Like many small business owners, husband-and-wife team Mike and Amani began with a dream and a purpose. Driven to help children in their community achieve their full potential, and tired of working for other people, they decided to leverage Amani’s background in occupational therapy to launch Sensory Kidz, LLC.
Today, the occupational and speech therapy clinic provides individualized, life-enriching programs and services to children of all ages with special needs (such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD), as well as those who “just need a little boost to reach their developmental milestones and academic goals.”
Balancing customer service demands with the realities of running a business in the 2020s
Customer service is the foundation of any business, but it’s especially important for an organization like Sensory Kidz. When many calls are from parents navigating sensitive, challenging issues such as diagnoses for their children or the complexities of Medicaid, empathetic, knowledgeable service means everything.
But ensuring that level of service requires specialized training, as well as round-the-clock availability. As his business started growing, Mike quickly found he was in short supply of both.
“I was doing five things at one time. When the phone rang, I had to go into therapist mode—even though I’m not a therapist—because families are anxious to get something done,” Mike said, jokingly adding, “we needed more Mikes.”
The COVID-19 pandemic complicated the situation further, particularly when the economy started reopening. Many children who went without therapy for months or an entire year, as well as those who received delayed diagnoses due to doctor unavailability, were all seeking therapy services at the same time.
The distractions, disruptions, and interruptions were adding up—and costing Sensory Kidz precious time and energy. Still, for Mike, hiring an extra set of hands to help with answering the phone wasn’t the right approach.
“At the end of the day, the hours in the day are important for me, but I can’t justify that cost yet for a physical person to sit there for responsibilities that may only equate to about a half day’s work, if that,” he said. “I would have to train them. We’re not there yet as a company.”
Set up for success
Fortunately for Sensory Kidz, there’s Ruby. As the go-to customer communication solution for growing businesses, Ruby ensures Sensory Kidz’ callers connect with warm, knowledgeable virtual receptionists. Plus, Ruby’s flexible pricing and service model are built for maximum cost-effectiveness and control.
For Mike, Ruby started demonstrating value as early as the account setup process. After looking at another option he felt wasn’t very user-friendly or straightforward, he was relieved to quickly and painlessly get started with tools that are easy to interact with on a day-to-day basis.
Mike particularly admires Ruby’s personalized approach in tailoring the solution to his needs.
“Onboarding went through a good bit of my business and what I needed. They asked some questions on how I wanted to set up and after that it was just four or five clicks,” Mike said. “I really didn’t have to do any type of heavy lifting, which I loved.”
Ruby’s mobile app and online portal are vital tools for Sensory Kidz, helping Mike prioritize his workload and make informed decisions on how to follow–up with every caller—whether it’s a new or existing client, or even a solicitor.
Peace of mind is priceless
Before handing over their phones to Ruby, Mike estimates answering calls and resetting himself after hanging up the phone took two to three hours out of his day.
“Peace of mind is worth a lot,” he said. With Ruby, Sensory Kidz has that peace of mind. They can trust the first point of contact for current and potential clients will provide an exceptional level of service.
“You know calls are going to be answered professionally, you know the messages are going to come to you, and you can decide how to move forward,” said Mike.
While they didn’t get their wish for “more Mikes,” Sensory Kidz now has the next-best thing. With Ruby, they have a partner they can count on to provide callers with a compassionate customer service experience, all while creating the operational efficiency Mike and Amani need to continue growing their business and pursuing their purpose.
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