Abby Connect

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Jenna Blackwood: Boomer Consulting is an accounting consulting firm. We work with clients all around the US and Canada. I’m a financial and accounting coordinator, so I help with a lot of the day-to-day operations. 

Erin Cheever: I’m a director here at Boomer Consulting, mainly focused on project management as well as operations and leadership.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Receptionists?

EC: A lot of our employees began working remotely, and the use of a receptionist went away when we decided to sell our building. We needed to find a remote option to be implemented so that our employees could focus on their main roles and responsibilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

EC: Abby Connect serves as our remote receptionist and a gatekeeper in the sense of connecting with our employees. The team answers the phone, greets the callers, and takes the information before forwarding the call onto the appropriate individual. If that person doesn’t answer, we get either an email or a voicemail, depending on if the person left a message. 

Abby Connect also keeps a list of our most important clients. When those individuals call in, they’re checked as a VIP to make sure they can connect with the right people. There’s a different level of customer service.

What is the team composition?

EC: We have one main point of contact who acts as our account manager. Beyond that, I”m not sure how many people are on the team.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Receptionists?

EC: The person who used to be in Jenna’s position is the one who originally did the research to find and connect with a vendor. I believe she had a lot of referrals from other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

JB: We spend $499 per month. Altogether, we’ve probably invested about $12,000 since we started working together.

What is the status of this engagement?

EC: We began working together in January 2019, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

EC: We don’t really keep track from a metrics position, but we’ve looked at a couple of things. One area is the list of VIP clients, who we reached out to to check in on their experience with Abby Connect. We got some good feedback from them that we were able to share with our account coordinator. 

We haven’t really had any issues. Our partnership has been very successful. 

How did Abby Connect Receptionists perform from a project management standpoint?

EC: I don’t have a lot of feedback on that aspect to be honest. They just play the role of receptionist, and we don’t really have them do anything outside of that. Our account manager is awesome — she always gets back to us in a timely manner, and usually has a fix to any issues that come up. I have nothing but positive things to say about her.

JB: I’ve never had any issues. We’ve never had a late invoice or anything like that. Everything gets processed correctly and on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

EC: The team is extremely pleasant and professional on the phone. People often think they actually work for our company, which speaks to the fact that they’re not just a generic call center. Abby Connect takes a personal approach to answering calls. 

JB: Whenever they forward a call on to me, they do so very quickly and they’re very pleasant. It’s always a really smooth process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

EC: The only time we communicate with our account manager is when we have an issue. It would be nice if they could reach out more often, just to check in and ask how things are going.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

EC: The biggest thing we learned at the beginning and realized we had to fix was setting up expectations of how we wanted things to be from the beginning. We did to a point, but it would’ve been more helpful if we were as detailed as possible about expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an SEO company that services personal injury attorneys. I’m the director of strategy here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Receptionists?

We don’t have an in-house receptionist and were looking for a solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We a small, niche firm, so we needed to change some of their typical intake data sets. Once we had everything in place logically, we started with them as our virtual receptionists. When customers call, one of their teammates answers the phone and gets all necessary data out of the prospects before committing them to a consultation.   

What is the team composition?

They have a team of intake operators that take our calls. I don’t have one specific point of contact.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Receptionists?

We did our due diligence with providers in the space, speaking with their team in addition to others. Once we decided they were the right fit, we stuck with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $300–$400 each month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since around January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve really helped us out. Since we’ve been using their services, all of our clients can get a hold of a real person on the phone to fill out the data I need to set up consult meetings.

Their service is irreplaceable unless we were to have an on-staff receptionist around the clock. Because they can answer the phone at any time and provide the data we need, we have all the information we need for meetings ahead of time. That makes going into consultations much easier. 

How did Abby Connect Receptionists perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, there was plenty of collaboration to get our service set up the way we wanted. Now that we’re settled, the engagement runs on its own without needing much managing. We communicate over email when needed. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

At first, they weren’t getting the right data with their questions on the phone intake. Once we brought that to their attention, they were willing to nail down a process that worked, even making some staff changes. They were adamant about making us happy. It’s been smooth sailing since. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re versatile with strong customer service skills. I’m happy with their services.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’ve tried many of their competitors. That being said, we can verify that their team is a leader in this space.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a small CPA firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Abby Connect Receptionists?

