4 Alternatives to Using Your Cell as Your Business Number

By Katie Wilson | 12.16.2010 |

Photo by Trace Meek

Every day, our bright team of live virtual receptionists is cheerfully answering phones for small businesses all over the country. Over time, we’ve developed a keen eye for what works and what doesn’t. If you’re thinking of publishing your cell as your business number because it seems like the easiest way to go, think again! We’ve put together a few alternatives to help small businesses like yours avoid future headaches and hassle:

1. A “remote call forwarding” line. This is a line that is not attached to any physical phone; it “lives” at the phone company and will simply forward to wherever you’d like. You can forward this number to your cell phone at first, so you will be able to have the benefits of availability to clients, but — and here’s the good part — when your business grows or you move into an office, you can install the number with a physical phone!

2. Grasshopper. Grasshopper provides a service much like that of a “remote call forwarding” line from your phone company; the difference is that it’s purely virtual. You can still choose from a pool of different numbers, but because it’s virtual, Grasshopper provides additional features!

3. Google Voice. This may be the most flexible of the options, and it’s free! Choose your number and have it forward to your cell, home, office, somewhere else, or all of the above simultaneously. Mashable published a helpful article detailing how this works and other ways you can use Google Voice for business. Pretty snazzy indeed!

4. A landline. Ok, so maybe this one’s not as “revolutionary” as the previous ideas, but it might be useful to have an actual landline installed in your home or office that you can manually forward to your cell. It will keep the numbers discrete, and you’ll be able to use this phone for outbound calling as well.

If you’re opening a business or considering publishing a new number, I hope this handy dandy reference guide will help you avoid the pitfalls of working off your cell. Whatever you decide, remember that Ruby’s live virtual receptionists are available to handle your calls with their signature charm and can-do attitude. If you’d like to have a little extra help around the office, here’s how to get started. In no time at all, you’ll have the assurance that your calls are being answered with care by a cheerful, live person every time.

Why Not to Use Your Cell as Your Primary Business Line

By Katie Wilson | 12.14.2010 |

Why not to publish your cell number As a live virtual receptionist service, we spend our days answering phones for all kinds of companies, many of which are small businesses just starting out — or even one-man or one-woman operations on the go. As a small business, it may be tempting to use your cell number as your business number. The logic is that your clients will appreciate your accessibility and you’ll be able to catch that new client call at any time of the day. However, you might want to think about the long-term consequences.

Your business doubles in size. Congratulations! You’re a huge hit and to accommodate the demand, you’ve had to hire on more people. If you receive all the calls on your cell, it might be tricky to transfer calls to other employees.

Do you really want to play the role of receptionist and CEO? As the owner of a business, you have a lot going on. If you’re stuck answering the phone all day, you may not have enough time to focus on running your business. Another factor to consider: even if you decide to stop playing receptionist and start providing direct cell phone numbers for each of your employees, your operation may seem piecemeal without a central business number.

Your phone starts to ring off the hook. Your cell may start to ring day and night with personal and client calls, and it could start to get unwieldy – and fast. If you make your business and personal lines separate to begin with, you may save yourself a lot of hassle later.

Now that you know the reasons why not to publish your cell phone number as your business number, you may be wondering What are my other options? Stay tuned for this Thursday’s post: “4 alternatives to setting up your cell as your main number.”

Answering the Phone: 3 Ways to Make Your Company’s Greeting Great

By Phoebe Osborn | 12.09.2010 |

Photo by Michael Pujals

First impressions: you never get a second chance to make them, and at Ruby_® Receptionists, we’re all about making them great. To our remote receptionists, every telephone answering experience is a chance to show our super-friendly stuff. A company’s greeting plays a key part in making an impeccable impression on a caller, and we love helping new clients craft greetings that wow. Here are three elements that an excellent greeting includes:

1. A greeting. (Duh.) Simply stating your company name isn’t enough. Begin your company’s greeting with “Hello,” or “Thank you for calling,” or, if most of your callers are in the same time zone, try “Good morning/afternoon.” Better yet, combine two or three of these friendly options in your greeting! Welcome your callers with a few friendly words before saying anything else. A little courtesy goes a long way!

