Tagged with: virtual receptionists

Ruby Celebrates 2011 with Our Annual Holiday Party!

By | 12.12.2011 |

On Saturday, our virtual receptionist team gathered together at our annual holiday gala to celebrate 2011 and Create Community with each other outside of the office. 2011 was a big year for Ruby®, and as our Founder/CEO Jill Nelson put it: We found out what we’re made of. In the first half of the year, we launched a brand new, completely customized communications platform, adding several new features and making our virtual receptionist service even better. We also were named one of Oregon’s Fastest Growing Companies and moved into larger quarters in the LEED-certified Lovejoy Building. And then there was our crowning achievement: nabbing the title of #2 Best Medium-Sized Company to Work For in Oregon. 

We are incredibly grateful for all of our employees, clients, and vendors for your support during this epic year and for making Ruby such a wonderful place to come to work! We can’t wait to see what 2012 brings!

Here are a few photos from the night, with even more to come on the Ruby Facebook and Google + pages!

Marie, Jill, Keith, Kristen

Kaci and Dallas

And then we danced the night away!
And then we danced the night away!

Special thanks to the folks at Holocene — everyone was so nice and helpful and the space was perfect! Also, a huge shout out to our Director of Culture, Sarah Sackett for organizing this faulous bash!

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Ruby Creates Community in Our New Office!

By | 09.30.2011 |

We had so much fun with our local clients and friends at our open house last night! It’s so nice to be able to spend time with everyone face to face and chat; after all, Creating Community is one of our Core Values! It was a real treat getting to know our clients and vendors even better. We know that not all of our clients had the opportunity to come out last night (our virtual receptionist service serves businesses in virtually every state!), but hopefully these pictures will make you feel like you were right here with us:

Pete Krebs Trio

The Pete Krebs Trio jazzed the place up!

Special thanks to Devil’s Food Catering for providing yummy snacks, Deschutes Brewery for donating a keg of their special Chainbreaker White IPA (yum!), and MyBartender for serving our drinks and being so sweet throughout the planning process. We’d also like to give a shout out to the Pete Krebs Trio for providing snappy tunes for our shindig! And of course, thank you again to our clients for coming out and making the night truly special!

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Confessions of a Virtual Receptionist: How to Sustain Pep & Cheer Throughout an 8 Hour Day

By | 09.20.2011 |
Virtual receptionists Marie, Lianne, and Mercedes

Rubys Marie (left), Lianne, and Mercedes at this year's "100 Best Companies to Work For" awards

We’re proud to say that today’s guest poster is one of Ruby®‘s talented virtual receptionists, Marie!  

“How are you are so perky?” Ask any virtual receptionist at Ruby, and she will surely tell you of a time when a caller or client asked her this very question. Our usual response is something about copious amounts of coffee, but I wanted to give a more comprehensive answer to this fabulous question. Personally, I draw energy from three main sources: Positivity, Health, and Community.

Positivity

  • Language is a powerful tool. Replacing drab words like “ok” or “sure” with WOW words, like “absolutely!” “fantastic!” and “certainly!” makes callers feel more cared for, and their happiness reflect back to you.
  • Phrasing your sentences so that the caller knows what you CAN do keeps calls on the right track, and everyone stays up beat.
  • Keeping your tone of voice cheery and helpful can create a positive atmosphere. To do this, simply smile while you speak. You’ll find that your tone of voice perks up as your lips curve up!

Health

  • Knowing ergonomically correct posture keeps my energy flowing in a positive direction. OSHA is a great resource and offers many solutions that I’ve seen Ruby employing such as wrist rests.
  • Healthy snacking is another way I keep my energy levels up. We virtual receptionists know that talking on the phone and eating do not mix, so I make sure to have something munchable ready on each break.

Community

  • Creating Community is
    Baby Panda

    Via Awesomer

    one of the Ruby Core Values, and it has been game-changer in my work experience. The little things my co-workers do for me can completely turn my day around. I was chipper for the rest of the morning after Lianne sent me this little guy!

  • Being friendly isn’t unprofessional! Personalized notes and emails are a great way to make someone feel appreciated, which makes everyone involved more cheerful! We received one of these e-cards from a client recently, and it made our day!
  • Lastly, I brighten my workspace with objects that make me smile. I keep special notes from my family and co-workers, along with a box of crayons for crafting fun cards:

    • Virtual receptionist Marie's desk

What do you have at your desk that makes you smile throughout the day?

