At Ruby, every day, every call, every email is an opportunity to WOW our customers and create meaningful connections. And while providing this level of service is something we have always strived to do, it is a constant discovery of how we can be better, and it’s taken years to develop our methodology to deliver consistent yet inspiring interactions. Our Ruby Service Pyramid outlines our system:

Today, we’re tackling the foundation of that pyramid – Having the Right Infrastructure. It is at the bottom of the Ruby service pyramid for a reason; if we don’t have a solid infrastructure, providing the rest is a fruitless and uphill battle.

Elements of the Infrastructure:

Mission/Vision/Values/Direction – We stand for something and each Ruby staff member knows our Core Values by heart. But not only do they know them, they live them. Our mission, vision, and values keep everyone at Ruby aligned and working with purpose. The Jim Collins article “Building Your Company’s Vision” is the best article I’ve seen on establishing a company’s vision and values, and it is required reading for many of us at Ruby.

Ruby’s mission is to establish personal connections in this increasingly virtual world, and our Core Values of “Foster Happiness,” “Practice WOWism,” “Create Community,” and “Innovate” drive all that we do, and we look to them to inform our strategy and decision-making.

Product and Pricing – Does your product or service provide value for the cost? Does it serve your mission? Ruby loves doing whatever we can to make callers happy, but at the end of the day, we understand our value is determined by how much we can help our clients run their business and facilitate their growth, and make their lives easier and more rewarding. We also understand that value must justify the price, and that our pricing must support the ability to deliver scalable, WOW-worthy service.

Technology and Systems – Behind our personalized, live receptionist service is some pretty kick-butt technology that ensures every call is answered accurately and with the appropriate information at our fingertips to be helpful. We turn to technology to increase accuracy, make us more efficient, and keep service personalized even as we grow. Solid technology and systems frees us up to spend time on the human element of our service – making clients and callers happy and coming up with new ways to be of service.

Staffing – We can have the best staff in the world, but if it is stretched too thin, it is impossible to deliver consistent WOW-worthy service. We hire amazing individuals who are dedicated to our mission. We keep them in part by making sure their workload gives them a decent work-life balance, and ensuring they have space throughout the day to not only learn and grow, but also to take the time to get to know our clients and other staff members.

Feedback – How do we know if what we’re trying to do is working? KPIs! It may surprise you to know that we personal, community-based friendly staff are addicted to our Key Performance Indicators and we measure everything we do. We know that our average time to answer a call is 4 seconds (and we want to keep it that way), and by tracking how many prospective clients contact us on a daily basis, we can accurately predict when we should be hiring our next receptionist. By tracking the reasons our clients contact Client Services for assistance, we know what areas of service to focus training on, and have discovered things that can be automated to make our clients’ lives easier.

So there you have it – the basics of the Ruby Infrastructure. Are there elements of your company’s infrastructure you consider paramount to your success? We want to hear from you!

Talk it out. Regardless of whether your associate emailed you or left a voicemail, call or talk face-to-face when emotions are running high — don’t email your associate unless it’s your only option. Conveying a positive tone in email is a lot harder than doing so with your voice. Talking to your associate gives you a better opportunity to exude calmness and kindness, and defuse a touchy situation.

Prepare. Before you talk it out, take a few minutes to consider the key points you’d like to address, and anticipate additional questions or concerns that might arise. Prepare for curveballs, too, and be ready to confidently offer help even when you don’t have the answer. Here’s a solid comeback to an unexpected question: “Great question! Let me look into that and follow up with you.”

Visualize. You can probably imagine a million ways a conversation with a frustrated colleague could go awry. But don’t — negative thinking won’t make your follow-up any easier. Instead, envision your conversation going well, and your colleague’s concerns being assuaged. Who better than you to turn a frown upside down? Go get ‘em, Tiger!

How do you respond when an associate is upset? We’d love to learn from you!

When a new client signs up with Ruby, we take a little time to get to know them and their needs with a brief chat before we get the account up and running. Last week, Kendra was talking with Tim Miles, a new client. At the end of their chat, Kendra said, “You are all set, is there anything else we can do for you today, Tim?” and Tim joked, “How about a puppy?!”