2. Your company name. Now, “Hello” is a great way to begin a greeting, but it does not a greeting make. If you’re answering your phones with “Hello,” call a company meeting pronto and nix that nuttiness. A plain “Hello,” is plain confusing to callers, and it’s likely to make them question whether they’ve dialed the correct number. Always state your company name when answering calls. You’d hate to have a potential client hang up on you because they think they’ve misdialed, right?

3. An offer of assistance. “How may I help you?” Ah, what beautiful words. Let your callers know you’re raring to make their day by ending your greeting with a helpful question. “How may I help you today?” and “How may I assist you?” are rock solid. Are you routing calls rather than answering questions? Try “How may I direct your call?” Is there a question you need to ask every caller? Ask it! (“May I have your account number please?”) A helpful question is the ideal end to a great greeting.

Here’s what the finished product looks like: “Good morning! Thank you for calling ABC Company. How may I help you today?” I feel good just reading it. Sure beats the heck out of “Hello”!

How do you greet your callers? What works for you, and what doesn’t? We’d love your feedback!

Ruby Receptionists Celebrates the Holidays

By Sarah Sackett | 12.07.2010 |

2010 has been a fantastic year for our team of virtual receptionists! We have launched an iPhone app, been honored with several illustrious awards, welcomed some fabulous new faces into our phone answering team, and we are looking forward to what 2011 will bring!

Before we jump into the next big chapter in the Ruby storybook, we wanted to take some time out to honor a year of great accomplishments and celebrate our team of top-notch live virtual receptionists and staff! Last weekend, we brought out the glitz and glamour for our annual Holiday Gala.

Ang Gray, Ashley Hampton, and Sarah Sackett

Staff Manager Ang Gray, Client Services Director Ashley Hampton, and me!

Emily B. brought her mother and they were sweet as can be!

Holly T. crocheted a little Ruby to attend the party!

Our Scheduler Bri Popson and Amanda S. enjoying the festivities

Rubys Lauren O. and Jami R. with friend Madeline (left)

Thank you to everyone who made our night so enchanting! It was a fun party to plan, and I am already looking forward to next year’s party!

Did your office have a get together? Share how you made it a special night in the comment section below!

How Ruby Can Help Remote Employees

By Katie Wilson | 12.02.2010 |

We’ve come a long way from being tethered to a desk by a landline and bulky typewriter. We now have mobile phones and laptops that allow us to get work done wherever we happen to be, wherever inspiration strikes. There’s also a newfound freedom to work with whomever you’d like, regardless of location. With today’s software – email, videoconferencing platforms, sophisticated phone systems – it’s easier than ever to run a virtual office.

However, it is more important than ever to project a unified, professional image for clients. Customers want to be assured that you have a cohesive team and are able to get the job done. Ruby understands. Our virtual receptionists answer phones for many virtual offices and remote employees, and we’ve seen them thrive. Here are three ways Ruby helps:

One number to rule them all. Terrible Lord of the Rings puns aside, one central phone number makes a business look established. With only direct dials or cell phone numbers to give to clients, your operation may seem piecemeal. Ruby will help you get your phones in order (we’ll even provide a toll-free number), and our cheerful team of live virtual receptionists can transfer calls to you whenever and wherever you like.

Ruby makes you look bigger and more professional. Your callers will think we work in your office – even if you don’t have one! You get all the perks of a top-notch receptionist, without paying the salary and benefits. We even use advanced technology that is so seamless, no one will know the difference — unless, of course, you tell your callers you work remotely!

Take advantage of your freedom! As Attorney William Ferreira of Automotive Defense Specialists told us, “I take road trips and vacations…. It’s awesome. With a laptop, an iPhone, and a few files, it’s a mobile practice – I love it!” No more waiting by the phone, hoping you don’t miss your next big client’s phone call; Ruby’s got your back! We’re here for you, so you can be wherever you’d like!