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Why Have Ruby’s Live Virtual Receptionist Service in Portland, Oregon?

By | 09.09.2011 |
Rubys' virtual receptionists supporting the Oregon Ducks football team!

Rubys sporting yellow and green in honor of Oregon Ducks football!

Here at Ruby®, we are all about getting to know our clients and Creating Community with everyone we interact with. We answer phones for companies across the nation and Canada, and we enjoy learning about their communities, industries, and businesses, so we thought we’d share a little bit more about where we live and why we’re proud to have our virtual receptionist service in Portland, Oregon.

7 fun facts about Portland:

1. The Pacific Northwest is known for being green, which aligns well with Ruby’s sustainable business practices. Our office building is LEED certified, and we even have a Ruby Green Team!

2. Among Portland’s many nicknames are Bridgetown, Stumptown, and the City of Roses.

3. Portland was ranked the second most bike-friendly city in the world last year, second only to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. We also have lots of alternative transportation options, including buses, a light rail system, and a streetcar that stops right outside the Ruby office.

4. Portland’s home to the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world, Powell’s Books. Ruby’s just a few blocks down the street!

5. There’s a massive food cart culture here — over 200 carts city-wide! My personal fave is the Potato Champion; they have Belgian style fries — yum!

6. Portland is a very crafty city (and many Rubys are avid knitters, jewelry makers, and artists), and birds are indeed a prevelant motif.

7. Coffee, coffee, coffee! Like all good PacWesters, we can’t get enough. Local roasters, Stumptown Coffee and Nossa Familia keep our virtual receptionists bright and cheerful all day long.

I could go on and on! One of the great things about a virtual receptionist service is that it can be based anywhere, and the receptionists can sound like they’re right in your office, miles away; however, our cheerful virtual receptionist service is imbued with Portland’s vibrant, friendly culture, it’s no wonder we’re able to sound so happy!

Still curious? Check out this video by local creative agency Sockeye, for a virtual tour of Portland:

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5 Reasons Ruby’s Virtual Receptionist Service is the Perfect Fit for Technology Companies

By | 08.23.2011 |
Ruby will make you feel right at 127.0.0.1

Thankfully, our receptionists send messages in plain old English, not binary

Ruby® gets technology. Our virtual receptionist service uses advanced, customized software coupled with old-fashioned smarts and friendliness. Our cheerful virtual receptionists answer phones for many companies in the technology field, from software developers to IT consultants to computer repair technicians. There are many reasons technology companies have found a home with Ruby; here are five ways we can help your business:

Appear bigger and more professional. Whether you’re solo or have a dozen employees, having a live, friendly person answer your phones can be a boon to your company. Our virtual receptionists are all bright, articulate “people” people who will impress your potential clients and keep current clients happy.

Connect remote employees. Many technology companies contract employees who work from home — or are even spread across the nation. No need for everyone to give out their personal cell phone numbers; a virtual receptionist service like Ruby can provide a central number and a unifying image.

Look good even when you’re not available. Are you out in the field frequently? Or are you often working on projects that require a high level of concentration? By updating us as to your whereabouts on your mobile phone or by email, our virtual receptionists can track you down on your cell or take a message so that you can get some peace and quiet. Feel free to take a Java break without having to worry about the phone!

Have messages relayed in a flash. No more dialing into your voicemail box and wading through old messages. No more coming into the office to pick up your written messages. Virtual receptionist services have come a long way from when you had to call into your answering service for your messages. With Ruby, your messages will be delivered by email and/or text message, and your voicemails can even be sent via a .wav file!

Track your usage in real-time. With our mobile-friendly Member Services Area, you can monitor your usage at a glance — not to mention search through old messages, view Caller ID information, export your call reports to Excel, and save contacts straight to your phone or email client.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of Ruby is having your phones answered by a live, friendly person who sounds like she’s in your office, at a fraction of the cost of an in-house receptionist. As Brian O’Neill, owner of Link Systems, told us: 

“I get consistent compliments about how ‘nice and pleasant’ our receptionist is on the phone. The vast majority of callers have no idea the Ruby staff isn’t sitting in our front office. Other business associates are amazed at how well your staff does their job of not sounding like an ‘answering service.’”