We hired Abby to answer all incoming calls and redirect those calls to specific individuals at our firm. Some are bookkeepers, some are admin. They take the initial call and based on what the call is in regards to, they direct that caller to the correct individual.

What were your goals for this project?

To get clients to the correct people at our firm in a timely manner.

SOLUTION

How did you select Abby Connect Receptionists?

Online search

Describe the project in detail.

Abby answers all incoming calls and redirect those calls to specific individuals at our firm. Some are bookkeepers, some are admin. They take the initial call and based on what the call is in regards to, they direct that caller to the correct individual.

What was the team composition?

They have staff that answers the calls as they come in and every one is trained to ask the caller specific questions to get them directed to the right person at our firm.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

It saves me time by not having to answer incoming calls. We also no longer have to have a receptionist at our firm.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

If there is an issue, I reach out tp our account manager to figure out a solution when needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They answer the calls on time and seem to be knowledgeable on how to direct the calls.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Perhaps training the new comers so we dont get random calls from staff who did not know where the caller is supposed to go.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company helps people struggling with infertility, aiding them in finding egg or sperm donors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Receptionists?

They’re our call center services company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

 When clients call our main line, they answer. In their conversations with existing clients, they take messages or transfer callers to our case managers. If a caller is a new client, they will either transfer their call to me or take a message. Later, our team will call them back to schedule an appointment. 

What is the team composition?

We work directly with one account manager, but there are many agents taking our calls that we don’t speak with.  

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Receptionists?

The owner of our company reached out to a few vendors and make the choice to go with their team over the others.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent under $1,000 since starting our partnership.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, they’ve been a good team to work with. However, some of our clients have felt a lack of warmness when talking to them. Because of the sensitive nature of our industry, tone can be very important. 

Additionally, there have been times that emails and phone numbers were taken incorrectly by their team. It would be helpful for them to pay a bit more attention to detail to confirm information is accurate. By the time clients reach out to us, the only information we have is from their team. If any of the contact information is inaccurate, there’s no way for us to get a hold of the interested clients.   

How did Abby Connect Receptionists perform from a project management standpoint?

Our account manager is great and on top of everything. Whenever I have questions or concerns, I’m able to get everything resolved right away. After they take a call, they communicate with us right away. They have a good internal system for doing that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their customer service and responsiveness. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they could work on the accuracy of recording phone and email addresses, that would be very helpful. It would also be more ideal to assign our account to an individual representative rather than sending our callers to anyone that’s available. That would allow their representatives to better understand our company.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend hosting a short training session with their team, so they can learn what your company does. Industry knowledge would really help. Encourage them to double-check the contact information they recieve as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a law office that handles cases for pet owners. I’m the founding attorney.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Receptionists?

We didn’t have the staff to answer all incoming calls.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was extremely time-consuming for me to listen to 10–15 voice messages each day and prioritize them based on urgency. We’re a small firm, and I also didn’t have the funds to bring in a full-time receptionist. They were brought on as a remote receptionist team, asking pointed questions about callers’ situations to deduce which calls were urgent and needed a quick response from me.  

What is the team composition?

There are about six of them on my account. We have one main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Receptionists?

We did a search and offered trial periods to about four companies.  

How much have you invested with them?

Over the years, we’ve spent between $20,000–$25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2018.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve saved me at least an hour each day of listening to voicemails and have done a good job getting accurate information from potential clients. Their team also effectively sets the expectations for when I will be calling them back.  

How did Abby Connect Receptionists perform from a project management standpoint?

Our engagement is very consistent and predictable. They’ve got it all covered. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been very accommodating when I have concerns, need additional clarification, or need to switch plans. Their customer service is most impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve always accepted and adjusted to my suggestions for them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Test out a few firms. You’ll have direct contact with a salesperson, who will hold your hand through the whole process. That differentiates them from others.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder of Lawclerk.legal, a marketplace that connects busy attorneys with freelance attorneys who will complete written products—including motions, pleadings, and discoveries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect?

