Heather Furby made a grab for sanity this year and more power to her.

You’ve heard the story. Hey, I’ve told the story a couple times.

After five years in practice, Heather was struggling with the whole phone tag thing. She was always embarrassed not to be able to be more accessible, phone tag went on and on and Heather always felt behind the proverbial ‘8 ball’. By the time she reached the client in person, the situation felt old.

Heather was also getting a lot of calls where no one would leave a message. She’s pretty sure those folks were calling around to find someone who would pick up the phone and book them right then. She knew she was losing clients.

She knew she could get an answering/scheduling service, but worried that whoever she hired wouldn’t be able to read her clients’ energy over the phone. She was concerned that no one would be able to intuit her clients’ needs and book them in the right spot.

Heather needed someone to efficiently schedule the clients she already had, and be welcoming and reassuring to new clients. She needed someone that could become an integral, professional part of her business and its personality. And she needed help that would more than pay for itself.

Looking at the options became something of another job for Heather and her operations director (and husband), Alan. They looked at on-line scheduling programs and at various businesses that book for bodyworkers. These seemed impersonal and not part of where they wanted the practice to go.

Ultimately, they were fortunate to find a local virtual assistant service that caters especially to small businesses.

Heather chose them because they wanted to be an integral part of her business. This service spent two hours interviewing Heather and Alan to understand how their practice works. Heather felt they listened to her and didn’t act like they wanted to change the way her practice is run. She felt like she could decide what she needed today and then could add or subtract services as necessary.

Heather’s clients are pretty impressed. They are happy that they can book an appointment quickly and get basic questions answered. They are also confident that Heather will get her messages and get back to them in a reasonable amount of time. I hear it’s not unusual for a client to walk in looking for her new receptionist and being surprised that there isn’t one on site.

Heather is pleased, too. Having someone to take care of the phones frees up her time and spirit. Her scheduling is far more compact and reasonable; she doesn’t end up with a 7:30 a.m. appointment and an 8:00 p.m. appointment with nothing else in between. She doesn’t have to deal with clients who want her to squeeze them in at the end of the day. She also knows she has chosen a service that will seamlessly grow with her practice.

So think about these things. Heather saw a huge drain on her time and energy reserves. A virtual assistant to take care of the phones was her solution. She did spend a lot of time at the front end researching and interviewing. Her time investment was repaid when she found someone she was confident in.

This service currently costs her about $425 a month. However, the bookings this service brings in are more than paying for the fees. Everyone is happier and healthier.

(By the way, the virtual assistant company she chose is Reliable Receptionist. Their website is a good example of explaining complicated things in a simple way.)

All my best,
Eileen