Well of course Kendra knew she HAD to send him a puppy! She ran to the store and picked up this fluffy little guy and sent him on his way to make Tim’s request come true.

Pronunciation guides. There’s a big difference between pronouncing ”Alicia” as ”Al-ee-sha” or “A-lee-see-a.” That’s why we add a phonetic guides for ambiguous or uncommon names for our receptionists to reference. And we can add guides for your company name, too, so your callers always know they’ve reached the right place!

Him or her? Just in our small office, we have receptionists named Pat and Casey! We have a special spot just for heads up on gender neutral monikers; when a caller asks for Alex, the receptionist can glance at her screen and respond without skipping a beat: “I would be happy to see if he is available. May I tell him who’s calling?”

Nicknames. If a caller asks for Jim, and there’s a James in the company, we’ll go ahead and try James’ line and offer him the call. However, if your name’s Bob and your friends call you “Scooter,” we can make a note of it in your account, too!

Our proprietary software makes sure we sound like we’re in the office, but we don’t stop there! Many times our virtual receptionists are the first person a new client will talk to. Eager to help, we’ll pass along whatever info we gather before we connect the call or when we’re taking a message. For example, you might receive a message like this:

If the pronunciation may be tricky, we’ll help you out with a phonetic guide, too! That way, when you return the call, you can put your best foot forward, instead of in your mouth. After all, we’re here to make you look good! 

Tasia, Ang, and Jewel share a laugh over a dinosaur cookie

Monica D, Ashley, Ash, Suzi, Ang, and Kristin enjoy the sweet treats!

Much love to our clients and staff! How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?

Photo by Robert Engmann

A while back, I wrote about alternatives to publishing your cell number as your business line. It is tempting to give out your cell number as your business phone number; after all, you want to be accessible to your clients and potential clients! But what if you grow and hire additional employees? You won’t be able to transfer their calls to them. What if your phone starts ringing off the hook? No one will be able to help you answer calls. There are a number of reasions using your cell may not be a scalable solution.

Have you printed your cell number on your business cards and your customers already know your number by heart? Don’t panic! Here are five ways you can get around it without anyone being the wiser:

Get a second cell phone: Forward your original cell/business number to another number; you could get a landline where your on-site staff can help ease the phone answering burden or you could forward your calls to Ruby where your calls will be answered by a friendly virtual receptionist. Then, only give your new cell phone number to your friends, family, and anyone you’d like to call you directly. The catch: Your mobile provider may count the time involved in your forwarded calls against your minutes.

Convert your cell number to a remote call forwarding line: Sometimes called a “market expansion line,” this is a number that “lives” at the phone company and forwards to wherever you point it. Then, you could get a new number for your cell that friends and family (and Ruby, if you’d like us to transfer calls to you) may call you on.

Transfer your number to Google Voice: If your current provider agrees to release your phone number to a third party, you can port your number to Google Voice for a one-time fee of $20 — there’s no cost for the service itself. Google Voice has neat features like delayed call forwarding built in, along with several others. But keep in mind that since it is a free service without a contract, there’s no dedicated support if there’s a service disruption, and in the future, Google could decide to close Google Voice and potentially keep your number.

Add delayed call forwarding (also known as Ring Busy/No Answer call forwarding) to your plan: Your calls will ring on your cell a couple times, so you can grab it if it’s a family member or VIP client; your calls will only forward to another number if you don’t answer or are on another call. Verizon has a nice overview of what this looks like. Delayed call forwarding is usually an additional feature, and just like with traditional call forwarding, the call may continue to use your cell phone plan’s minutes even after Ruby picks up.

Use one of the above and phase out your cell number: Get a new number and change it on your marketing where you can (i.e., your website, social profiles, etc.). Send out an email to your clients letting them know about the new number and ask them to call it instead. Even if you don’t combine this with one of the above, the volume of calls to your cell should be more manageable. And if you’re a Ruby client, feel free to use your Ruby toll-free number as your new number – it’s yours to keep!

Did you publish your cell phone number as your business line? What happened? How did you get around it — or did it work for you?

Name Drop. You may not be the best person to answer a question, but if you know who is, say that name!

“Can you reset my password?”

