Common Mistakes to Avoid when Hiring a Virtual Assistant

As an entrepreneur building your DTC brand, you understand the value of time. You juggle marketing, product development, and customer support, all while dreaming of scaling your Shopify store. But wearing all the hats can lead to burnout and hinder your growth. Every minute you spend on administrative tasks or basic customer support is a minute stolen from strategic growth. That's where virtual assistants (VAs) come in, offering the helping hand you desperately need. However, finding and nurturing a successful VA partnership requires more than just posting an Upwork ad. Let's dive into two crucial aspects: hiring the right fit and setting them up for success. This blog is for you, the busy DTC brand owner dreaming of scaling your Shopify store.

Discover/Key Takeaways:

1. Hiring beyond Upwork: Go deeper with referrals, mini-tests, and cultural sensitivity.
2. Fueling VA productivity: Track progress effectively, prioritize quality over quantity, and allow flexibility.
3. Ensuring brand voice & customer delight: Equip your VA with brand voice tools, encourage ownership, and use feedback to refine their approach.
4. Bonus: Learn from real DTC brand owners and their VA success stories.

Finding Your Gem: Beyond Upwork Screening

While Upwork is a popular platform, simply checking basic profiles won't suffice. Here's how to go deeper:

Beyond Upwork

Look beyond the platform itself. Consider referrals, online communities, or even Facebook groups specific to the Philippines (a popular VA talent hub).

Test, Don't Guess

Don't rely solely on resumes. Design mini-tests that mirror your brand's specific needs, like email response writing or technical troubleshooting. Remember, fast typing doesn't guarantee quality!

Bridge the cultural gap

Many DTC brands hire remotely from the Philippines. While Filipino VAs are known for their dedication and work ethic, cultural nuances can exist. Be mindful of communication styles and expectations.

One of the DTC brand owners we recently spoke with said: "I've been there. You hire a promising VA, excited to delegate some tasks, but then communication starts to break down. Questions get repeated, responses seem off-topic, and you wonder, 'Is this a person or a chatbot?' This happened to me once with a remote agent from the Philippines."

The key takeaway? Invest in thorough onboarding that bridges cultural gaps, clarifies expectations, and establishes clear communication channels. It might take a little longer upfront, but it'll save you headaches and ensure a smooth working relationship.

Fueling Productivity: From Tickets to Time Management

Once you've found your VA, it's time to establish clear expectations and track progress effectively. Here's how:

Metrics Beyond Tickets

While closed tickets are a basic measure, consider CSAT scores and customer feedback. Dig into specific tickets with low ratings to identify areas for improvement.

Quality Over Quantity

Don't solely focus on the number of tickets closed per hour. Prioritize quality responses that align with your brand voice and provide genuine solutions.

Time Tracking with Flexibility

Implement a time tracking system, but avoid micromanagement. Allow buffer periods for breaks and unexpected tasks within an 8-hour workday.

Quoting from one of our user interviews: "Speed is important, but not at the cost of quality. This is especially true when it comes to virtual assistants managing customer support. As a business owner, I'd rather have a VA who takes their time to craft thoughtful, accurate responses, even if it means closing a few fewer tickets per hour. Happy customers are loyal customers, and that's worth more than any arbitrary metric."

Ensuring Brand Voice and Customer Delight

Building a loyal customer base hinges on consistent brand messaging and exceptional service. Here's how to empower your VA to achieve both:

Brand Voice Macros

Equip your VA with pre-written, brand-aligned responses for frequently asked questions or common scenarios. This ensures consistency and saves time.

Foster Brand Voice Ownership

While pre-written responses (macros) can streamline communication, don't rely solely on them. Encourage your VA to adapt generic responses to match specific customer situations and inject their own personality while adhering to brand guidelines.

CSAT as a Guidepost

Regularly review CSAT scores, paying special attention to situations with negative feedback or complex issues. This helps identify areas where your VA might need guidance on brand voice or product knowledge.

Learn how Kim.cc does it all

The previous sections provided valuable insights into setting VAs up for success. Now, let's explore how Kim.cc, a platform specifically designed for DTC brands and virtual assistants, can help you implement these strategies seamlessly.

Kim.cc tackles the challenges you face in three key areas:

A. Streamlined Screening & Background Checks

• Rigorous testing: Kim.cc goes beyond basic tests. You can see multi-faceted assessments across various skills, with video recordings ensuring authenticity.
• Guaranteed quality: Agents are pre-vetted and ranked, ensuring you hire top performers with earning potential in the top quartile.
• Compliance & Background Checks: Kim.cc handles background checks and compliance, so you can rest assured your agents are legitimate and focused on your brand.

B. Mastering Brand Voice Adherence

• Deep dive into customer's voice: Analyze key categories and subcategories of your queries to understand customer needs and expectations.
• Ticket summaries: Get concise summaries of each ticket, saving you time and allowing you to jump right in with relevant responses.
• Brand perception tracking: Identify customer love, hate, legal threats, and key brand aspects to ensure your VA reflects your values.

C. Agent Productivity & Performance

• Real-time dashboard: Track key metrics like average handling time, first response time, open tickets, escalations, and customer interactions.
• Agent-level insights: Analyze individual performance, online time, ideal work hours, and actionable metrics to optimize workflows.
• CSAT integration: Combine performance data with CSAT scores for a holistic view of agent effectiveness.
• Activity tracking: Monitor idle time vs. active time, ensuring agents are using their time productively.
• Transparent billing: Pay only for productive time, eliminating unnecessary costs.

TL;DR?

By leveraging Kim, you can:

• Reduce onboarding time and effort: Focus on training and building relationships instead of lengthy screening processes.
• Ensure brand consistency: Empower your VAs to deliver exceptional customer service that reflects your brand voice.
• Optimize agent performance: Gain actionable insights to coach and motivate your VAs for continuous improvement.
• Reduce costs and increase efficiency: Pay only for productive time and eliminate manual tracking burdens.

Kim.cc is your partner in building a successful virtual assistant team. Schedule a demo today to see how they can help you achieve your DTC brand goals.