3 Things You Need to Know
About Effective Communication in a Destination Services Program
A monthly series bringing you tips and best practices, covering the Relocation Industry’s biggest trends
clear, concise, and regular
Local Destination Services Consultants (DSCs) are instructed to ask for their assignees preferred communication methods from the very beginning of the program. Does the assignee prefer one email with a lot of information or perhaps bite size nuggets with just-in-time details? Adaption is key. In addition, boundaries must be set regarding availability, office hours, and response time. When DSCs are in the field or away from their desk, they are instructed to use an out of office message to ensure everyone can understand if there is a delay in communication. Timely follow-up is essential!
working with an unresponsive assignee
One challenge that DSCs often face is the unresponsive assignee. It can be that the assignee feels competent to handle tasks on their own or more often than not, are simply too busy to make responding a priority. Perhaps there is a spouse/partner or assistant the DSC can work with instead? Often, the first email can decide on how the program will be received. At IOR, DSCs work hard to be clear on the tasks that need to be completed, the authorized time allowed, and how this will happen. Simply saying “these are the tasks that I will help you complete” instead of “how can I help you” make for an entirely different outcome.
whatsapp? what’s next?
We all know how beneficial and easy it is to communicate via WhatsApp, but sometimes it can be challenging to bring the conversation back to an email. This is often key information that we need to relay back to the broader team. DSCs are advised to respond as quickly as possible to WhatsApp communication with the assignee and then summarize the conversation for their program manager, authorizer, and anyone else in copy via email. This will keep the program running smoothly with nothing lost in translation.
