Reminiscent of the iconic Rosie the Riveter, Back Office Betty poses in a superhero stance, cape fluttering aloft, headset in place and a big “B” emblazoned across her chest. If you’re not familiar with our heroine then you might be missing out on the best behind-the-scenes superstars to ever swoop in and save the day.
Back Office Betties is a boutique virtual receptionist company whose promise to answer incoming calls, schedule appointments, phone your clients to relay messages and free up your time has all but revolutionized the legal community.
This highly professional answer to other, more generalized temp services is the brainchild of founder and CEO Emily LaRusch whose own frustrating experience with no responses to repeated phone calls inspired her to launch Back Office Betties.
THE ORIGINS
“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” says LaRusch, “but didn’t feel I had that one thing that I was so great at I could go and build a business around. Then one day while working on a big IT project, I had a quick break and tried to use that time to line up a long list of home services that I needed. Nobody was answering the phone! It was so frustrating, but I thought, ‘You know, I think there’s a business here! I think I can do this better than these small shops with their solo operators.’
“Basically, that’s how the idea was born so I launched the business,” she continues. “However, about two years in, I realized it’s impossible to be an expert in so many different industries. I have a background in legal real estate, I’ve worked for attorneys, I had a paralegal on my team and it just kind of worked out that several members of my team resonated with the legal field. So, we sat down and had a discussion and it came down to three essential questions. Who values us the most? Who can we help the most? Who do we love serving?”
Hands-down the resounding response was attorneys. According to LaRusch this was the turning point when her already successful enterprise became an industry phenomenon.
“We never looked back!”
THE EMPLOYEE WHO NEVER CALLS IN SICK
Of course, developing this specialized niche took some finetuning, but LaRusch and her team were well-prepared.
“It all starts with a quality staff,” she says. “While we will consider an applicant who doesn’t necessarily have a legal background, we will not even interview unless they can successfully pass our legal skills test. If they don’t have the aptitude to pass that from the get-go, we won’t even talk to them. We respect and value our clients too much to ‘tryout’ anyone that is anything less than our professional standard.”
A surprisingly affordable service, Back Office Betties provides all the support, professionalism and services for less than a quarter of the price of a fulltime receptionist with none of the drawbacks. No coffee breaks, lunch hours or (most importantly) sick time!
“Some of the things that make us unique are that we exclusively serve law firms and we’re the only answering service that offers an unlimited plan, where you don’t have to be nickel and dimed. The flat rate also allows for unlimited calls for your team,” LaRusch explains. “Being a small company, (and I think even attorneys can learn from this), creating a niche helps us to really grow and connect with our audience because we only have one audience.
“When the market zigs, we’re zagging,” she adds. “Instead of trying to be like everyone else, we look at what we can do that’s both innovative and offers something that no one else does.”
SEAMLESS START. CONTINUED COVERAGE.
Aside from costs, the most common concern among potential clients is, “How long does it take to setup?”
According to LaRusch, “We start with a setup in less than 24 hours and then continue to deliver amazing service with lightning quick answer times, appointment scheduling, intakes and delightful receptionist services. You and your associates would no longer have to scramble to answer incoming calls or spend time dialing up clients to relay a message.
“Quality is our number one priority,” she adds. We guarantee that your callers will never be placed on hold to take another call and we promise to answer at least 90 percent of calls in four rings or less.”
With a variety of plans from which to choose, Back Office Betties has a price and plan to suit virtually everyone. They keep their overhead low and pass that along to their clients. They even offer a free trial period so attorneys and small firms can see if the service suits their needs.
“Remember, we understand not just the legal terminology, but the ins and outs of law office operations,” says LaRusch. “With most answering services you are one of 300 customers, all from varying industries and your calls are being answered not by one dedicated person or team, but whichever operator happens to grab that call. There’s no way under these circumstances to create an intimate experience. We limit our teams to six people or less so that we can create that intimate experience and those team members really get to know their clients.
“We look at ourselves more as fractional employees rather than just an answering service.”
Based on the overwhelming stellar reviews, their clients agree.
