Whether you’re a lawyer, accountant, or small business owner looking for a virtual receptionist service, doing research is always the first step. While Abby Connect is #1 in answering services and virtual receptionist services according to hundreds of interviews and reviews conducted by ConsumerAffairs.com, we encourage all of our potential clients to explore their options and find the best match before choosing a service.
Ruby (formerly Call Ruby Receptionists) is a firm that provides virtual receptionist and live chat services to businesses. While they offer many similar services to the ones Abby Connect offers to customers (Guaranteed Live Answering, Bilingual Virtual Receptionists, Mobile App etc.), there are some major differences between the two companies.
Pricing
Like Abby Connect, Ruby offers 100, 200, and 500-minute plans to their customers. Currently (as of 5/18/2021) the pricing structure for each company is as follows:
| Ruby’s Price | Ruby’s Cost Per Minute | Abby’s Price | Abby’s Cost Per Minute & Overage | |
| 100-minute plan | $349 | $3.49/minute | $329 | $3.29/minute |
| 200-minute plan | $629 | $3.15/minute | $599 | $3.29/minute |
| 500-minute plan | $1,499 | $3.29/minute | $1,380 | $2.76/minute |
Both firms offer custom package options for over 500 minutes which you can learn about by contacting them directly.
As displayed in the chart, Abby Connect’s prices are lower for each complimentary plan compared to Ruby’s. Customers should also be aware of overage fees and late payment fees.
You also may want to note that while pricing changes may occur in any business service as technology, wages, and expenses increase over time, Ruby is known for having more frequent price increases. Since 2016, Ruby has increased their pricing structure 5 times.
Both Ruby and Abby Connect offer unlimited users, contacts, and voicemail boxes.
Live Answering Hours
Abby Connect offers three different time solutions to best suit your needs. You can use Standard Answering (8:30 am-5 pm Monday-Friday, in your time zone), Extended Hours (5 am-9 pm PST Monday-Friday, and 6 am – 6 pm Saturday and Sunday), or 24/7/365 answering to better serve clients at any time of the day, including on holidays. If your needs fall a bit outside of those ranges, we can usually find a custom hour solution for you as well. Abby Connect has been providing 24/7 service since 2015.
Ruby provides customers with 24/7/365 live answering and customers can pick the hours they want Ruby to answer. Ruby has offered 24/7 coverage since 2020.
Receptionist Teams & Support Access
No one likes to reach the stereotypical call center. This is why Abby Connect uses small, dedicated teams of receptionists to answer your calls. You and your callers will become very familiar with the receptionists answering your calls, as they will with you. They soon will truly become an extension of yourself and your business. Each team consists of 5-7 receptionists. The number of teams you are assigned will depend on how long/which hours of the day you need us to be available.
When outsourcing any service, it’s advisable to check how many different people may be assisting your business and to learn how they are trained and kept up to date.
Your business is personal to you and we want to provide you with a personal experience. Abby Connect provides you with a dedicated Customer Success Manager, which means you’ll have a single person overseeing your Abby Connect account, who you can contact directly, and a Team Lead for your receptionists who help implement changes quickly and ensure your callers are receiving top-quality care.
Behind the Scenes
This is an exciting time in the customer service industry and many businesses have seen tremendous growth, including Ruby. As of today (5/18/2021), Ruby has a 3.2 rating on Glassdoor from their own employees, with 49% saying they would recommend the workplace to a friend. For prospective clients, Glassdoor reviews offer insight into the attitudes of the employees doing the work, turnover, and how employees feel about the company values.
At Abby Connect, we believe happy employees create better experiences and services for clients. Abby Connect Receptionists spend their off-phone time training on their clients’ accounts and industries, working on personal development skills, and supporting their team members. In online employee reviews, Abby employees showcase how much they love their company and their clients, with a 4.9-star rating from Abby Connect employees, 97% would recommend to a friend and 99% approval of CEO (as of 5/18/2021).
Conclusion
Although you could try either service, trying Abby Connect is free. Abby’s receptionists will work for you for 14 days for free to earn your business and show you the impact our service can have. Choosing Abby Connect as your virtual receptionist service will provide your business with a highly skilled dedicated team that pays close attention to your account and business details and always keeps our customers in mind when making decisions that affect them.
As a company that provides #1 answering and virtual receptionist services, we hope to assist you through finding the best phone and answering solutions for your business as much as possible. Contact us with your questions and inquiries.
*All information is accurate and cited from Ruby.com, Glassdoor.com, and AbbyConnect.com as of 5/18/2021.
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