Hopefully soon, many of us will be heading back to the office to resume what work was like pre-pandemic. While we all want to get back a sense of normalcy, for MSPs this time will be a little hectic. Just like helping your clients transition to working from home, the transition back to the office will be similar. Having a plan in place can remedy the coming flood of help desk calls, equipment returns and desk set-ups.
Why have a plan in place?
Transitioning clients to remote working came fast and with little time to prepare, or have a proper plan in place. Now, that we’ve made it through the first transition, we can create a better strategy for the transition back to office. Without a plan in place, any sort of preparation, or at least having some thought given to the transition back, you’ll just be flying off the seat of your pants and that’s not good for any business.
Let’s take a look at an example of what could happen without a transition strategy in place. Without going into detail, the example could be summed up in one word: Chaos. But, for the sake of this post let’s say you have no plan in place for your own staff to return to work, nor do you how to handle your clients returning to work.
What could happen?
The day has come, we all get to come back to the office, and you’ve got hundreds of people returning with their loaner equipment or laptops and monitors taken right from their office desk. How do they set their screens back up? What about returning equipment? Will they just bring it back whenever?
Those who don’t know how to set their monitors up, or know which cord to plug-in where, will surely be calling in to the help desk. Incorrect set-ups could result in potential security concerns which only creates a larger mess for you down the road. With everyone calling about set-ups, this leaves fewer staff ready to handle other calls and tickets of a higher priority. Not to mention, a stressful environment for your support team on day one back at the office. If you can help clients prepare for this without having to call-in for help, the more time and sanity you’ll save your help desk.
Develop your plan
When developing your strategy, think back to the beginning of all this. What do you wish you could have done better, done at all, or didn’t do? You can use this information to help formulate your strategy for the transition back into the office.
Before everyone can head back into the office, try sending an email to your staff of what to expect, how to prepare, etc. Your staff should be prepared for an influx of calls and tickets. More importantly, they need to be patient and understanding with clients as this will be a stressful time for everyone. Even the simplest questions for someone in IT can be very challenging for a client, such as an insurance agent, for example.
Next, send a similar email to your clients that will help them prepare for their return to the office. You can provide tips for a smooth transition back, instructions on monitor set-ups, when and how to return loaner equipment, and help desk contact information. Your plan or strategy doesn’t have to be pages long or super in-depth, just being prepared and having something in place will ensure a much smoother transition back to the workplace, than they had out of the workplace.
Photo: Nattanan Zia / Shutterstock
