Working at an office implies being fully accessible to your customers for the most part. Most of our Virtual Assistants interact with our customers face to face, over the phone, or through email when in the office. You know deep down that you are an excellent employee who provides all of your customers with the attention they need. However, if you take a day off for personal reasons or errands, your customers may still need your services. You know you won’t have much time to devote to them since you’ll be busy with your kids, going to the doctor, or assisting a family member. So, how do you keep track of your customers while you’re not in the office?
It may be difficult at times, but the best place to begin is by establishing some rules. From Virtual Admin USA, we believe that discussing your hours and days of availability with your customers at the start of the partnership is a smart idea. Take some time when you initially meet them to explain how and when you are accessible to connect with them, including holidays. You might inform your customers, for example, that you are accessible Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and can be contacted by phone or email. You may inform them that you would answer phone calls within 24 hours and that they can email you if they have a fast query. In today’s corporate environment, many individuals react to emails considerably faster than they do to voice message. You may tell them you’ll respond to their emails in two hours.
Furthermore, feel free to describe what will happen while you are out from the workplace for the day. Telling them that you only take emails and no phone calls is one option. We set up a backup person at Virtual Admin USA who can accept emergency calls and execute duties if the customer so wants. When you’re not in the office, your customer will still feel supported. Make sure they understand that if you leave and there is an emergency, the work flow will continue. Then a coworker may contact you or take up the job. Also, make sure your customer understands what constitutes an emergency. Set some examples for them. Explain to them that if they have a basic question, they should send it to you through email. In terms of email, inform your customers that on your days off, you will check it once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. This relieves you of the burden of responsibility. Before you go to your doctor’s visit, make sure you check your email. Then you won’t have to think about it again until later in the day. It’s a good idea to set a reminder on your phone to check your emails if you’re likely to have a busy day. It’s easy to forget to check business email while you’re away of the office. Maybe you just read your emails at the end of the day or in the evening. It’s essential to remember that everyone needs time off, and that if you’re not at the office physically, you’re not obliged to be there mentally.
Some individuals may not follow your guidelines for taking the day off. What if you’re away of the office and check your email and discover that one of your customers has contacted you three times about the same topic? What if you’re enjoying a cup of coffee at a café when a colleague contacts you to say that one of your customers has phoned twice with something that might have easily been put off? What are your plans for dealing with this? You should certainly remind your customer of your day-off policies. Set up an out-of-office automatic message in your work email as a simple method to notify them. If someone contacts you on your day off and doesn’t realize you’re gone, they’ll immediately remember when they see this. Also, don’t forget to update your outgoing voice mail on your work voice mail! It’s better to start a fresh message and include the current date as well as the day you’ll be returning to the office. And don’t forget to switch it back when you go back to the office so your customers don’t get confused. Unfortunately, many individuals these days suffer from short-term memory loss. Make careful to notify your customers of your upcoming vacation days when you speak with them. We constantly remind them of how they may reach us at 24/7 Virtual Assistant. If a client’s usual virtual assistant is unavailable, we will always assign them a back-up virtual assistant. It all comes down to how well you communicate with your coworkers. It’s critical to instill trust in your clients that they can rely on you and your business. Your customers will always be certain that their requirements will be fulfilled and that their company will be well looked after. As a business, you will have a solid reputation for providing great customer service. This is a critical point.
Setting limits will make you seem extremely professional to your customers. Your customers must keep in mind that no one is accessible 24 hours a day. Your customers will remember you if you establish clear limits and stick to them. This is considerably healthier and may also help to decrease stress. You may be certain that while you’re in the office, you’re providing great service. When you’re not at work, though, it’s OK to take some time for yourself. Some individuals strive to be available to their customers at all times, but this may cause stress and even harm your health. Finally, make the most of your day off by relaxing and having fun!
