Challenges and Impacts of Remote Work on Customer Service

Corporate executives have had to quickly change their procedures and methods of operation over the past two years to accommodate the shift to remote work. Customer service workers have become more challenging to keep, and in 2021, more than half of service managers reported higher attrition rates, which made performance unpredictable. It is simple to understand why customer support executives are under pressure when inflation is at decades-high levels and rising consumer expectations are also thrown into the mix.

Customer service is essential to strengthening any consumer's overall experience. The statistics from the 2022 "State of the Connected Customer" report show that 71% of survey participants claim to have made a purchase solely based on the caliber of a company's customer care. If you don't have a considerate and resilient customer support team in place, your company may suffer immensely. The same source also states that after experiencing a single poor service, 50% of customers would shift to a competitor.

Here are four approaches to enable your employees to perform more effectively while they work remotely:

1. Virtual team huddles

In a remote setting, team huddles are entirely feasible. Each shift could begin with a video call, and you could discuss important announcements over group chat. Structure and familiarity should be delivered in a way that is appropriate for hybrid conditions. They are crucial for maintaining consistency, disseminating important information, and fostering a sense of unity.

2. Navigate a communication channel that works for your team

Clarify any communication issues to prevent inconsistent operating procedures from being used by your employees. For instance, are daily updates communicated through a brief call or through email? Discuss the situations that your team frequently faces as a group, and then decide which procedures and digital platforms will produce the best results.

3. A job well performed deserves to be appreciated

It's crucial that you figure out ways to commend your remote or hybrid team for providing outstanding customer support. Make sure to acknowledge both team and individual accomplishments. Go the extra mile to express your gratitude by writing a customised note of appreciation and coming up with creative bonuses in addition to praising excellence during team calls.

4. Keep your company culture alive, even if your employees are remote.

Every employee enjoys the bonds they develop with their coworkers at work. There is no reason why those connections can't develop in a remote workplace environment. Spend time fostering interaction and communication during group calls. The objective is to encourage connectivity, communication, and group solidarity. Values are an important part of a company’s culture. Let your employees know the values of your organization from the very first day and encourage them to incorporate those in their workflow. Then let your employees share how they incorporated company values into their workflow during the week. HR should act as a point of contact for employees to continuously improve company culture by conducting surveys to gather feedback from employees on the current culture and to let them share the ways to improve it.

Thanks to technological advancements, the ability to deliver exceptional service knows no bounds. If your customer care team decides to use a remote platform, it must be carefully calibrated to ensure a streamlined and satisfying customer experience. When customer support is skillfully delivered, whether onsite or remotely, it has the ability to enhance customer loyalty, raise profits, and strengthen satisfaction among employees.