Why Your Reservations Team Should Work From Home
Lively debate surrounds the subject of whether reservations agents should work in an office or work from home.
The real question is, is the person answering calls for your property engaged, cheerful, and alert? With the right phone and computer connections, I believe this can best be achieved when your agents work from home. Here are six reasons why.
Productivity: Ironically, it’s hard to get work done in an office. While water-cooler stops might seem good-natured distractions, too many can make it difficult to get anything done. Building culture and camaraderie is important, but many prefer a home office to concentrate and work more efficiently.
Comfort: Being around pets and familiar items works wonders for creativity and attitude. Tethered wirelessly, an agent can sit on the couch, stand, pace – do whatever is comfortable and enjoy the flexibility to work within their own natural rhythm.
NO commutes: Nowadays, the average one-way commute is 25.5 minutes. Working from home means a start and an end to the day with sanity and peace, and more family or personal time.
NO open offices: Cubicles make sense financially, but studies show that no one really likes them. Workers in open-plan offices get sick more often, are irritated by outside conversations and ringing phones, and are less productive. At home, agents have the privacy they desire and can actually focus and perform well, and this reduces irritating background noise often heard in reservation centers.
Nutrition and Exercise: With access to their own kitchen, agents can prepare real meals and snacks. Besides saving money, this is a healthier option. And at home, an agent can exercise in the middle of the day and not have to worry about showering and carrying workout clothes to the office.
Money: At the same rate of pay as in-office agents, home-based agents earn more – some studies say as much as 15% more. They buy less fuel, can avoid eating out, and don’t have to purchase as many professional clothes or spend as much on dry cleaning. This can mean more funds to put toward an emergency fund, a house and family, or to fund a retirement account.
Agents who work from home offices have more time and earn more, and this is reflected in the work they perform. The right attitude and courtesy is critical to our industry, and happier, calmer agents working from home can establish the right first impression for your property.