FAQs
THE BASICS ——— BILLING ——— TIME TRACKING ——— OUR VOW TO YOU
The Basics
01. Who will I work with?
As a client, you are assigned a long-term 33Vincent Executive Assistant to make your life easier. This person caters to your unique needs, based on consultative discussions, and taps into our broader team’s skills and knowledge to get the job done well.
04. What types of tasks are off-limits for my EA?
There are primarily four tasks that we cannot provide our clients: Sales (direct sales emails, cold calls, etc.), fundraising, design (this should be outsourced), accounting or anything requiring a professional license (this should be outsourced).
07. Who do I talk to if I have questions about your business or feedback on my Executive Assistant?
We encourage both our Clients and our EAs to deliver direct, bidirectional feedback, both positive and constructive. An open and ongoing dialogue is crucial to a strong relationship with your 33Vincent EA. Our Director of Client Services will also support you if you have questions about your account or need assistance in feedback conversations with your EA. She partners with the rest of the 33Vincent Leadership Team to address your questions and ensure you’re receiving the quality support we stand for.
10. Can my Executive Assistant support my teammates as well?
We are able to work with individuals or small teams within an organization. Depending on the needs of the group, a team can either share an Executive Assistant or have access to a small group of 33Vincent Executive Assistants who collaborate behind the scenes to ensure utmost efficiency.
Ultimately, we will work with you to find the solution that best fits your needs.
02. How do you match me with my EA?
Our process is consultative and unique to you, the client. We dig into what you need help with, brainstorm ideas of how we can support you, then play matchmaker to pair you with the Executive Assistant with the best skill set, experience, availability, time zone, etc
05. Where do your EAs live and work?
We are a 100% virtual company. Our U.S.-based team works remotely, from coast to coast.
08. How do you train your Executive Assistants? Review their performance?
Before any Executive Assistant is considered for our team, they go through a rigorous screening process. We’re really picky about selecting only the best talent for our clients. We also provide a robust array of resources, training, best practices and mentorship to our Executive Assistants throughout their partnership with us and our clients.
11. Can my Executive Assistant look like a member of my team?
We absolutely support our EAs immersing themselves in your organization! We often recommend that our EAs use an internal email address, so they appear as a member of your team, versus a third party consultant. We offer and encourage this option at no additional cost.
03. What types of tasks can me EA do for me?
We are a 100% virtual team that offers custom services and supports needs that fall under these categories: email management, travel planning, process management, CRM support, and project & event management, and calendar management.
06. Will my EA be able to meet in person?
While our Executive Assistants are not required to travel at any point, many are willing and eager to meet clients face-to-face as well as assist with in-person events. Clients are responsible for covering the costs of travel (transportation, food, lodging, etc.) and the EA’s time spent in-person. Please let us know if this is something you are looking for with your Executive Assistant, and we can provide additional details and best practices.
09. Do your Executive Assistants know how to use the tools I am using?
Since our clients use such a wide variety of tools, we already have a solid grasp on what's available and what works best. But, if your Executive Assistant isn't already familiar with what you are using, he or she will be a pro in no time.
What matters most is this: the system we build for you is meant to lessen the burden of delegation. Our goal is to remove the common objection of "it'll be faster if I just do it myself."
Billing
12. What is your billing structure?
We invoice for your monthly hours (a minimum of 40/month) on the first business day of each month. In the event of overages, additional hours will be added to your next month’s invoice. We aim for transparency, and as we settle into a working groove, we can adjust your monthly invoice to match your average usage. Invoice payment can be made by credit card, debit card, ACH/eCheck or mailed check, and an AutoPay option is available.
15. Are there any perks for referring your business?
Yes, we love referrals! 33Vincent has grown organically since 2014, largely fueled by client referrals. This is not only a testament to the level of service we provide, but also to our outstanding clients. We deeply appreciate client referrals and are pleased to offer a 15% discount on your next block of hours 90 days after your referral kicks off with 33Vincent.
13. What if I don’t use all of the pre-paid hours in a month?
Our Executive Assistants can provide weekly updates of how your pre-purchased time is being utilized each month. Any unused hours do not roll over to the next month. Any hours used above your pre-purchased amount will be added to the next month’s invoice.
16. What if I’m not satisfied?
We are committed to excellence and stand by our quality. If you’ve been with us for less than six months and you are dissatisfied, we are happy to discuss your re-match and/or refund options.
14. Why don’t my unused hours roll over month-to-month?
We actually do this for your benefit! 33Vincent Executive Assistants usually support multiple clients, which allows us to offer you various packages of hours. If we rolled your hours over month-to-month, we wouldn’t be able to guarantee dedicated support from your EA who may be over capacity due to this bank of ‘rollover’ hours.
Time Tracking
17. How do you track your time?
33Vincent is about more than ticking off your to-do list. We want to get better and faster in order to optimize your investment. We track our time down to the minute against your specific projects and tasks. All tracked time is applied to your pre-purchased block of hours, and you receive a quarterly time report that summarizes our work in addition to a detailed 30-day time report that captures your first month working with us. Additional time reports can be created upon request.
20. Does my Executive Assistant work on weekends and/or holidays?
We try hard to protect the work/life balance of our Executive Assistants. However, if you have a one-time need for assistance on a weekend or holiday, give your Executive Assistant notice; they can work with our team to create a solution that works for all parties.
18. How do you handle last-minute requests?
In general, we do our best to avoid a situation that would call for a last minute request. That’s not to say they don’t happen. We do our best to meet your urgent needs, and your Executive Assistant can call on our broader team if needed.
21. How does my Executive Assistant handle vacations / time off?
Your EA will give advanced warning of any upcoming vacations / travel / time off. He or she will discuss if backup support is necessary or desired while out. If so, your EA can train a dedicated backup assistant who can provide support while your EA is out of office (all training time billed toward 33Vincent).
19. Can you handle fluctuation in my support needs?
One of our main goals is to provide you with flexibility, which informs everything we do, all the way down to our billing process. Our support can scale up and down as necessary, and of course, it’s always helpful to have advance notice of any changes in your support needs. If there is a temporary burst of increased need, our team dynamic can be of benefit - your Executive Assistant can call on our broader 33Vincent community as necessary. If you need ongoing increased support, we can work with your Executive Assistant to scale up hours or add a back-up support-person to your team.
Our Vow To You
22. How do you handle sensitive information?
All of our Executive Assistants sign a confidentiality agreement before beginning work with our clients. Additionally, we store all sensitive information—including passwords and credit card information—on a double-encrypted, cloud-based platform. Rest assured, access to your information is limited to only the necessary team members.
23. Why shouldn't I hire a full-time employee?
Maybe you should. We are not for everyone. Those that work well with 33Vincent tend to value flexibility, don't want to wade through an extensive (and expensive) hiring process, and value the cost and time savings from not providing benefits, many taxes, office space, equipment, paid-time-off, holidays, training, etc.
24. How can I get started?
Get in touch. We will respond within 24 hours to help determine your needs and build a system to begin freeing up your valuable time.