{"id":409,"date":"2023-01-20T18:24:39","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T19:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/?p=409"},"modified":"2023-09-26T16:06:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T16:06:37","slug":"9-tips-for-managing-a-hybrid-customer-support-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/9-tips-for-managing-a-hybrid-customer-support-team\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Tips for Managing a Hybrid Customer Support Team"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work environments have changed a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing mandates kickstarted a rapid switch to a hybrid employment model. As it&#8217;s proven effective, more and more organizations jumped on the bandwagon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s especially true for customer support. Nowadays, you can attend to customers and elevate their experience from different locations without it impacting the quality of service. Providing flexibility in work locations can be a great benefit for employees. But, it leaves managers with the challenge of finding new ways to effectively lead a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hybrid customer support team<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we discuss challenges that managers may face and some tips that can help to effectively overcome them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Challenges in managing a remote\/hybrid team<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-20113 alignleft lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Challenges in managing a remote:hybrid team\" width=\"411\" height=\"232\" sizes=\"(max-width: 411px) 100vw, 411px\" data-src=\"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Challenges-in-managing-a-remotehybrid-team-300x169-1.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Challenges-in-managing-a-remotehybrid-team-300x169-1.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Challenges-in-managing-a-remotehybrid-team-370x208.jpeg 370w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Challenges-in-managing-a-remotehybrid-team-270x152.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Challenges-in-managing-a-remotehybrid-team-570x320.jpeg 570w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Challenges-in-managing-a-remotehybrid-team.jpeg 612w\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/back-view-mature-middle-aged-asian-woman-employee-work-from-home-use-computer-gm1338799179-419281039?phrase=remote%20work%20challenges\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">iStock<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being a manager is a complex role. You are constantly juggling the responsibility of <\/span><b>leading teams<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>ensuring productivity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>facilitating your team\u2019s personal and professional growth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As if that wasn&#8217;t enough to handle, a remote or hybrid situation raises even more issues for managers to worry about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a closer look at some of these issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Different locations (and time zones)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping up with team members in other locations can be challenging for various reasons, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Difficulty aligning activities across different locations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limited time to interact with team members in different time zones.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Team members may not always be available to work simultaneously, which could disrupt business operations and workflow. So, it&#8217;s no surprise that <\/span><b>50% of company leaders want employees to return on-site five days a week, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/03\/18\/50percent-of-companies-want-workers-back-in-office-5-days-a-week.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CNBC Make It<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Communication and scheduling problems.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several factors might impact a team member&#8217;s ability to communicate via specific channels. These can include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cultural festivities and national holidays<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Environmental barriers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Political barriers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family interference, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, the responsiveness of a team member in an area with a high-quality internet connection will not be the same as for a team member in an area experiencing rain storms and power outages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These factors can also make it difficult to schedule calls and meetings. But when working in person, a quick stroll to a team member&#8217;s desk can quickly resolve such issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Retaining company culture<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managers are responsible for passing down <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womeninsaleseverywhere.com\/blog\/building-rapport-and-creating-team-culture-as-a-new-manager\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">company culture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to their employees, but this can be challenging with a hybrid team. Since physical interactions play a vital role in shaping company culture, it takes extra effort to instill a feeling of camaraderie in a hybrid working team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Monitoring work and productivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some managers have difficulty ensuring team members\u2019 productivity in a hybrid workspace. Team members are often underutilized or have too much on their plate. Both of which can be detrimental to an organization. Keeping tabs on the working hours and workload of team members across time zones is a crucial part of hybrid team managers\u2019 jobs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Building trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s no surprise that a remote setting can also make it difficult to establish and maintain trust between a manager and their direct reports. With team members working from different locations, managers might not understand individual working styles, working hours, or the current workload. This lapse in communication can result in uncompleted tasks and missed deadlines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To maintain trust among team members, managers might consider holding daily or weekly stand-up meetings. This gives employees an opportunity to talk about what they\u2019ve been working on and where they may need help. Understanding how everybody has been spending their time helps team members feel like they\u2019re working towards a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/visme.co\/blog\/goal-setting-worksheet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">collective goal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which of course they are!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9 tips for leading customer support teams<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-20114 alignleft lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"9 tips for leading customer support teams\" width=\"374\" height=\"249\" sizes=\"(max-width: 374px) 100vw, 374px\" data-src=\"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-leading-customer-support-teams-300x200-1.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-leading-customer-support-teams-300x200-1.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-leading-customer-support-teams-370x246.jpeg 370w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-leading-customer-support-teams-270x180.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-leading-customer-support-teams-570x379.jpeg 570w, https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-leading-customer-support-teams.jpeg 612w\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/back-view-mature-middle-aged-asian-woman-employee-work-from-home-use-computer-gm1338799179-419281039?phrase=remote%20work%20challenges\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">iStock<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As hard as managing a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/blog\/2019\/03\/sales-customer-service-skills\/\">hybrid customer support<\/a> team<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may be, it\u2019s not impossible. You can navigate most problems you encounter with a little guidance. In this section, we&#8217;ll tackle ways to solve the above-mentioned issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Communicate often as a team<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organize weekly team meetings or periodic team bonding activities. This will give your team something to look forward to and provide take a break from constantly speaking to customers and chatting about work experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinebizbooster.net\/how-to-improve-team-communication\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequent team communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through networking apps like Teams and Slack is also an excellent way to enable team members. They can share ideas on handling customer-related problems and the different temperaments a customer service professional encounters daily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other benefits of frequent communication include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">encourages trust<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enhances team engagement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prevents potential conflicts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increases team productivity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">boosts innovation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fosters better customer relationships.