We’re a startup, and we didn’t have the resources available to have somebody answer our phones 24/7. We provide services nationally, and we needed receptionists available at all times.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Abby Connect to replace an unsatisfactory vendor that caused various problems. We previously experienced challenges ranging from poor response times to poor general customer service, and we weren’t always receiving our messages, which defeats the purpose of this kind of service. We rely on Abby Connect to answer phones and take down messages, but they do not set any appointments. Once each message is taken, they send a member of our staff a text message and an email with the information. Our teams collaborated on a script for the receptionists, and Abby Connect helped us enter a partnership with RingCentral.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager, but I am unsure of how many receptionists we have assigned to us.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect?

We met them at a conference, and we were griping about the challenges we faced with prior service providers. They indicated how they would troubleshoot and address those issues, and they offered us a two-week free trial. That was successful, so we hired them full-time.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $360 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in June 2018 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Prior to working with Abby Connect, we ran into instances when we did not receive messages or we were sent messages with inaccurate names or details. Since turning to Abby Connect, we can respond to clients immediately. We receive constant feedback from our users about how pleased they are with our responsiveness, and all of that is predicated on Abby Connect delivering messages that are timely and accurate. We couldn’t operate without them.

How did Abby Connect perform from a project management standpoint?

Their leadership group and their receptionist team are very responsive and friendly. I’m remarkably pleased. They help us work through every technical issue, even if it isn't on their end, to make sure their service worked well for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is fantastic. I haven’t worked with another company that's as responsive as them. They’re willing to help troubleshoot and make sure we get the service we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m entirely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve found great value in their message-to-text service, so I would recommend that to other clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent life insurance and retirement planning advisor with a small group of clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

Initially, I went to them for office space, and their staff also answers the phone for me.

SOLUTION

How easy was the integration?

It’s great. It allows me to be out seeing clients or work from a remote location. They do a great job of answering phones and getting me the messages.

Did you have to train them on your specific business?

I have the option to give them a script, but I don’t. I took a few minutes to explain to them what I do, but they had already been trained as to what they needed to do.

Have you used a company like them in the past?

I have not.

Any other services do they provide for you?

In the package I have, they collect the mail, answer the phone, take messages, and forward calls to me. In the past, they took reservations for seminars that I was doing.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

I was looking for an office, and the location and size of their office space, the ability to have someone answer the phone, and their cost fit well with my needs.

What is the team dynamic?

There’s a large pool of receptionists answering my calls.

How much have you invested with them?

I spend $1,050 per month.

What is the status of the engagement?

I started working with them in January 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How much time and money do you think this service saves your company?

I couldn’t hire somebody for what they’re doing. If I hired an assistant, it would still make sense to have someone answering the phones.

Do you have any success stories or accounts of customer feedback?

I appreciate the convenience of having somebody answering the phone whether I’m in the office or not. It has improved my customer service because my clients like to talk to a live person. Even if I can’t talk to them, they can leave a message or a voicemail.

Are there any additional features or tools you were impressed by or didn’t expect to receive with the service?

I know they offer a lot more, but I have a pretty basic package.

Have you ever had to interact with their support team for any technical issues?

They are good with support. They address issues quickly.

How frequently are you in contact with the service provider for updates and quality assurance purposes?

I’m in contact with them monthly.

Is there anything that can be improved?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend that you sit down with them and discuss what their services are. They have a wide variety of clients, so they can explain how their services would best fit your company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are LUXE International Realty which is a property management and real estate company. I am the property manager in our office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

We don’t have very many people in our office. Abby Connect helps us tremendously by answering phones and sending them to the right people. They weed through the calls and determine if they are sales calls or actual tenants.

SOLUTION

How easy was the integration into your company?

It was super easy. They went over everything with us. They know about our company and are able to give what they can to the callers without sending them to me or someone else.

Did you have to train them on your specific business?

