60 seconds with…Jessica Pritchard, Head of Corporate Sector - Moneypenny

How was the re-opening of your business and how was it carried out in line with safety procedures put in place to allow social distancing?

Creating a safe and happy environment is our number one priority and we trust our brilliant employees to follow our strict safety guidelines.  When Moneypenny employees come into the office, they get an induction pack with a list of all the do’s and don’ts and a special walk through the office to show them the new route round, which includes things like hand sanitiser and wipes etc. and also chocolate! We are using bots through Workplace by Facebook to measure how employees are feeling and get their feedback.

How is the general feeling and feedback from your team members and your customers now the lockdown is over?

We are slowly transitioning some of our staff back to the office and will look forward to returning to the office when it is safe to fully do so. We are fortunate that our vast offices (90,000 square feet and 7 acres of land) mean that our employees have ample car parking space and the room to be very safely accommodated.

What role has technology played in supporting your re-opening plan?

Technology has been the biggest driver of remote working, with video conferencing software, and collaboration tools keeping us all connected and able to ‘meet’ and complete projects from anywhere, at any time. We use Workplace by Facebook which is a brilliant tool for keeping us all connected however, when staff spend time together in the same physical workspace, they are able to communicate in deeper ways than remote technology currently allows. For example, by learning the nuances of each other’s body language and gestures, it becomes easier for people to share ideas and harder for them to mask their disapproval or convey their agreement.

What market trends are you seeing since re-opening?

A lot of companies are already reviewing how business is conducted and looking at tech solutions to improve productivity. They are more likely to try new things and embrace change. 

Manned reception areas for example have already changed their current guise with automated check in kiosks replacing the office front desk. 

The number of face-to-face meetings has already reduced and will be reserved for the most deserving situations or causes.  Employees are no longer disadvantaged if working from home, as companies are asking them to join meetings from their desk, wherever it is. 

Internal meetings may be stand-ups because of the need to reduce contact points, but many staff relish this, as these meetings tend to be short, sharp and to the point.  

What techniques have you used to build sales and re-engage customers?

Our tech and our people are at the heart of what we do, helping our customers manage their customer communications throughout, providing flexibility and quick responses to their changing needs.

Our innovative digital switchboard services were offered for free to help businesses through this time.

New tech was innovated for our clients, such as Covid screening chat bots, integrated into our existing live chat technology to help our sector clients (for example catering, cleaning businesses dentists, hairdressers, restaurants etc) as they reopened their businesses.  These helped them fulfil track and trace government regulations by managing visitor and customer safety more efficiently, before any face-to-face activity took place, and reduced the need for complicated visitor management systems.

We also launched specific products and services to help aid the recovery of specific sectors - from a triage chat bot that qualifies leads and prioritises new enquiries for property, to outbound calling services.

We also quickly integrated our system with Microsoft Teams due to the explosion of video meeting technology amongst our customer base. We now integrate with the employee Teams status so that our receptionists know to take a message if the employee is otherwise engaged on Teams or furloughed to reduce lengthy delays

Finally, we have joined forces with visitor management system Vpod to offer dedicated video front-of-house and concierge support for the first time. The virtual reception product offers a contactless check in, reduces congestion in front of house and reduces visitor management costs. It also delivers functions such as pre-registration, visitor identification, wayfinding and thermal imaging, all of which support the ‘new normal’ workplace.

What positive lessons do we need to learn from what the industry has been through?

We have all learned valuable lessons over the past 9 months, there’s no doubting that. What matters now, as we begin to see the other side, is what we take from them and how we apply them to our future plans. We live in a connected world and whether that’s catching up with friends, team members, or clients, it is a new way of operating that will continue to impact all facets of our lives moving forwards. 

Moneypenny website: https://www.moneypenny.com/uk/