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>2. Communicate work schedules in advance<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communicating work schedules across the team is an excellent way to maximize team members&#8217; utility to ensure no one is underutilized or overworked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a manager, you can assign various aspects of customer relations, as well as daily or weekly goals for each team member. It will also make scheduling meetings easier with timely, advanced communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Unite your team<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your hybrid customer support team members may be focused on supporting customers, but they have needs too. One significant professional need lacking in organizations with hybrid models is inclusion. With team members spread across different locations, it is easy to feel left out. This can affect both motivation and productivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a manager, you should find ways to make all members feel like part of the team. Some examples include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organizing team bonding activities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rotating meeting hosting responsibilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">encouraging team members to share positive feedback\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>4. Initiate individual problem-solving<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make room to address your team member\u2019s individual needs and the challenges they face. Ensure that the entire problem-solving process is not treated as a customer service issue and remains confidential, to build trust. Communication improves when your team is in a good mental space.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Leverage technology and collaboration tools.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote a culture of exploring and utilizing available customer service-related technology and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sendx.io\/blog\/remote-working-tools\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">collaboration tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of the challenges of remote and hybrid work, most businesses have succeeded because they leveraged innovative solutions, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudtalk.io\/virtual-call-center-software\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">virtual call center software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to stay connected with employees and customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managers can promote asynchronous communication to make it easier for team members to collaborate effectively. Recording essential calls or meetings for absentees to watch later helps to ensure you\u2019re not leaving any team member behind.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Provide proactive support in the office and online<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is vital to offer helpful solutions to the challenges that your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hybrid customer support team <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">may face on the job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It could be providing backup internet services in the office or pooling written resources online \u2014 anything that helps to make their job easier. You could also host team webinars to help team members further develop their skills and techniques from time to time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>7. Use monitoring tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implementing monitoring tools can be a helpful way to track team member workflows and ensure that deadlines and KPIs are met. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/employee-monitoring-software?r=pmp-ems\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clockify<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for example, can provide insight into how your team is spending their time across tasks and projects. Another option might be to have your team complete <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leapsome.com\/blog\/one-on-one-meeting-template\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">check-in forms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before scheduled 1-to-1 calls to make your time together as effectively as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>8. Set boundaries and expectations<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote work doesn\u2019t have to mean working round the clock. Make it clear to team members that as much as you appreciate a high-performing team, you want to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womeninsaleseverywhere.com\/blog\/workplace-burnout\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prevent burnout<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as much as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have team members work only during business hours in their respective locations and time zones. Simple tools like shared Google Calendars will allow team members to see all schedules and working hours. That way, they can respect each other\u2019s work hours as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>9. Spread positivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>We can all agree that happy employees are more productive than unhappy employees. You can help to foster a positive work environment by being proactive and encouraging positive reinforcement. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regularly recognize great performances through team shout-outs<\/li>\n<li>Help your team set realistic expectations and deadlines<\/li>\n<li>Hold regular check-ins and forecasting sessions to keep goals and objectives on track<\/li>\n<li>Ask where you can provide additional support<\/li>\n<li>Encourage collaboration between team members<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Take the time to understand the needs of your team. Celebrating wins, showing empathy, and prioritizing their well-being will help you to keep your team happy and healthy.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Managing a customer support team can be challenging, especially in a hybrid or virtual setting. However, with the right strategies and tools in place, you can effectively navigate these challenges and lead your team to success.<\/p>\n<div class=\"notion-selectable notion-text-block\" data-block-id=\"caccd4f0-eae5-40a5-bdb4-416f8e126b1f\">\n<p>Establish clear communication and understand your team&#8217;s needs, both as a whole and on an individual level. Doing so will help you create a healthy, positive work environment and ensure customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none !important; color: white; cursor: pointer !important;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/employers\/?invite=blog\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"btn btn-lg btn-block\" style=\"background-color: #F2784B; text-decoration: none !important; color: white; cursor: pointer !important; border: none; width: 100%; text-align: center; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 100%;\" onmouseover=\"this.style.backgroundColor=&#039;#CC420F&#039;\" onmouseout=\"this.style.backgroundColor=&#039;#F2784B&#039;\"><br \/>\n<strong style=\"display: block; margin: auto;\">Hiring? Connect with us on your ideal candidate profile.<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><br \/>\n<em>If you are looking for job opportunities in tech, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/signup\/?invite=blog-bot-cta\">click here<\/a>. <\/em><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\/blog\/2023\/01\/9-tips-for-managing-a-hybrid-customer-support-team\/\">9 Tips for Managing a Hybrid Customer Support Team<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.closeriq.com\">CloserIQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Work environments have changed a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":414,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409\/revisions\/414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/isar-international.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}