As the service industry constantly expands in numerous different countries, more and more companies are requiring customer-service employees. A vast majority of companies are seeking to outsource their customer service work to companies that specialise in hiring workers for such positions. Simultaneously, the internet and networking apps’ exponential development has made remote, work from home jobs increasingly popular. Together, these two trends have led to an increase in the number of customer service jobs both remote and online. The number of available vacancies and the variety of customer support employment at home have also increased.
However, for the first time a number of employees who aren’t necessarily used to working remotely are being forced to work from home. Companies have handed out laptops and keyboards in the light of the global pandemic, offices are closed, and businesses have transitioned to being completely remote. Whilst, it’s definitely not ideal circumstances to transition into remote workforce, to those who are lucky enough to have the opportunity to continue working, operating from home ensures we can continue to serve our customers whilst earning a living.
We have listed some challenges of working from home, and how to get through them to help you get through these unprecedented times of remote working. Who knows, maybe it will be your new favourite thing!
Maintaining Security
Whilst every company has different processes and levels of security our top tip is revisit your security policies and training, remember the basics and look into using technology to monitor your remote computers.
- If your team members already have computers, they regularly take home, they should already have installed and enabled the correct antivirus software, password security etc.
- As everybody’s home Wi-Fi networks aren’t the same, employees may need to understand they will have to limit their personal activities on work laptops
- Also ensure your team members know to secure their passwords and home networks.
Direct Information Flow
One of the major challenges to operating remotely is adapting to the new way of sharing information and communicating. Working remotely doesn’t allow for a quick chat in an office, or a meeting in the conference room with everyone. Here’s our top tips to best facilitate communication and information.
- Utilise video conferencing!
- One of the issues with solely communicating via message or text is the lack of facial expression signals and body language able to be seen. Communicating through video messaging enables both parties to get a clear understanding of the message being said and the feeling behind that message.
- Be present with Intent!
- In a normal office environment, there are so many social interactions we don’t even realise, whether it be a chat at the desks, grabbing lunch together or just exchanging a smile as you pass each other – all of the aforementioned are crucial for maintaining a happy work relationship and environment. Working remotely doesn’t allow for these social interactions but they are just as, if not more important when working remotely. Taking time to check-in on your fellow workers will help maintain the positive workplace environment.
Utilise Customer Service Solutions:
Customer service software helps employees and administrators to map transactions, control client interactions and analyse previous consumer at-a-glance messages, many of which become extremely useful as employees start working remotely ensuring that any team members can access the latest customer details at the click of a button.
Live chat is another valuable method to use to address customers. Live chat software allows you to converse with your customers in real time when they’re on your website. It’s quick, easy and its valued by consumers as it is 100 times quicker than every other internet service channel.
Remember – working from home doesn’t mean the end of productivity and service delivery to your customers; in many ways it can be refreshing and instigate new and innovative ways to conduct business. The beauty of the digital and technological world we live and work in means we can deliver customer service from anywhere.
If you need help with bookkeeping, payroll or virtual administration, put our customer service to the test. Or if you’d like to find out more about what we can do please give us a call on 04 2329199 or leave your details below and we will be in touch.