“Our technician Tim will be happy to help you with that! I’ll try his line for you.”

This works great for departments, too: “A member of our sales team would love to answer that question for you! I’ll connect you with a sales associate.”

Investigate. When you don’t know an answer, but know how to find it, this phrase is an ideal transition:

“I’d be happy to find out for you! One moment, please.”

No-Name Drop. Not sure of the best person or team to field your caller’s question? No problem! These upbeat responses work regardless:

“That’s a great question! I’ll find the best person to answer it for you. Just one moment, please.”

“Great question! I’d be happy to find the best person to answer it, and have that person return your call. May I have your number?”

Bookend With Positivity. When you know the short answer to a caller’s question is “No,” flank that negative with offers of assistance:

“Can the attorney see me at 2:00 today?”

“I’d be happy to let the attorney know you’d like to meet! She’s in court for the rest of the day, but I’ll ask her to call you and set up an appointment. What is the best number for a return call?”

Negative statements are an unhelpful letdown to callers, but luckily, we Rubys have found they can typically be skipped altogether! Got any questions for the best virtual receptionists on the planet? Please post ‘em in the comments section below!

Ruby at the 2011 "Best Companies to Work For" event

To further support our unique Core Values, we are incredibly excited to launch a new sabbatical program at Ruby Receptionists: the “Five at Five!”

In this paid sabbatical program, for every five years at Ruby, our virtual receptionists and supporting staff members will receive five weeks paid time off! During their Five at Five, Rubys are encouraged to explore our Core Values — “Foster Happiness,” “Create Community,” “Innovate,” and “Practice WOWism” – and apply them to a dream that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to realize.

We really want our employees to succeed, so Ruby will also provide grants and coaching so that they may thrive in their Five at Five. Ruby will fund a $1,000 grant to help each employee accomplish their goal, whether that means traveling around Europe, taking a class, volunteering with a nonprofit, or anything else that would make them deeply happy. Each employee will also meet with positive psychology experts Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener and Positive Acorn in an individual coaching session to discuss his or her aspirations and strategies for making them a reality through the Five at Five program.

Traditionally, sabbaticals have been reserved for global organizations and academic institutions, and as a small business, we are thrilled to be able to offer them to our staff. In fact, when CEO Jill Nelson announced her sabbatical brainchild at our January staff meeting, many Rubys were so surprised that she had to repeat the idea. Once it sunk in, everyone got very excited and a few got a little misty. Virtual receptionist Eve T. explained, “The way Ruby genuinely cares about us and our happiness never ceases to amaze me and warm my heart. This program only furthers my love for working here, and I am already looking forward to sharing my story when I hit my fifth year!” Star Service and Receptionist Cultivator Janel Hodge will be celebrating her five year anniversary with Ruby in November, and she expressed how much this means to her, saying, “A burst of ideas came to mind immediately, and I got especially emotional when Jill announced the coaching session. I love working for Ruby, so I wouldn’t want to leave to accomplish one of my other lifelong dreams — and now I won’t have to!”

The Five at Five joins other beneficial programs at Ruby, such as our paid maternity/paternity leave, employer-matched 401k, and Alternative Transportation program. This year alone, 15% of Ruby employees will be eligible to take advantage of this new, unique paid sabbatical.

Fostering happiness is a big part of our business: when our virtual receptionists are happy, callers are happy, and our clients are happy! And when we invest in our staff’s happiness, they stay with us longer and are in turn invested in making Ruby successful; in fact, the average receptionist has been with us almost a year and a half (exceptional in a field where high turnover is the norm), and all but five of our 70 employees started out as virtual receptionists.

We are committed to living our Core Values, and we can’t wait to see what each bright, talented Ruby will do with their Five at Five!

Many of our clients use virtual offices or coworking spaces for their small businesses. Renting a shared space rather than a traditional office can save money, and it can make a lot of sense for startups and solopreneurs. It’s easy to use these spaces in combination with a live, virtual receptionist service (typically as simple as forwarding your business number), and though virtual office packages may include receptionist services, there are several benefits Ruby_® offers that can’t be matched.

