When I first started working at Ruby in 2017, it wasn't fantastic, but it was manageable. On average, we were getting about 10 seconds between calls, and the calls that we were answering were generally for businesses that should have an answering service. Sure, out of 200+ calls per day, I would get one or two spicy meatballs that would be stressful, but overall it was fine. In addition, if we were having a difficult day, we had a few different options. We could call out with PTO without needing to give a reason, or we could request a “trim”, which would allow us to leave work early for the day without pay.
Both of those options came in handy when I would have a stressful day, which would happen fairly frequently. For context, I spent 6 years as an elementary teacher, and maybe had 5 bad days total. I would have a hard day at Ruby about once a month. This is because even if Ruby was the best company they could possibly be, you're still taking over 200 calls per day in a fake customer service voice, which is very emotionally draining. The fast pace can also be grueling. I felt like a small cog in a large machine, and I see from the other reviews that I’m not alone.
The most difficult things that I had to deal with (at first) were difficult or tricky calls, or when the floor got really busy. Sometimes we would have periods of 30 minutes to an hour that were very busy, and we would have zero time between calls. We were always told to “buck up” and handle the red floor, and not get up for the bathroom or snacks during that time. Ok, fine. That’s not ideal, but we can deal with it. Then after that 30 minutes, we can take a breath and collect ourselves. Spoiler alert – The floor has been in a state of absolute non-stop craziness for the last 18 months. No breathing room whatsoever. Constant stress. Zero time between calls all day every day. And we were expected to just bend over and take it.
One red flag that I should have noticed when I started working at Ruby is that I kept hearing from multiple sources that the general Portland area has been tapped out for talent, and anyone who has the skills to work at Ruby has already been hired and quit, due to Ruby’s terrible turnover rate. This led to the hiring of many people that had no business trying to work at Ruby in the first place. It is a fast-paced receptionist job, and new hires would come through that had no idea how to use a computer and were very awkward on phones.
The following is a partial list of the anti-employee decisions that were made during my tenure:
-Trimming was changed to a self-service program, making it much more difficult and stressful to try to trim during your shift.
-Trimming was not available at all during the permanent red floor
-A new attendance policy was instituted which automatically terminates a receptionist if they call out sick more than 5 times in a rolling 6 month period. Yikes.
-The Parking and Outbound Call additional responsibilities were turned into a chore instead of a privilege by revamping the whole system without telling any of the receptionists before it happened. This completely changed the day-to-day for about 40 employees, nearly all of whom hated the change and how it was implemented. All for the sake of slightly better efficiency.
-The pay scale was decimated, and it was presented to us as good news. Prior to the change, a 10 year tenured receptionist could expect to make about $27/hr, and after the change, that number became $23. It was unironically presented to the employees as a great change that we should all love because it is good for the long-term growth of the company.
-”Monday Munchies”, which was one of the perks that they loved to tout, was canceled outright.
-The method in which the stats were calculated were constantly changing. As soon as I got a good feel for the day and got a good flow, they would change the rules and I would have to learn how to do the job all over again. During the permanent red floor, and during covid, and during the time that everyone was already stressed to the max, they decided to change it again.
During covid, callers have become a lot more difficult to deal with. Most of this is not directly due to managerial decisions at Ruby, but it definitely factors into your daily stress level. Taking constant and escalating abuse became a standard part of the job description. During covid, about one third of the people I talked to were extremely rude. They would often shout profanity or threaten us when they learned that we were an answering service, not the actual company they tried to call.
In addition to the bevy of anti-employee decisions, one big stressor at Ruby is that it is nearly impossible to get promoted. I interviewed for a promotion 17 times during almost 4 years at Ruby. For context, I am a well-spoken person, and I have a college degree and management experience. I was also damn near the best receptionist at Ruby. All the receptionists knew me and most of them liked me. Yet, I’m a straight white male, which Ruby does not promote. I was told by Jill (the founder and former CEO) during my initial training that when she is considering applicants for a position, if the final two applicants are both men, she won’t hire either of them, and she will try again until she can find a woman who can do the job. That should have been my first red flag. But Ruby is so culty that they know how to use the perfect phrasing to deceive you and think that you are part of this big happy family. I was also informed that I didn’t get the job multiple times via form letter. I told management directly that it doesn’t feel great to hear that via email, and to please at least tell me in person. But of course, it was form letters only from then on.
In addition to that, nearly every time that I wasn’t promoted, I was told that it was very close. They said that I “Almost got it”, and I should apply next time because they really want to see me in that position. I was stupid enough to believe that the first couple times. The 3 or 4 times that I did receive feedback, it was vague, unhelpful, non-actionable, or contradictory to previous feedback.
During covid, I took it upon myself to bring it to the attention of “SCW” and “MB” (You know who I mean) that everyone was completely burned out. No response. I then said that it was getting so bad that we were all considering creating a union to have better working conditions. That got their attention, and I was able to have a video meeting with them. In no uncertain terms, I told them that the combination of the permanent red floor, influx in terrible callers, the attendance policy change, and the constantly changing expectations, the job had become literally inhumane. Guess what happened then? We got an email from “MB” telling us to just not be so stressed. Not helpful.
I thought that I knew what unhappiness was. Wow, was I wrong. Before working at Ruby, I had zero mental health issues my entire life. Directly due to Ruby, I began having panic attacks and severe depression. I know that a lot of people look at these Glassdoor reviews as just a way to take a big steamy dump on the company, but please know that I am telling the truth here. This is a not a place that is habitable for humans. Please. Please. Please. Do not fall into their trap. This has been a public safety announcement.
Also, during the BLM protests, it was announced that for Juneteenth, the Black employees could get that day off. JUST the black employees. That is obviously unethical and illegal, but that’s Ruby for you. Someone must have pointed that out to Kate (the new CEO), because we got an email the next day saying that everyone would get a day off. Then what did they do the next year? Make everyone work that day. I guess slavery didn’t happen anymore. Textbook virtue signaling.
None of this is news to management. Everyone is aware that the situation is completely out of control. They’ve had 18 months to hire enough people to staff the floor properly, and they have failed to do so over and over.
Management has been aware for a very long time about how literally every receptionist is burned out. They simply don’t care. I wish I could make this bold and in 100 point font.
This is a cult. You have been warned.
