As a HireSmartVA.com Virtual Assistant, you have the luxury of working from home close to your family, no long commutes, above average pay and a steady pay check. We work hard to source quality virtual assistants for our clients for long term engagements. Yet, every month or so, a virtual assistant will do something that causes them to be released. Almost every time, this could have been avoided, so we wanted to share with you the top reasons our US clients release our virtual assistants and what you can do to avoid it.
- The virtual assistant “goes dark”.
The client is trying to reach the VA during business hours and there is not a timely response from the VA. This immediately leads to suspicion and starts the path of mistrust.
During business hours, you should always be immediately available to your client. This means via Skype text or video chat. You should always be prepared for a pop in communication and be available to address any question or concern that arises.
If you need to step away for more than 10 minutes – send an email or Skype text advising your client that you are stepping away. 10 minutes is longer than a bathroom break and about the maximum amount of time a client will tolerate no response. Certainly when you take your midday break, you need to advise your team. If you have technology challenges – let your client know.
2. Technology issues that are not disclosed.
These are things like you have a power interruption, your internet isn’t working well, you need to reboot. All of these need to be communicated to your client, because if not, then you have “gone dark” like above and it destroys the relationship. We advise our US clients that some interruptions are to be expected. If it is a chronic and persistent problem, you need to get it resolved ASAP. As there is only so much a client will put up with. But for a VA who has shown good work ethic and has a problem now and again, as long as it is disclosed, it will usually be OK.
Just last week a virtual assistant was having severe and significant technology challenges and rather than talking with Neil, me, or her client, she tried to hide it. The next day she was released. You have to be open in your communication. The client would have been fine had she just shared, “I am having a lot of issues with my technology, may I have the day to try and get it resolved?” Better to lose a day of wages than a job that will keep you working. Now she is not eligible to work for any of our clients and she was a good VA. It was a shame.
3. Lying to your client and co-workers.
Lying never serves anyone. The truth will always come out eventually. I released one of my own virtual assistants for this very reason.
At HireSmartVAs.com we have a ZERO tolerance policy for lying. No questions or explanations will be asked for or provided. If you are having a personal challenge – speak with Neil. He is your HR Manager. He will direct you and if needed, he will collaborate with me to see what the best course of action is to get the problem resolved ethically.
4. Not meeting performance expectations.
We teach our clients to set up clear goals and objectives for our working VAs. This means you should have a baseline of performance standards that you need to meet.
Typically, when a virtual assistant isn’t meeting the performance expectations, we have found that most of the time, it is because of a personal situation that isn’t being shared, a technology issue, or the VA isn’t getting enough sleep (usually due to a personal issue – lost the nanny, sick family, death, etc.)
DON’T hide it – talk about it with Neil. Let us help you. Again, better to take some time off to address the issue and then come back to work focused and ready to work rather than lose your position because you aren’t able to perform properly.
5. The final reason is that the virtual assistant creates more work or drama than they solve. By this I mean, not getting along with other co-workers, complaining to the client, requiring too much handholding or explanations, not providing work on time as directly, & under par performance.
Things like sending in your end of day reports (also known as close of business COB reports) and sharing with your client how you have helped them goes a long way to establishing the value you bring to your client. Honestly self-evaluating your performance each day and each week will allow you to know you are either contributing or causing your client to question you being on their team.
Never speak poorly of another co-worker. If you have an issue with another co-worker whether another VA or their internal staff, talk with Neil.
Ask relevant questions if you don’t understand. Don’t wait too long to get direction if you truly need help. Your client would rather review it again with you then have you either do it wrong and have to fix it or have you waste valuable time trying to figure it out on your own. You can and should provide your client with your understanding of what needs to be done to show your willingness to try, but be quick to ask for more information if you need it.
Meet your deadlines. If your client has requested that something needs to be done by 5:00 – you need to get it done by 5:00. If you realize at 4:00, you are not going to be able to complete it, you need to let your client know well in advance and then ask for direction of what to do. The client may say you need to extend to get it done, they may say it can’t wait until tomorrow, but better to tell them before it becomes an issue. Never assume you can miss the deadline. Discuss it with your client sooner than later.
As you can see, all of these issues can be avoided with good, clear communication with your client and using the resources available to you. We are fortunate in that we have lost very few virtual assistants in the past year, but we hate to lose any as most times it doesn’t have to happen.
If you ever have a question about how to handle something, always communicate with Neil. He is your first line of defense for keeping your position safe.
