When your water damage restoration business is just getting off the ground, hiring an office manager may seem beyond what your company can afford. As the owner or general manager of your small business, you will only be able to manage office operations for a short amount of time. Sooner rather than later, you will need to turn your attention to managing the support staff, marketing your services, and casting a vision for the future of your business.
Hiring an office manager is one of the most important choices you will make in maintaining an organized structure and an efficient office. As the owner, your office manager is your right hand, making sure everything behind the scenes is running smoothly and details such as paperwork, appointments, and phone calls are not missed during busy seasons.
What does an office manager do?
Office managers are responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes tasks that keep your business running smoothly. Depending on the structure of your office, their responsibility could include:
● Answering phones: During business hours, your office manage should always be available to answer incoming calls. They will be responsible for answering basic questions about your business, taking messages, scheduling initial visits, and transferring calls to the appropriate person.
● Managing paperwork: Support staff members should be held responsible for making sure all required paperwork is completed for every client. However, an office manager can assist in the seamless operation of your business by maintaining client files, double checking that all paperwork is completed, and keeping plenty of copies of blank forms on hand.
● Customer Follow-up: Making sure the client is happy with the result of the water damage restoration work performed in their home is essential to maintaining your reputation and understanding where you can improve as a business. The office manager should be responsible for following up with the client, using the checklist provided to More Floods members to make sure every aspect of the job is covered.
Essential Characteristics of an Office Manager
Since your office manager will primarily work alone and will be the only one responsible for completing certain tasks, it is important that you find a reliable and hardworking office manager. Because of the nature of their job, there are certain characteristics that are essential to every office manager, including:
● Customer service skills: Your office manager will be responsible for answering the majority of the calls to your water damage restoration business. Excellent customer service skills are essential to this position since they will be responsible for making a great first impression on your customers.
● Detail-oriented: Your office manager will be responsible for maintaining an organized office and making sure the behind-the-scenes details of every water damage restoration job are taken care of. It is important that anyone you hire is a detail-oriented person.
● Reliable: Most small businesses cannot afford to hire an on-call or part time office manager as support for their full-time office manager. It essential that you hire someone who will show up for work and be on time for their shift every day.
At More Floods, we provide additional resources to our members for hiring and training an office manager. These resources include an office manager check-off list, office manager training, and a log for answering the office’s phones. To learn more about becoming a More Floods member, click here or call 1-866-667-3356.