Want to Work Fully Remotely? 6 Reasons Why Job Seekers Should Consider a Job in Customer Service

Over the course of the last 3 years, the desire to work remotely has been overshadowing almost everything else for job seekers.?Companies had to adapt quickly as to how they could make a remote workplace work for their companies.? Some have chosen to return their teams to the office on a hybrid or fully on-site basis, but is this necessary for all positions within a company????

Many companies have customer service teams that handle correspondence via phone, email, or chats from internal or external customers.? These were one of the first teams that transitioned to work from home, and probably one of the easier teams to do so.? All resources and documents necessary to do the jobs can be found at the employee’s fingertips on their work computers, versus an accounting department that might have stacks of invoices and paperwork that are needed to do their jobs.?

Now that companies are starting to reassess whether their workforce should return to the office or not, there are some huge benefits to keeping the customer service teams remote.?

Cost

Companies no longer need large office spaces for their hundred-plus people to call centers.?The offices could be smaller, and the space could be used more efficiently for the people who are in the office.? Along with the savings on the rent of office spaces, the lack of needing so much office equipment such as desks, printers, and chairs is huge.???

This is also a cost-saving for employees as well; they are saving money on gas, transportation to and from work, lunches, wardrobes, etc.? With the cost savings employees, or potential employees see, it could entice candidates to want to work for your company.?

Hours

When your team is working remotely, does it matter which time zone they physically live in, if they can support the hours your business is open??Say your office hours are Monday-Friday 9am - 6pm and you hire someone that lives in Washington State and is fine working 7am - 4pm to support your business – who cares?? If the expectations are clear upon hire, does it matter where the employees physically sit??

Work from Anywhere

If an employee wants to go home for the holidays but can work from their grandparents’ house, does it matter where they are working??Again, communicating expectations before working from another physical location will set the employee and your company up for success.?

Sick Days

Since the pandemic, employees are more aware and conscious of exposing their coworkers to whatever ailment they might be experiencing.?By allowing the team to work remotely, there is a likeliness that they will be able or willing to work from home, assuming they are feeling up to it.???

Work/life balance

Employees see working from home as beneficial to their personal life.? Parents can ensure their kids safely get on and off the bus.?They can throw their dinner in a crockpot and families can eat at a decent hour.???

Commutes to and from the office are no longer a factor when it comes to a work schedule. If someone needs to stay and do a little more work, it is more efficient to do it from their home office because of the commute or deadline to pick kids up from an afterschool program or daycare.?

Productivity

March 2020 forced a lot of companies to move their employees to work from home; some companies noticed an increase in productivity, while others noticed a decrease in productivity.?Sure, it’s easier to look at the employees and say one way or another who is at fault for the decrease in productivity, but can a company look in the mirror and say they did absolutely everything to support their work-from-home staff??Did they set expectations through performance metrics, then communicate with employees the expectations during multiple touchpoints – one on ones and reporting?

Customer service should be at the forefront of every company’s mind.?Happy employees (usually) lead to happy customers.?If your employees are happy, that should be a driving force in providing exceptional service.???

Not only is having a remote customer service workforce beneficial to a company’s bottom line, but it is also beneficial for the company’s retention and turnover ratio.?Keep your employees happy, and hopefully, they will stay with you.?Forcing them to go into the office may not be what is best for you or your employees, so keep an open mind to how your decisions will impact your teams.?