We gave them a description of our company including what we do and what calls need to go to who.

What is the scope of their involvement?

We have them work for us the full day. They know my schedule during a typical day. If I have meetings, I just let them know when I’m going to be unavailable. They either take messages or hold all my calls which is really great. They can let a caller know something about a certain property which is a huge help when I’m not here.

They transfer calls and take messages. They get messages to me in a timely manner and set up meetings if I need them to. A few of the girls are bilingual and are always willing to help me with clients who may not have English as their first language.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

My broker was the one who found them. I believe she picked them based on the fact that we were looking at a couple different office buildings and this building had Abby Connect in it, and they offered that service. The selling point was that they were here in our office.

What is the team dynamic?

We have the same one or two receptionists representing our business.

On an annual or monthly basis how much does your company spend to utilize this service?

I don’t know.

When did you begin working with them?

August 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any success stories or accounts of customer feedback?

They do a great job. There isn’t anything I would have them add. The customers say the girls have great personalities, are upbeat, and knowledgeable. Our clients are pretty happy with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love the fact that there are bilingual employees. Especially in the real estate market, you get all walks of life. People that help me translate and get the correct information to-and-from people who don’t speak English helps me so much. Receptionists that I’ve had in the past don’t always have that quality. That has really helped our company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It runs great as it is.

Have you ever had to interact with their support team for any technical issues?

We had some phone issues a couple weeks ago. I told them about it and it was fixed within 15- 20 minutes.

How frequently are you in contact with the management or the receptionists?

If there’s any update, we get emails from them. If we have any questions, we just ask. They’re usually right on top of things. They always update us if the phones are going to be down for any reason.

Do you have any advice for potential clients?

Communication is key. If you have anything you want specified, let them know. They’re so great at working with everything that they’ll be more than happy to provide that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a lawyer and sole practitioner in Franklin, Tennessee. Most of my practice is concentrated on estate planning and elder care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

I broke off from a prior law firm 18 months ago and started my own practice. About six months in, I heard about these virtual receptionist services. I was trying to answer the phone and do everything else, and I couldn’t spend the time doing that. Due to the nature of my practice, most of my clients like to have some type of personal touch. Sometimes they’re hesitant to leave a message.

I’ve actually hired someone as my assistant now, and if she doesn’t pick up in four rings, then the call is sent to Abby. Abby takes the call and gives the call to me or gives the caller the option of voicemail or leaving a message. I would consider Abby my backup contact now, whereas I initially considered them my primary contact.

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

How easy was the integration?

It was very easy. I just needed to figure out how to forward the calls to them.

Did you have to train them on your specific business?

I didn’t provide them a script. I would be at that point now if I didn’t hire an assistant. The person I hired knows the questions to ask and the protocol.

What was the main difference once you hired them from your business before?

My clients can call in and get somebody who’s live.

Any other services they provide for you?

I can’t think of anything. I haven’t taken advantage of some of the general services that they offer like making calls on my behalf. I don’t need anything like bilingual services. They have voicemail boxes that I utilize through email.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

I checked out both Abby and Ruby. The initial price point for both was about the same with Abby being $10 cheaper. The next price point, additional minutes, was actually significantly less than Ruby.

Abby had good reviews just like some of the others did. I also checked out other virtual receptionist services too. I didn’t make my decision solely on price. I talked with them and I liked Abby. I felt for my clientele it was a good fit. I very much enjoyed talking to them.

I had used Abby for four months and then I hired somebody. I thought I wouldn’t need them anymore and I discontinued the service. I called them to terminate the service explaining that I had hired someone. They were great about it, and we ran it to the end of the month. A day or two later, I had to let the person go that I had hired. I called Abby back to see if they would take me back, and they very graciously did. The person I hired now is wonderful, but I’ve kept Abby too. I realized how important it was for me to have that second line of defense.

How much have you invested with them?

My cost is $409 per month which comes to $5,000 per year approximately.

When did you start working with them?

