the workspace peopleConsidering all the day-to-day problems that can beset an office, keeping yours running smoothly can be a difficult task. Here are a few suggestions that will help your office run smoothly and cut down dramatically on disorganisation.
1. Make sure you have the right equipment
A well-run office can often be rooted in the simplicity of making sure your employees have sufficient stationary. Running around trying to find a pen while an important client is on the phone could not only tell the business world that you are incapable, but also put staff into a spiralling bad mood that isn’t helpful for anyone, especially not your business.
2. Write an office schedule
A weekly schedule of when deliveries are made, when timesheets need to be completed by, which invoices need to be logged and when can stop mistakes being made and little things being forgotten. Weekly schedules can also help staff to stay on target and possibly motivate them to finish the job sooner if there’s a promise of an early finish at the end of the week, or a long lunch break to be had.
3. Use a staff calendar
Ensure that everyone knows where they should be and when. Have an online calendar that all staff members can access to input holidays, meetings and anything else that could cause issues further down the line. This way if a phone call for a member of staff isn’t answered, the client can be told exactly when they’ll be back in the office and available to chat.
4. Factor overheads into your prices
Spending a little extra time coming up with an all round package is easier for you and clients are less likely to be nit-picky. Giving them a clear price that includes everything can cut down on time spent sorting out disputes and as long as all staff knows the protocol, everyone will be much happier.
5. Keep databases of everything
From current client lists, past clients and suppliers, to the company who deals with your telephones. The easier these numbers are for all staff to find the better. This way you won’t have your colleagues asking you for help every few minutes and your company won’t run into problems when the one person who knows a particular internet password is off sick.
6. Mange your space effectively
If the printer is used by all staff on a regular basis, then don’t leave it down the corridor in the boss’s office. This can limit access if the boss is busy. The same goes for other office equipment that could see members of staff unable to finish their work because the person who is charge of the key to the supply cupboard is running late or the paper for the printer is kept on a completely different floor to the printer itself.
7. Keep your staff happy
Making sure that staff are rewarded for their efforts and allowed a break every now and then can work wonders. Happy workers mean they are less likely to cause problems within the office, less likely to avoid their work and more likely to give the best customer service that they can. Answering the phone to a client with a grunt can stop a sale right there and then, so keeping employees happy is the key to making customers happy.