If you operate out of a virtual office, here are three reasons you may want to use a virtual receptionist service to answer your calls:

1. Make a stellar first impression. Front desk receptionists at virtual office buildings have a lot on their plates: answering calls for several distinct companies, receiving and distributing mail, and greeting guests all in the same breath. Hold times may be longer for your callers, some calls may be missed entirely, and helpfulness may fall to the wayside as tasks vie for the receptionist’s attention.

A virtual receptionist service, on the other hand, focuses specifically on answering phones – and answering them well. Each Ruby virtual receptionist attends “Ruby University,” training them on the best way to help callers and clients and brighten their days. With a cheerful, attentive person answering your calls, you can make the best impression possible for your business.

2. Additional call handling options. Many virtual office buildings only have the capability to “blind transfer” callers. Your caller’s experience might look like this:

Virtual office receptionist: “Thank you for calling ABC Company. How may I direct your call?”

Caller: “Hi! Is Bob Smith available?”

Virtual office receptionist: “Let me transfer you. One moment please.” Caller hears ringing until you pick up (without knowing who is calling)…or your caller reaches voicemail.

Since a virtual receptionist primarily focuses on answering calls, she can spend more time engaging with your caller and can take messages if the desired party is unavailable (instead of dropping them immediately into the voicemail abyss). Instead your caller will hear something more like this:

Virtual receptionist: “Thank you for calling ABC Company. How may I help you?”

Caller: “Hi! Is Bob Smith available?”

Virtual receptionist: “I would be happy to check for you! May I say who’s calling?”

Caller: “Fantastic! It’s Sam Jones.”

Virtual receptionist: “Thank you, Sam! One moment, please.” The receptionist would then try Bob’s line. If he picks up, she’ll let him know who’s on the line, and he can accept or decline the call. If Bob’s unavailable or declines the call, she will go back to the caller and offer to take a message: “Bob’s away from the phone at the moment. May I take a message?” And then she’d immediately send the message via email or text!

While the call handling from a virtual office may be limited, virtual receptionists are not. They can ask potential clients different questions than your current clients, route calls to wherever you are, and more! You’re welcome to customize your call handling as much as you like!

3. More features. In addition to enhanced call handling options, you can also let your virtual receptionist service know where you are. They can keep your clients informed and set great expectations on when to expect a return call: “Tim’s out of the office at the moment, but he should be back around 3:00pm. May I take a message or transfer you to his voicemail?”  At Ruby, you can update your whereabouts in a flash via email, our mobile-friendly Member Services Area, or our iPhone app!

Questions about what we can do for your business? Leave a comment below or give us a call at 866-611-7829 — we’d be delighted to help!

Introduction. Whether it’s Doctor Smith, Ms. Smith, or Susan, refer to your caller the same way she refers to herself. When given a full name, our virtual receptionist team opts for familiarity over formality — we’d refer to Susan Smith as Susan instead of Ms. Smith. Of course, when if a client asks us to address callers formally, Ms. Smith it is! As for which route you should take, we suggest checking with your employer. And always use a caller’s name when you can — it’s an easy way to engage a caller and show you’re listening!

Pace. Fast-talkers may be in a hurry, so get them to where they need to be as soon as you can. If your caller asks brief, to-the-point questions, keep your replies concise. When a caller wants to chat, engage in a little friendly banter, and when you’re asked a question about yourself, always thank your caller and reciprocate after answering: “I’m having a great day! Thank you for asking! How about you?”

Tone. If you sense any urgency in your caller’s voice, use it as a cue to reassure your caller, and take care of business: “I’ll be happy to put you in touch with our technical support manager — we’ll make sure this gets resolved.” Acknowledge any news your caller gives, whether good (“That’s wonderful to hear! Congratulations!”) or not so good (“I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ll do everything I can to help!”). When chatting with a chipper caller, have fun with ‘em, and keep your tone extra-upbeat. A caller’s a laughter is music to our ears!

Casualness. If you’re picking up a serious, uber-professional vibe from your caller, keep your tone and word choice the same. Meet casual callers with a more laid-back style. For example, positive words like Certainly! and Absolutely! work well in both cases, and expressions like You got it! or You bet! are great for those callers with an informal tone.

How do you engage your callers? We’d love to learn your tips! Share by commenting below.