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Meet Ruby, Your Real, Live Virtual Receptionist!

By | 08.12.2011 |

Ruby® Receptionists gets her close-up! There’s nothing quite like video to capture the essence of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Take two minutes to learn a little more about Ruby, your real, live virtual receptionist! 

 

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of the imaginative minds at Sockeye for bringing Ruby to life, our wonderful clients with whom it’s a pleasure to work every day, and our talented Rubys for encompassing our Core Values in everything you do!

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You’re Invited to a Night at the Movies with Ruby!

By | 08.04.2011 |

Next Thursday, Ruby® Receptionists is proud to be sponsoring a special screening of Academy Award® nominated director Roko Belic’s new film HAPPY – and you’re invited! Quite a few Rubys will be in attendance, and if you’re in the Portland area, we would love for you to come with us, on the house!

As you may have guessed, the film focuses on one of our favorite Core Values — happiness!

Check out the trailer:

The free screening will be at the Clinton Street Theater – 2522 SE Clinton St – next Thursday, August 11th, at 7:00pm. In order to get on the list, simply email rsvp@callruby.com and tell us how many people will be attending with you. Space is limited, so claim your seat soon!

Our virtual receptionist team is looking forward to connecting with our clients, coworkers, vendors, and friends, and sharing this inspiring movie with you. Hope to see you there!

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Ruby’s Virtual Receptionist Service: Behind the Scenes with FAQs

By | 08.02.2011 |

Recently, we took a peek into how Ruby®‘s virtual receptionists in Portland, Oregon are able to sound like their sitting in an office miles away. Specifically, we looked at the advanced software that our virtual receptionist service uses to sound so seamless. But that’s not to whole story. Our virtual receptionists have a myriad of tools at their disposal (including good ole fashioned smarts). Another way that they sound so great: FAQs.

Virtual Receptionist Emily B.

Virtual receptionist Emily B. is an FAQ answering pro

Some key information is included in every client’s account when they sign up. This info is in the same spot in every account, so that the receptionist can glance at it to quickly answer any basic question. Your business’ address, published phone number, fax number, website, and hours of operation are all included for quick reference.

But what about more specific questions? Ruby clients can absolutely give us a few frequently asked questions to include as well. A few popular topics:

Your Services. If you tend to receive a lot of clarifying questions around your services, feel free to provide us with a little extra info. In fact, if there’s anything that you don’t do (say, you’re an estate planning attorney and don’t handle criminal cases), we can make a note of it and communicate that to callers, too! Callers are educated and you take only the most relevant calls.

Pricing/Rates. Do you offer free consultations? Have a set rate for your services? Our virtual receptionists can easily let callers know. If you would prefer to discuss your rates with potential clients, we will politely relay that to callers and see if you’re available.

Employment Inquiries. Do you prefer that applicants email you? We’re happy to inform job candidates of your preferred method of contact and to whom to address inquiries.

Have additional questions about how we answer phones? Feel free to check out Ruby’s own FAQ section or post your query in the comment section below!

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Ruby’s Virtual Receptionists Put the Fun in Creating Community!

By | 07.26.2011 |

Each quarter, we like to add a bit of fun to our virtual receptionists’ days with an incentive campaign. These campaigns are based on our Core Values and tie into our company mission. I’ve already shared with you how we fostered happiness with our Random Acts of Happiness scratch ticket game. This quarter we are focusing on our Ruby value of “Creating Community” with our “Client Connections Bingo” game.

Virtual receptionist Amanda D and her winning bingo board!

Virtual receptionist Amanda D and her winning bingo board!

While anyone can connect calls to another line, we are in the business of connecting people. Ruby isn’t just any old answering service; we relish the chance to really get to know our clients and be a meaningful part of their day. And that’s what this quarter’s campaign is all about.

Over the next six weeks, our virtual receptionists will be embarking on a scavenger hunt, of sorts, to learn more about our clients. The bingo board is filled with actions that help create community with our clients – like sending notecards, making a caller laugh, or sharing stories with the team of all the great connections they have made. They will also be on the look out to learn more about our clients to help them get to know them a little better and maybe even find some interests in common! Each time they complete a task or learn a new fact, they get to cover a block in the bingo board and try for a trip to the bingo prize table!

How do you connect with your clients? Share your fun tips below!

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