’s always best to state your name and company name in your voicemail greeting, so callers are sure they’ve been routed to the right voicemail box: “Hi! You’ve reached Diana at Ruby Receptionists.” But what else? Depending on your preferences, adding a bit more to your voicemail greeting can help you get the info you need and keep callers in-the-know. Here are three things to think about adding to your voicemail greeting:

A time frame, or a request for one. If you typically return calls within a certain length of time, do your callers a favor and let them know: “I’ll get back to you the following business day.” Or if you work certain hours or days, that may be helpful to share: “I’m in the office Monday through Wednesday, 9-5, and I’ll be happy to return your call as soon as I’m available.” Asking your callers to indicate the best time for a return call may be helpful, too: “If there’s a good time for a return call, just let me know!”

A request for specific information. Callers will typically leave their names and telephone numbers at the beep. If additional information is helpful to you, let callers know — they’ll likely be happy to oblige:

“Please leave your name, telephone number, and account number, and I’ll return your call as soon as possible.”

“Please leave your name, telephone number, and company name. I’ll be happy to return your call!”

An alternative option. If you have a voicemail box, it’s understood that you (eventually) listen to your messages and return calls. But is there a faster, more reliable way to reach you? Do you prefer a different form of communication? If you want callers to be able to get in touch with you quickly, let them know if there’s a better option:

“If you need to reach me right away, please call my cell at 866-611-7829.”

“For a faster response, please email me at staff@callruby.com.”

Up next week: Things you might want to add to your company-wide voicemail greeting. Stay tuned!

5 Ways to Dress Up Any Telephone Conversation

By Phoebe Osborn | 10.12.2011 |

The Ruby_® virtual receptionist team knows how to make a positive impact with just a few words. Our exchanges with callers are typically brief, but we’re always on the lookout for ways to connect and and spread a little cheer. We’ve found it’s easy to make every telephone answering experience a great one, and you can do the same! Whether your next chat is short or long, basic or involved, you can make a great impression on your caller with these five tips:

Check in at the get-go. As soon as you know who you’re talking to, ask a polite question to engage your caller. “How are you?” is a standby, but if you know your caller well, try going for something more specific (“How’s your new house?”). A little warmth goes a long way!

Slip a “thank you” into every exchange. Look for at least one opportunity to express your gratitude, even if it’s for something small. While you’re at it, try saying “thank you” instead of the more casual “thanks.”

Use words that pack a punch. You may only have minute or two to chat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t express a lot. Rather than saying “sure” or “okay,” show your enthusiasm with “Absolutely!” or “Certainly!” or “Of course!” or “You bet!”

Balance a negative with a positive. If you need to say “no,” follow your “no” with an offer of help: “I don’t have Jim’s email address, but I’ll ask my co-worker for it and send it your way.”

Sign off with style. Cap your phone call with a friendly statement like “It was great talking to you.” You don’t have to talk for long to work in a nice sign-off: “Have a nice day, Dave! I’ll connect you to Terry’s line now.” Use your caller’s name if you can — people love to hear their names!

These are just a few of the ways our live virtual receptionists brighten our callers’ days. Do you have any telephone tips? Share them by commenting below!

5 Opportunities to Send a Hand-Written Note Card

By Katie Wilson | 09.14.2011 |

Mercedes drops a note card in the mail!

Ruby_®‘s team of friendly virtual receptionists knows that a hand-written note card can brighten the dreariest of days. As our own Problem Solver & Happiness Maker Kendra Neal, wrote in her post on How to Keep It Personal in a Virtual (Receptionist) World:

“I can type at least 100 words per minute, but I can write about ten. A note card says, ‘I sat down and thought about you in a meaningful way.‘”

In a busy day of phone answering and email checking, here are 5 reasons you may want to create a connection by sending a note card:

When someone’s not feeling well. Tried and true, everyone appreciates a “Get Well” card when they’ve been ill. It might’ve been just a cold, in which case snail mail may drop off your well wishes after they’re better, but a surprise note letting them know you were thinking about them is always a happiness booster.

Congratulations! Births, weddings, and children’s graduations are always cause for celebration! Likewise, many small businesses use our virtual receptionist service, and when we hear that one of our clients has just won a big case or completed a special project, we like to applaud their hard work with a hand-written note.

Birthdays, of course! If you’re sending a birthday card to a client or coworker, and you know a lot of people would like to join in, try having everyone sign the same card; it’ll help organize the process, and the birthday boy or girl will get a nice ego boost!

When you’ve had a particularly good interaction. A follow up note card could be just what the doctor ordered to wow your colleague. How neat would it be to receive a card in the mail, amongst your bills, statements, and solicitation letters, that simply reads, ”Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed speaking with you the other day!”?

Just because! Not every card has to be for a momentous occasion; if you notice that you haven’t heard from someone in a while, try sending them a card just to say hello!

What’s your favorite way to create community with your colleagues and clients? Share your tips below!

The Watercooler.

Keeping it personal in a virtual world.

Category: Small Business Tips