In the spirit of freedom, if you could travel wherever you’d like without worrying about your business, where would you go? Post your answers below!

Answering the Phone: 3 Ways to Make Any Caller Happy

By Phoebe Osborn | 11.30.2010 |

Virtual receptionist Brooke R.

If you’ve heard them, you already know that our remote receptionists are cheer experts. How do the Rubys do it? Well, our live virtual receptionists have a simple goal: to make a positive impact on every caller’s day. A less-than-happy caller is just an opportunity to go the extra mile and prove that we’re more than an answering service! Turning every call into a positive experience is easier than you might think. Here are three simple ways to make every call an upbeat one:

1. Focus on the positive. You may not be able to do exactly what the caller wants, but you can always help in some way. When asked a tricky question, frame your response around what you’re able to do. Rather than saying “I can’t do that,” try beginning your response with a positive comment, such as “As the receptionist, I can…” or “I’d be happy to…” There are tons of things you can’t do (fly? read minds? name all the state capitals in 10 seconds?). What matters is your willingness to help in whatever way you can.

2. Don’t boss. Always ask for information from your caller — never demand it. If your caller’s not in a good mood to begin with, they definitely won’t appreciate being told what to do. When gathering a caller’s name, for example, use a polite question like “May I have your name?” Avoid statements like “I need your name.”

3. Be polite! Not sure how to come across as gracious? Stick with the old standbys your parents taught you: please and thank you. Use these magic words, and use ‘em liberally — they work, and they’re increasingly rare these days. Any time a caller answers your question, reply with a “thank you.” When asking a question of your caller, try peppering it with a “please.” And don’t forget the cherry on top! When a caller says “thank you,” always respond with “you’re welcome!”

How do you wow your callers? Share the wow wealth and let us know!

Ruby Receptionists Gets a New Home!

By Katie Wilson | 11.29.2010 |

Photo by Cathy Cheney, Portland Business Journal

We are thrilled to announce that Ruby_® Receptionists will be moving next year! Thanks to a lot of hard work by Ruby Founder/CEO Jill Nelson and innovative thinking by Principal Mike Nye with Capacity Commercial Group, we have found the perfect new space to accommodate our growing virtual reception service. It took over a year for us to find the right place, and we happily ended up finding a fantastic location in the eco-conscious Lovejoy Building, just a few short blocks from our current studio. Our new home will be located on Lovejoy Street – the perfect street name for a company devoted to Fostering Happiness!

We wanted to make sure that our new space would have the capacity to keep our live virtual receptionists happy while we grow so that Ruby can continue to provide the top-notch service that our clients rave about, all from the heart of the Pearl District.

The Portland Business Journal has published an article chronicling the big decision. We had initially negotiated lease terms for the top floor of another building but lost it at the last minute to technology giant Microsoft Corp. After that, it was kismet that brought us our new home. Our office broker Mike Nye formulated a plan to ask his former client Bryan Howe with MasterPlans to move to smaller quarters in the Lovejoy Building and have Ruby take over the rest of the floor. MasterPlans agreed. After that, it was smooth sailing; as Wendy Culverwell wrote in her article, “Ruby Receptionists was an easy tenant to approve. Its business model works well in a down economy and it had a history of paying Pearl District rents.” We’re delighted to have secured such an amazing space and are looking forward to growing and supporting even more businesses.

If you’re a subscriber of the Portland Business Journal, you can read the full article here. Otherwise, you can read it in its entirety via the Portland Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

Ruby’s Remote Receptionists Volunteer at the Food Bank!

By Sarah Sackett | 11.24.2010 |

We at Ruby strive to actively foster happiness, create community, and generally make people’s day just a little brighter. It only makes sense that we extend that same commitment to community service when we’re not answering phones. Last week, a team of Ruby’s helpful remote receptionists embarked on our third annual volunteer night at the Oregon Food Bank.

