Back Office Betties

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior partner at Schiff & Shelton, a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Back Office Betties?

We wanted some continuity in reception services. We experienced challenges when replacing staff, training new hires, and having them follow specific procedures. After our last receptionist left, we decided to try out a virtual service. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with basic services like answering the phone. After that, we stepped it up to using Back Office Betties for more outsourced reception, like sorting calls, taking messages, and screening calls to filter out those we didn’t want. The next step is scheduling.

What is the team composition?

I’ve had contact with half a dozen different people. My business partner works directly with their account people, and I interact with the people who contact me with calls. There’s also incoming regular communication from Back Office Betties about upgrades and changes. They’re very informative.

How did you come to work with Back Office Betties?

When we were starting to look into remote services, my partner and I suspected that many of our colleagues used them. At one point, I placed a call to a colleague and asked if they used a receptionist. They said they used Back Office Betties instead and recommended their services. 

It was so seamless. They were professional and pleasant, and they could deal with annoying people on the phone with a smile. I’m really pleased with all that. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend a couple hundred dollars per month for what I used to pay someone a few thousand dollars a month to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in late 2018 or early 2019 and is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Back Office Betties has benefited us way more than I expected. My productivity had increased because I have greater peace of mind and don’t have to spend time on a number of tasks that Back Office Betties takes care of. My stress level has had a significant decrease as well, in part because I don’t have to hire and train receptionists. I also have some flexibility in location; I can take a call outside my office and be available or unavailable when I please. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They absolutely make me look really good, without question. I’ve had so many positive comments from clients who’ve contacted my office and complimented my receptionist. I’ve, of course, never met her but I agree that she’s fantastic!

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I have no criticism at all. If they can do it, I’d encourage them to develop an app so that we can have a little more functionality than me trying to access their website on my smartphone.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of a boutique social security disability law office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Back Office Betties?

Because I have no in-office help, I rely on virtual assistants around the country to support my practice. Back Office Betties assists me in this area.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Back Office Betties provides virtual reception services, scheduling appointments for me through Acuity Scheduling. 

In the beginning, I worked with Karen (Client Manager) to create a script for the call staff, which included a questionnaire that would help us qualify prospective clients. Their team would then schedule appointments for consultations.

It was important to me that the receptionist understood how to handle situations when something didn’t quite fit the protocol. They needed to answer the phone in a friendly way so that callers could understand immediately if they qualified to meet with us and then book a time. 

What is the team composition? 

Besides Karen, they’ve assigned a dedicated reception team of 6–8 to answer my phone. The team has been consistent, which means that they've quickly understood the ins-and-outs of my needs, what I’m looking for, and when they should contact me. I’ve also worked with Emily (CEO).

How did you come to work with Back Office Betties?

I previously worked with a vendor that I loved, but they didn’t offer any services to vet qualified leads. After trying out another company, I found Back Office Betties through a recommendation from a private Facebook group of attorneys.

They stood out to me because they were so customer service-oriented. Right from the start, the team was committed to making sure our relationship worked. We had check-in calls to see what was going well and brainstorm opportunities to improve. 

How much have you invested with them?

Over the course of the year, we’ve spent about $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around April 2019 but are temporarily pausing due to the coronavirus.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The questionnaire has saved me and my other virtual assistants countless hours. It used to take my staff about nine hours to schedule and confirm an appointment. But now, with Acuity Scheduling, prospective clients can go in to reschedule or cancel their appointments on their own, which was key for me.

How did Back Office Betties perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was great. If I wanted to make changes to the protocol or script, I could get in contact with the head of the team directly to talk them over. I always had the option to schedule a 15-minute call, too. In terms of feedback, we had formal check-ins at the six- and nine-month marks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is what really stands out. It’s high-quality service at a personable price. Most of the time, callers thought that they were right here in my office.

There was one day when a client was really melting down, and the receptionist took the time to work through the issue with them, even though it was outside of our scope of work. The call took about 30 minutes to resolve, but they stuck through it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish I could access their messages through a secure iPhone app. When communicating through email, there can be a liability issue, so they’re working on an iOS app to handle that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an attorney at my own practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Back Office Betties?

I needed someone to do back-office work, and I didn’t want to hire and train another employee.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Back Office Betties is my receptionist. If people call my number, the call will go to Back Office Betties. It’s a live person that people don’t know isn’t in my office. They then do a warm transfer for me. I have different scripts for different types of clients calling in. When it’s a new client, it’s never a warm transfer. Back Office Betties instead collects information over the phone and puts that in an email to send to me first. They then set up a time for me to talk to that new client. 

Back Office Betties provides other voice services, too. For example, if clients want to make a payment over the phone, the team can take that information and apply it to my actual operating account. I’ve recently hired them to do scheduling over calls as well.

The setup was very customer service-oriented; they supported me step by step. Shortly after, I switched from Verizon to Vonage. Back Office Betties helped with that setup, too. It lets me answer calls from both my office phone and my cellphone. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve regularly spoken with 6–8 people who’ve passed me calls. I know them by name now.

How did you come to work with Back Office Betties?

I talked to New York State Bar people about back-office service providers they used. Back Office Betties was one of their recommendations.

How much have you invested with them?

I spend about $3,000 per year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in September 2017 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Back Office Betties is the face of my company: they’re the first people that a new client talks to. People think their team is a receptionist in my office. I’ve never had an issue where someone didn’t end up hiring me because of their communication with the Back Office Betties team.

How did Back Office Betties perform from a project management standpoint?

Anytime they communicate with me, they send me a feedback response. They often ask where they can improve, and I can never think of anything. Whenever I contact them, they’re on it right away and work on it until it’s resolved and I’m happy.

Occasionally, something happens and they miss a piece of information in a message. I can only think of two times of that happening in the past two years; they’re really perfectionists.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never had a customer service experience like the one they’ve given me. If I ever need anything, they bend over backward to help me get it.

The team is personable and never in a rush. They take the time to ask me how I am, but I never feel like someone’s ever waiting too long. They’ve also been amazing as far as remembering I’m a client. For the first year anniversary of when we started working together, I got a package of cookies from Back Office Betties thanking me for being a client. 

Recently, I had been on the phone with one of their team members and mentioned that I was really ill. A week later, I got a package of frozen chicken noodle soup with cookies and biscuits from a professional company. That was amazingly thoughtful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

That’s a hard question to answer because I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good conversation about what you need for your business and what your expectations are. They’ve always responded to any questions I’ve had.