I share my thoughts on working with PPE, customer expectations post-Covid19 and the whole ‘return to work’ so others can plan their own return effectively.

Working with estate agents both locally and further afield I made a cautious and limited return to work last week.
It's a strange environment within which to return to work and it's now clear that more people will be experiencing this "new normal" over the next few weeks.

News Headlines are Influencing Behaviour
The government have issued specific industry advice that I’m following (for estate agents) and whilst this is generally being followed it's becoming clear customers are not as aware of these guidelines.
Headlines and stories in the press about "Estate Agents Back & Open for Business" have set unhelpful expectations and whilst there was always an anticipation of a pent-up demand, no-one expected to face such enthusiasm, so quickly.
The “return to work” messages appear to be read by many as “back to normal” or “as you were” and that has to place a burden of risk upon businesses opening up again. I've already experienced customers willing to take the minimum of precautions when letting people into their homes by not practicing social distancing or basic safety measures.

A Cautious Approach
I’ve taken the conscious decision to operate my business in a very cautious manner for the foreseeable manner, wearing face mask and gloves whilst with customers. For me this also means being in their homes so I’m extra careful, speaking to them prior to my appointment to advise them of my amended working practice and asking them to maintain a suitable distance. I’m also staggering appointments where possible to minimise the number of people at an appointment. This means planning & operating is all taking just that bit longer presently.

Working in a Face Mask Impedes Communication
Personally I'm finding working in a mask and gloves difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I’m not a nurse or doctor having to spend hours kitted out in PPE!
The mask in particular forms a barrier to communication, the conversations I think are so important with customers. I feel restricted and conscious of this restriction. I've only now realised how difficult operating behind a mask must be for people who's job is purely communication with their clients, I think this is an area lots of businesses are going to need to think about and work on -think about walking into a shop, a bank or other office for example, a welcoming smile puts us at ease, it sets the mood for the exchange to come, sets a positive environment, it can even discharge a tense or stressful atmosphere. That's not possible now. As a photographer I know people smile with their eyes but seeing a smile on their lips is so much more obvious!
Next time I interact with someone wearing a mask I’ll be a little more considerate.

Managing Expectations
The main challenge I’m finding is customer’s expectations and perceptions. Some customers expect precautions, along the lines of Government advice, to be taken whilst others are taking a much more relaxed approach. I’m concerned that whilst they may be comfortable with their approach, it potentially puts me and my other customers at risk.
I’ve found therefore the best way to deal with this potentially awkward situation is to talk to all my customers in advance and clearly set out my revised working practice, explain that I’ll be wearing PPE and informing them what I would like them to do during our appointment. Setting expectations early has always been a principle of my communication style and it seems appropriate and useful at this time.

Lessons Learned and Shared
We don’t know how long we’ll need to revise our working practices and it may be that things ultimately change permanently. Indeed it appears some of the consequences of living with Covid-19 have already changed things for the better and will result in more flexible practices, more efficient operations and, maybe, more reasonable expectations.

Plan your return to work carefully and consider the reputational risks as well as the physical ones.
Consider the effects of using the appropriate PPE, will it slow you down, require you to change your operation, affect the communication between you and your colleagues, customers or partners?
Talk to your customers and set expectations, you might need to tell returning customers that things are a little different just now.
If things aren’t back to normal just yet, if you’ve needed to cancel bookings, change arrangements or let customers down get in touch with them as soon as you can to explain things. Many businesses need to retain deposit payments etc and your customers are more likely to have a positive view to such requests if you can speak to them early and maintain a positive dialogue. If you leave them to contact you first it’s liable to be on a negative footing from the start.
Involve your staff in planning and changes to your operations, it’s a great time to seek improvements to how you do things.
Stay flexible and be prepared to change, Government restrictions will alter (hopefully for the better) in due course and customer expectations will shift so listen and move accordingly.

Stay safe and good luck with your own return to work. If you have any observations or would like to get in touch please leave a comment or drop us an email.

Back to Work in the New Normal, Post-Lockdown