I started working with them in February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t know that I can quantify it in terms of dollar savings, but I can tell you that for me, particularly the first several months that I had them, I thought it was invaluable because it enabled me to be able to leave the office. I didn’t have to worry about the phone not being answered. Before this, calls would go to the voicemail, but with Abby, I would get an email or voicemail - I would know instantly if someone called. With them, I know I have two lines of defense and when my clients call in, they’re going to talk to a live person during normal business hours.

I’ve had clients say they want to meet my receptionist, and I have to tell them they’re in Las Vegas. I think there are a lot of folks that are surprised to learn that the person is not in my office. The Abby team never lets on that they’re not here.

I have a friend that was asking me about virtual receptionist services, and I told him about Abby. He was surprised at how easy it was. I explained to him why I went with them, and I hope he does the same thing. I’ve recommended them to one or two other people as well.

It’s nice having that peace of mind knowing I’m covered. There’s a lot of people that don’t want to leave voicemails, so it can make all the difference in the world.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like the voicemail to email.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any suggestions. What they’re doing is fine with me. I inquired one time if they have any other services.  I don’t know the other services they offer. I’ve been happy with what they’ve done.

I’d like to get to the point where I have a full intake process set up with them. I know they’re capable of doing that, but I know it helps if you have the person doing the intake being someone who does that all the time and knows the questions and doesn’t just follow a script. I work with some elderly clients that need help with that. I don’t think Abby is set up for that, but I don’t know that they need to be. I have that now with my assistant.

Have you ever had to talk with their management?

Yes. I’ve had some periodic calls from their team regarding how they’re doing and asking for feedback.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Davis Law Firm is a law practice that practices mainly in the area of dangerous weapons laws in California. I’m an attorney.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

I wanted someone to answer the phone when I’m not there. I like to have a personal connection with my clients and I feel like if they’re just getting a voicemail, they’re missing that. I think the clients like that and the value.

Have you worked with another provider in the past?

No.

SOLUTION

How easy was the integration?

It was very easy. We just had to work with RingCentral to coordinate the 800 number, but outside of that, everything was easy.

Did you have to train them on your specific business?

We answer the phone and they tell us who’s calling. There’s no real training procedures. I gave them a script of what I go through when I first answer the phone. They get the person’s name and number, the reason they’re calling, and if they’re a client or not.

What was the main difference once you hired them from your business before?

Our level of service has improved.

How did you come to work with Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists?

I talked with someone on the phone when they first contacted me. I liked the way they represented the company and what they presented was exactly what I needed at the time.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $400 per month.

When did you begin working with them?

The beginning of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I haven’t heard any feedback from my clients, but I haven’t heard that someone wasn’t able to get in contact with me. They were able to talk to someone, so that was good.

It’s made it easier for me to keep up with calls. They send me an email with the information I requested, and I can look at it and see if it’s someone I need to call back right away or later. It’s made my triage response to the phone calls a lot easier.

They answer my phones all the time. As far as time saving, I would say it’s more time management. It allows me to shut off my phone and focus on writing a brief knowing that my clients at least have a person to talk to when they call. Sometimes clients don’t leave messages if they get voicemail. It’s probably gained me clients because I’ve gotten information to call them back.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was surprised that the girls that answer the phone were consistent. I liked that because it made me feel like when my clients call, they’re usually getting the same person instead of a bunch of people. It makes it feel like they’re in the office as opposed to being a call center. The more consistent they are, the more I feel that my clients feel like there’s someone physically there. It feels more personal.

I like the people who answer the phone. They sound like they’re nice people and they’re very polite. They use the script which my own people didn’t even do. One of the receptionists I had before using Abby Connect answered with a different name for my company when I tested him. I don’t have the issue with training everybody now.

They took care of the phone for four hours one time when I was writing a brief. People called and I still got the messages and emails.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it’s a little expensive for what I do, and I still haven’t figured out how they do the billing. Outside of that, I think it’s a good service.

How often are you in contact with management?

I haven’t done that.

Have you ever had to interact with their support team for any technical issues?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential clients?

You can use them like a receptionist. Let them know what your schedule is, and they’ll work with you. I feel like I’m getting more than just a call service.