FAQ

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Where are the Personal Assistants located?
All of our personal assistants are professionally trained, hired, and managed in our call center in Dallas, TX. We do not outsource any portion of our process.
What are your hours of operation?
Our team of personal assistants are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (366 on leap year).
Where can you call the service from?
Our toll-free numbers work anywhere in the continental United States, including all parts of Canada and some parts of Mexico. International users can either email in their requests, call into a local phone number that we provide, or we can set up an international toll-free number for access anywhere in the world (additional charges apply).
What are the standard card specifications?
Our standard cards are printed on high-quality, laminated 30 mil CR80 credit card sized plastic cards. Both sides of the cards are printed in full color with variable printing on the back for the account and internal control numbers. The finished card measures 2.125 inches by 3.375 inches.
Do you have any options for presenting the VIP cards in special packaging?
Yes. We can design a custom greeting card/card carrier that can be made in any size. We recommend either a 5”x7” card or a 3.25”x4.625” card. We can optionally insert the card into the carrier with a glue dot and can also supply envelopes.
Who creates the artwork for the cards and card carriers?
We have an experienced in-house creative department that can work with clients to ensure complete satisfaction with every design.
Can I customize the size and shape of the cards?
Cards can be made out of practically any material and die cut into almost any shape. We have made cards out of leather, metal, and even wood. Materials and sizes are left to your imagination.
Do you have any green solutions?
We have eco-friendly cards available made from 100% biodegradable corn resin. Our custom card carriers can also be printed on recycled paper.
How does a card recipient activate the service?
The first time recipients of the cards call the toll-free number listed on their VIP card, they are prompted to enter in the 12-digit account number on the back of the card. Once their phone number is verified, they are transferred to a personal assistant that will greet them in the name of the company that provided the service and ask them for their first and last name. Every call thereafter will be routed directly to a personal assistant that will greet the caller by name and deliver the custom greeting and closing. We also build custom web portals for clients so that their recipients can activate the service online.
Do you have to use the service from a cell phone?
No. You can register any phone number on the service. Most programs allow the recipient to activate only one number on the service, therefore the cell phone is by far the one that most people activate. We can design programs that allow multiple names and phone numbers to be registered on one account. (additional charges apply)
Can the service be delivered without the use of VIP cards?
Yes. Since many of the companies that we support do not have the opportunity to interact with their clients face-to-face, we have programs that send recipients a welcome e-mail with a link to activate the service. This is very popular with travel agents and membership associations that give the service to their membership bases. If you prefer something other than VIP cards, the account access numbers can be imprinted on anything.
Do callers have to stay on the phone to get their request completed?
No! Callers can have their personal assistant send them their info through a return phone call, text message, and/or email.
How are the service minutes calculated?
The call timer starts the second a personal assistant answers the phone and runs until the query is complete. All partial minutes are rounded up to the next full minute. Callers that do not choose to stay on the phone for their request to be completed are charged for the amount of time their personal assistant took to complete the request.
What happens when a card recipient runs out of minutes?
We do not sell callers additional minutes and always send the caller back to the client. If someone calls with 2 minutes remaining and has a 5 minute request, we complete the call without telling them that they have run out of minutes. Then, the next time they call in, we let them know that their account has run out of minutes and offer them a complimentary request before informing them that they need to return to where they received their card to get another card with more minutes.
How can a client change the greeting and closing script on their cards
Clients visit www.brandyourcard.com and enter in their secure username and password. Greetings and closings can be changed on all of the cards at once or on a particular group of cards. The greeting and closing script can be changed as often as needed. All changes are processed instantly upon submission.
Can clients brand more than one company?
Of course! Greeting and closing messages can be co-branded/co-sponsored to read, “Thank you for calling ABC Company Personal Assistance compliments of [or sponsored by] Company XYZ...”
Do I have to use your toll-free numbers or do you offer custom numbers?
We own hundreds of toll-free numbers that we use across several brands. Most of the smaller programs share a primary phone number such as 888-WOW-1411 or 888-VIP-1411. We can also acquire toll-free numbers to suit your clients’ needs.
Do you have any company store solutions?
We can build companies a custom web site portal so that recipients can activate the service online. We will help you design cards that can be sold through your company store. We can even design custom templates for your site’s company store that can be further customized for individuals within the company. This allows for employees to enter their business contact information online, view a virtual proof customized for them and place an order.
What are the charges for receiving info via text message?