We brought the usual Ruby enthusiasm to the task of packaging rice and grains. It was hard work, but we gave it our all with smiling gusto. We kept ourselves entertained with jokes and stories, and we may have even had a few group sing-alongs! Visiting the Food Bank each year is a really great opportunity for us to connect as a team, get our hands dirty, and feel proud of our commitment to our Portland community. Fifteen of our remote receptionists and administrative employees worked with several other teams to pack a total of 10,760 pounds of food! That is 57,280 servings of rice and oatmeal that will help ease hunger in thousands of families.

Interested in volunteering with the Oregon Food Bank? You can set up a time to package food, donate, or discover other ways to give. If you’re not in Oregon, try Feeding America‘s Food Bank Locator to find local ways to get involved!

Here are a few pictures of the Rubys volunteering up a storm:

Business Tip: How to Run a Successful Incentive Campaign

By Sarah Sackett | 11.16.2010 |

Incentive campaign

Ok, so you’ve done all your prep work. You know what you want to do, you have a plan… now how do you make it happen? After running several energizing campaigns for Ruby_®Receptionists’ live phone answering crew, I’m excited to share four more tips about the nuts ‘n’ bolts of running an inspiring campaign!

Timing is everything. During your busy season, it might not be in your best interest to launch a participation-based campaign when your staff will be focusing elsewhere. However, incentive campaigns are a fabulous tool to add some pick-me-up to a slow season or a dreary winter month!

Make it fun! Incentive campaigns should shake up the ol’ humdrum routine and make people feel appreciated and part of team effort. Competition can be a valuable motivator for some people, but it can also tear a team apart, so it’s important to find a balance.

Promote. I like to launch our incentive campaigns at our quarterly staff meetings because it gives me a chance to get our virtual receptionists jazzed about it right off the bat. After you launch, be sure the keep up the cheerleading! Use everything you’ve got — emails, company newsletters, a bulletin board, flyers in the office, intranet sites, and so on to promote and create excitement.

Find your influencers and get them involved. Leading by example works. Getting your company’s senior members and managers on board is definitely important, but employees look up to more people than just their boss. Regardless of their title, if you can find those influencers and put a bit of extra focus on getting them engaged, I think you will be surprised with how well that will motivate your team as a whole.

You’ve heard what I do for our team of live virtual receptionists; are there other tricks that you use to keep employees happy and motivated? Post your tip below!

3 Secrets to Party Planning Success

By Sarah Sackett | 11.11.2010 |

The Ruby Holiday Party 2009

I love the holidays, don’t you? Something kind of magical happens that creates a grand sense of togetherness…or maybe it’s the eggnog – who knows? The point is, this is a great time of year to get your team together, reflect on a year of hard work and celebrate the New Year with a holiday party! Our virtual receptionists look forward to this shindig all year, and over time, we’ve developed a few key takeaways. Here are 3 quick tips to make your party a smashing success without the stress!

1. Mind Map Software. This is a handy tool to help you visualize your brainstorming process. And after creating a mind map you can import it into Microsoft Excel. Once there, you can easily create a task list and assign responsibilities and due dates and even organize your shopping lists so that you stay on track!

2. Pick a Theme. Don’t feel limited to season-based themes like “Winter Wonderland” — it can be anything that inspires you! This year, peacock feathers sparked my imagination with their unique shape and vibrant color tones. For our holiday party invitations we used an image of a feather, and our table settings and centerpieces will be centered around a beautiful jewel tone color scheme.

3. Write a “Request for Proposal” (RFP). Send an email with all the details of your event to your potential locations and vendors. See this adaptable list of what you should include. The RFP will help you get the most clear and accurate quote by establishing clear expectations with your event space and vendors.

Organization is key to throwing a wow-worthy party, and with these tools, your get-together is sure to be epic. Happy holidays and happy party planning!

The Watercooler.

Keeping it personal in a virtual world.

Tagged with: remote receptionists