Adjusting to any kind of change always requires some adaptation from those at the center of the change. This is no less true for a company changing the landscape of their office space–not just moving the cubicle walls around, but migrating from a traditional office space to a virtual one.
How can you and your company address some of the challenges that a virtual office raises?
You lack space to hold in-person meetings with clients or employees.
Having a virtual office does not mean forgoing physical office space altogether. Most virtual office providers include in their packages access to physical office space that can be used for a variety of reasons. Employees can drop in if they need a space where they are guaranteed to have some quiet; managers can arrange face-to-face meetings with team members; meetings can be scheduled with clients in a professional atmosphere. The bonus for companies is that the physical space doesn’t need to be large, as it’s only used as needed. Another alternative to in-person meetings is to hold a conference call, Skype meeting, or video chat. These also require less physical space while still connecting all the necessary players to conduct business.
There is not a receptionist on site to take calls or greet visitors.
Virtual, live receptionist services are becoming increasingly popular as a way for companies to greet their clients and customers with cheerful service. These professional receptionists are ready to take calls for your company and answer questions, forward calls, and take messages as if they were your own employee. Your company enjoys the prestige of having the services of a receptionist. You save time by having someone who can screen calls and answer questions while also being in touch with you throughout the day to provide messages and check on your availability for taking calls. And finally, your company can save money by paying a monthly fee for receptionist services rather than paying all the overhead of employing an additional person.
It’s more difficult to know whether your employees are being productive.
Gone are the days when an employee’s dedication and productivity were measured by the hours he spent as his desk, hunched over his computer or on the phone. Well, almost gone. While time spent in the office can certainly give an employer some sense of how much their employees are working, there are many other measures of productivity available. Tracking regular metrics, compiling and sending regular reporting, or frequent check-ins over the phone or email are all ways that productivity can be measured outside of the office. If you need something more sophisticated, there are software programs available to track a team’s progress or even just a single individual’s productivity throughout the day. What you will most likely find is that employees will feel that working remotely allows them more flexibility in the balance between their personal and professional life. Ideally, the positive effects of striking that balance will spill over into the quality of their work.
Don’t allow the possible challenges of a remote office stop you from exploring the options for your company. Let Reliable Receptionist help you face the challenges by alleviating your need for remote receptionist services. Call or email Reliable Receptionist today at (925) 627-4200 or Info@ReliableReceptionist.com.