Most wireless plans include an allotment for text messaging. If not, most cellular companies charge a small fee that is usually no more than $0.10.
Do callers ever get unsolicited marketing text messages?
Absolutely not! We never send any text messages unless the caller requests one. However, some of our programs are tailored to allow companies to send relevant information to their recipients via text messaging. Those messages allow for the recipient to opt out of future messages.
Do you record calls?
Yes. All of our calls are digitally recorded for quality control. We do NOT release these recordings to anyone. They are for internal quality control purposes only.
What kind of questions can you ask?
Anything! We can do anything you can possibly imagine as long it is within good taste - nothing illegal or inappropriate. Some of our most popular calls include directory assistance (saving callers the $1.75 phone carriers charge), restaurant reservations, weather forecasts, driving directions, movie times, sports scores, and general trivia.
Will you perform physical tasks such as walking my dog?
Although we do not employ people to actually perform physical tasks for you, we can arrange for a company specializing in your need to perform your requested task. Of course, any charges incurred must be paid by the recipient of the services. We can either pay for the service over the phone with your credit card or you make arrange for payment directly with the company.
Can the service save card recipients money?
Yes, it can! Some of our most popular calls are requests for price comparisons, which we conduct while callers are out shopping. Additionally, we save our callers money on hotel room reservations since the best deals are always found online. We can book hotels, find cheap gas stations, or make any sort of online purchase on your behalf.
How can a personal assistant make a purchase on my behalf?
We simply ask the caller for a method of payment and process the transaction as if we were the caller using their credit card information. Order confirmations are sent directly to the caller’s email address.
How safe is my data? Can credit card information be compromised?
We take the highest precautions to make sure that all personal information is absolutely secure. All of our agents endure a rigorous screening process, including reference and background checks. We also have a paperless office to ensure no information ends up in the garbage. We monitor our call center with video security and digitally record all calls and internal computer activity. If all else fails, we are bonded and have a $1 million umbrella policy to cover any situation that arises. (Luckily we have never had to use it.) We also comply with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) which regulates privacy of credit card info.
Can the cards have magnetic stripes or bar codes?
Yes. There are several companies that include the service on their hotel key cards, membership cards, loyalty/reward cards, gift cards, and credit cards.
Can the cards be used as loyalty cards?
Of course! Many of the clients we work with use the service as a loyalty program. We can even make the cards as a punch card program, inviting customers to return.
What is the most interesting thing about how people use the service?
An internal survey showed 88% of our callers that were in front of or around others called their personal assistant on speakerphone to “show off” their personal assistance service. It’s a great conversation piece that allows companies to have a branded impact on their client’s immediate sphere of influence.
Do you offer any languages other than English?
Yes. We have bilingual agents that can provide Spanish speaking assistance at an added cost.
Why would people with smartphones and Google need this service?
Our personal assistants are trained researchers, meaning they can find information much faster than the average computer user. Furthermore, our assistants can actually perform tasks, unlike Google or a smartphone: making restaurant reservations, ordering flowers, making online purchases, and even calling others on your behalf. With new state laws banning non-speakerphone cell phone calls or internet browsing while driving, our service makes for a perfect solution to get things done while on the road. Most importantly, our agents are always branding the clients we support. A smartphone can’t do that.
Is program usage tracked and reported?
Since we are HIPPA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) compliant and secure the privacy of our callers, we cannot give information about who, how, or when the service is used.
How long are the cards good for?
The cards can be activated up to one year from the time of receipt by the company we are supporting. Once activated, the service minutes are good for an entire year. We can customize the activation duration and/or the length of time depending on your needs. Shortening the window of time reduces the price.
Do you offer any other benefits included with your service?
Yes! We currently offer a roadside assistance program that gives recipients up to 4 roadside calls per year. Services can include towing, tire replacement, fuel delivery and key lockout. We also offer $25.00 Dining Gift Certificates through our partnership with Restaurant.com. The dining certificates are usually an added cost, but we sometimes include them as a promotion for new card purchases.
Do you have capabilities to see a caller’s location when they call?
Yes! We have recently added functionality that allows the owners of most cell phones an option to download a small application that will allow our personal assistants to see the caller’s location in real time using the cell phone’s GPS functionality.
Do you have custom industry programs?
Yes! We have custom programs for every industry that you can imagine. We brainstormed and put together concepts and presentation materials that are geared specifically to how certain industries might use the program. Some industries such as automotive, apartment communities and retirement facilities even have customized electronic portals for easy online access.