By: Amanda McAlister, VP Relationship Support Manager
Nope, this is not a tale about Yoga. It’s an article about workplace flexibility and the advantages it provides. At the end of the day, happy, healthy employees lead to happy, satisfied customers which, in turn, lead to higher profits, which equate to better-paid, happier employees. Life’s a wonderful circle sometimes!
Following the COVID Pandemic, more employees than ever are expressing an interest in working from home whenever possible. 57% of remote workers recently surveyed reported being “very satisfied” with their jobs.
Studies by SurveyMonkey and Owl Labs found that hybrid workers (those splitting their time between office and home) are happier with their jobs than employees who never work remotely. According to the study, remote working provided the following advantages:
- 91% reported experiencing improved work/life balance
- 79% reported that remote officing facilitated greater focus and productivity
- 78% reported less stress when working remotely
- Recruiting Made Easier: Attracting top talent becomes much easier when new hires are not required to uproot their families and move to a different location.
Distance Managing Strategies
Maintaining a team atmosphere may be more challenging when employees are geographically scattered but it can be accomplished with a few simple principles.
Empower: Providing the right tools and the authority to use them — both for client service and inter-team communication — can lay the foundation for continuing the same exceptional team-based customer service you’ve previously provided from a central location.
Educate: Thorough knowledge of policies and procedures allow remote employees to handle situations with confidence and meet customer expectations without annoying delays. Your company’s service guidelines and values provide a vital foundation for easily handling customer service requests in a seamless manner.
Engage: Virtual meetings and chat features allow the entire team to communicate easily and often. We use Teams to communicate quickly with chat groups and bi-weekly traction-based meetings to stay connected and review any new issues, insights, or initiatives. Intuitive, simple virtual call center software is widely available and critical to maintaining contact.
Endear: Never miss an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with remote employees or group gatherings for teams. Schedule weekly, monthly, or quarterly live meetings at the office or an off-site local establishment to grow personal relationships. Non-work group activities create team cohesiveness and make remote individuals a part of the family.
People Matter
Exemplary customer service happens when your team begins to see customers as real people with unique needs. Exemplary Customer Service Teams happen when you begin to see your employees (remote, hybrid, or office-based) as real people with unique needs. Never forget that circle of life.