The dawn of this decade has come with its fair share of challenges—some small, some not so small, and some so incomprehensively large that they’ve reshaped our entire way of life.
These once-in-a-lifetime circumstances have led to ubiquitous emails from business leaders across the spectrum, stating that we live in “unprecedented times” and are facing a “brave new world” as we head further into a still-new century.
And, as tedious as these repetitious messages can be, they’re right.
The advent of the Digital Revolution means more people are online than ever before, providing them with near-limitless opportunities for growth, education, and connection. At the same time, the world is rife with inequality, and communities of all kinds are vulnerable to environmental crises and other existential threats—issues that existed even before a global pandemic disrupted our best-laid plans.
These changes, both good and bad, have given way to an era of uncertainty. And whether business owners realize it or not, their customers are looking to them to provide a small sense of stability and comfort in an increasingly unfamiliar world.
This shift in expectations is forcing organizations to shift their focus away from business-as-usual-type questions to bigger-picture ones, such as:
“What are we doing for our customers?” and “How are we investing in our community?”
And the biggest one of all: “Why do we do what we do?”
Sure, the products and services we offer may help our clients and customers—but what are we as business leaders doing to make their lives better? What processes are we implementing to meet their needs and ensure that their concerns are actively being addressed? What steps are we taking to create personal and meaningful connections with the people we serve?
Ruby is a customer-centric company—meaning we think about these issues all the time. But before answering any of these questions for ourselves, we first looked at what they meant for our customers.
Why are personal connections so important right now?
Personal connections have always been important, especially for small businesses that rely on long-term relationships and positive word-of-mouth for their success.
But what defines a genuine “connection” between a business and its customers has changed drastically over the past decade. A birthday or holiday card might be a thoughtful gesture, but it’s not quite the same as a personalized email addressing a customer’s specific pain points. And while a pleasant phone experience can still score you points, it’s hard to beat the convenience of providing quick answers through a text or direct message.
As a result, customer expectations are higher than ever:
- 70% of consumers say they’re likely to exclusively spend their money with businesses that take the time to understand them.
- 84% of buyers are more willing to do business with account executives familiar with their goals.
- 71% of customers feel that a quick response to their service question will improve their experience with a business.
- 90% of shoppers expect their interactions with your business to be consistent across every touchpoint.
A preference for lightning-quick and highly personalized communication isn’t the only driving force behind these expectations. Just like businesses, customers have been reevaluating their priorities in a rapidly changing world. Having a superior product or offering the best value is no longer enough to win them over.
People are spending their money more thoughtfully. They want to work with businesses who honor their diversity and unique identities; who impart information authentically and transparently; and who acknowledge their individual experiences and align with their values.
Simply put, they want you to be a part of their lives.
It’s clear that all of us—business owners, customers, community members, and everyone in between—need support, empathy, compassion, and solutions.
Which is why we’re revisiting our “why.”
Out with the old…
By 2021, it became clear that our existing vision and mission were getting a little, well, old. Take a look and see if you can pinpoint when they were implemented:
Ruby’s last vision: We are building a business-hold brand known for being the key ingredient for differentiation and acceleration to all small businesses.
Ruby’s last mission: We work to create real, meaningful, personal connections in today’s increasingly technology-focused, virtual world.
If you guessed 10-plus years ago, you’re right. When we originally wrote our mission, technology in service was foreign and a little bit scary. However, technology is now a vital part of the customer experience—helping us to form deeper human connections, not replace them.
Our vision was in need of a refresh as well, namely because it lacked a focus on our customers. We remain more committed than ever to serving the small business community. When our customer succeed, communities are transformed, and we want to ensure that our vision reflects that long-term focus.
Most importantly, personal connections have been and will always be who we are as a company and how we approach our service. We knew that was a foundational element that needed to remain part of our vision and mission going forward.
All of which bring us to…
Ruby’s new vision and mission
Hover over or click on the cards below to reveal our new vision and mission:
Ruby’s vision is to deliver exceptional experiences that build customer loyalty and empower businesses to freely pursue their purpose, cultivating diverse and thriving local economies.
We want our customers to see us as a long-term partner that helps them build lasting relationships with their customers, so they can double-down on their purpose—whether it’s greater freedom, building something new, disrupting the status quo, contributing to their community—whatever their unique purpose may be.
Ruby’s mission is to create meaningful connections and provide actionable insights that capture opportunities and give businesses the freedom over when and how they communicate so they can achieve more.
We’re changing the game for small businesses through our legendary people-powered service and technology. By creating meaningful connections with each person we interact with, we seek to build lasting trust on behalf of our customers; return more of their time and freedom; and help them make more informed decisions that maximize their resources and investments.
What it means for you, our customers and community
We’re so excited to share these new guiding philosophies with our customers, partners, and everyone else in our ever-expanding network.
But enough about us—let’s talk about what this means for you!
Going forward, we’re committed to delivering more than just exceptional experiences to your customers. We’re also here to help your business be exceptional by providing unparalleled insights into the interactions and connections that drive your operation.
We use our expertise to empower you by identifying and taking advantage of unseen opportunities, acting as partners actively invested in the success of your business. Expect game-changing recommendations and personalized suggestions—all as part of our normal service!
Why are we doing this? Because we’re serious about making the world a better place. Happier customers mean more diverse and thriving local economies, a stronger small business community, and new innovations that we all stand to benefit from. Win, win, win (and win!)
Your purpose is our purpose.
At Ruby, we’re here to make it easier for you to do what you do. That’s true for our training, our technology, our service—and now, our mission and vision.
In other words, your purpose is our purpose!
We’re excited to be your partner in taking on the challenges of a (very) new decade—and we’re here to help you do it in a million different ways.
One of those ways is through free resources. Check out Ruby’s small business hub for practical tools and information you can use today to capture opportunities, pursue your purpose, and achieve more.
