Remote CoWorker

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a massage therapy company, and I’ve been a massage therapist for many years. Our vision for our therapists and clients is about empowerment and how we can make them feel more and more equipped.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Remote CoWorker?

My company has grown to a point where I need more and more support. In the last six months, we’ve needed virtual assistants. We hired a company to assist us Monday through Friday, but they don’t offer weekend support, and since we’re open seven days a week, we needed another provider for the weekend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Remote CoWorker provides a virtual assistant for us who works on the weekends. First, we told them our needs, and they found three recruits who could be a good fit for us to choose one. We created templates and models with our other virtual assistant provider as a support system for our clients and therapists. We’ve taken that model and put it in place for Remote CoWorker.

They provide access to the virtual assistant, who must have their own resources. To onboard them, we connected with the assistant to ensure she had the supplies and support she needed and got everything systematized and running. 

They offer weekend support as our second line of defense for phone calls. We have a call center that answers our phones, and when people ask questions requiring more nuance or longer answers, the call center forwards those calls to Remote CoWorker; our virtual assistant can answer most of those questions. She’ll also call or text people back to provide the answers they need. 

If a client is running late for an appointment, she communicates that to the therapist and ensures everyone is up to speed. Regarding our software, she can use ours to communicate with clients and therapists. She also books appointments, and if a therapist has an emergency and needs to take off, she manages their schedule. 

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with one virtual assistant from Remote CoWorker. Once a month, we’re in touch with her superiors to reenlist and make sure she gets paid. 

How did you come to work with Remote CoWorker?

I found them online. We researched 10 companies, and Remote CoWorker kept coming up, making it to my top three list. I contacted those three companies and asked them for some conversation demos. From there, we chose Remote CoWorker because they seemed the best fit, and we had a two-week trial period.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $1,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around October 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Remote CoWorker’s resource is aligned with our needs, and thanks to them, we now have support seven days a week, which is amazing. In the first couple of weeks, she sent texts that weren’t phrased correctly, so we had a check and balance, and she learned on the spot. Although it took her a bit to get comfortable, she’s now very good. 

How did Remote CoWorker perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good, and the team is great at following up and getting back to me. They have good tools to communicate and are consistent. We use Zoom and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Remote CoWorker’s biggest strength is that they offer really good candidates from around the globe. The other two companies I was interested in dropped the ball in terms of helping me set up, while Remote CoWorker has met their commitments. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve in terms of fluidity and ensure their employee gets paid. We’re on a monthly payment schedule, and they’ve sent us emails to remind us of the payment the day before it’s due. The larger the company, the harder it is to get money where it needs to go; we have to jump through many hops to ensure everything is where it needs to be. Therefore, Remote CoWorker should have better communication on the frontend regarding the monthly payment. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If the candidates they give you aren’t what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to go back and ask them to find someone else.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

PayrollHR Hawaii, LLC - Professional Employer Organization (PEO), Owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Remote CoWorker, and what were your goals?

Virtual assistant type of work: data entry, updating spreadsheets, client communications, correspondence

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

Flexibility, ability to interview candidates, no sign-on fee, professionalism and responsiveness.

Describe the engagement and overall scope of work in detail, including the stages of the partnership and any software or documents used.

We needed a virtual assistant to do admin type of work. First, I corresponded with Hazel about my company's needs. She sent me resumes of three possible candidates. I asked her if I could interview the candidates. I was able to interviewed two of the three candidates. The third had already gotten a job, so she did not attend the interview. We spent approximately 20 minutes with each candidate via Zoom. We selected Charmi and we have been very happy with our selection.

Describe their billing or cost structure.

Billed for part-time services for the entire month upfront

How many resources from the firm's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

One person, Charmi. She served as a virtual assistant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the engagement or general feedback about the services?

Charmi has been very responsive and professional. She has been very eager to service us and very patient. The quality of her work has been very good as well.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used email to communicate with Hazel in the very beginning. She was very prompt. We then used Zoom to meet Hazel and candidates virtually. I have been using Asana and email to manage the work projects with Charmi, our VA.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed with their pricing, no sign-on fee service, responsiveness, and professionalism.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of an e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Remote CoWorker?

We were looking for a customer service solution, and we hired Remote CoWorker to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, I started with a large number of agents so that I could stay with the ones I feel were best for our company by the end of the training. I trained their agents for 2–3 weeks, and  I selected the best agents from their group.

Their team continues to work remotely for us. Their work involves answering calls from customers, processing tickets, answering customer service chats, and more.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with 10 people, including their project managers and agents.

How did you come to work with Remote CoWorker?

Their team was referred to us, and we were impressed that they sounded professional.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I’m very happy with the agents that are working with us because they’re very responsible. In fact, their customer response rate is good.

How did Remote CoWorker perform from a project management standpoint?

I communicate daily with Remote CoWorker’s agents, and we have a very good relationship. I barely need to contact their managers because I’m in touch with their employees. However, they do contact me from time to time to ensure that everything’s okay. They also have their own tools to monitor the agents that are working for us, and I have access to all the work that their agents do. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

When I reach out to them, they promptly get back to me. They’re quick to fix any roadblocks in the project, too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing bad that I can say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should also start with a large number of agents and select from the ones you want to continue with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a construction and real estate company located in Tamarac, Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Remote CoWorker?

I hired them to manage my phone calls and advertising strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Remote CoWorker is helping me manage my business through their virtual assistant (VA) services. They have remote workers who are in charge of answering my phone calls, setting up my schedules with customers, and handling my advertising on social media. If I have any issues or updates with city permits, they also handle that.

What is the team composition?

I’m currently working with two people from Remote CoWorker. However, at the beginning of the engagement, I used to have four remote workers supporting me.

How did you come to work with Remote CoWorker?

They were referred to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’re taking things off my hands, making me 100% productive by efficiently doing the things I need to do. Overall, they exceed my expectations.

How did Remote CoWorker perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re on top of everything; they accomplish all of their tasks. We communicate using Skype, WhatsApp, and more. They use RingCentral for calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Remote CoWorker’s ability to swiftly switch out virtual assistants (VAs) when needed has been impressive. They always have a replacement ready to work for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they don’t have any areas to improve at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to save money and time, they’re definitely worth it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is one of the top suppliers of seafood products to wholesalers and distributors in the US. Having been in business for over 10 years, we work closely with not only manufacturers to provide high quality, sustainable, innovative seafood but also global and national supply-chain vendors to provide unrivaled service, meeting the various needs of our customers and of modern consumers. I'm the Vice President of Resources overseeing HR, IT and Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Remote CoWorker?

My company faces audit from the DOC every year. Preparation for audit is one of the most daunting tasks. I hired Remote CoWorker assistants to help with preparing for the audit of year 2021.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I researched a list of virtual assistant providers and I myself have used this service from another company. Reasons for selecting Remote Coworker are: 1) assistants are based in the Philippines so meeting the English fluency requirement, 2) able to work my time zone, 3) cost effective.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

My company has a high volume of transactions, and details related to each all have to be well documented. There are more than 50,000 documents; each had to be checked and crosschecked internally for accuracy and corrections. Data also need to be entered into a massive spreadsheet to manage the audit process.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

5 virtual assistants. They were all data entry specialists who know Google suites (Google Sheet, Google Mail) and Excel well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were able to meet the deadline for the audit.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicate over Google chat and emails. They had a team manager who work with me on sourcing the qualifying assistants. The assistants were trained by my team on virtual zoom and they also reach out to my team members directly for questions.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were strict about assistants communicating with client on days off and holiday off. They were able to provide help when we needed an assistant to cover us on holiday.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Pricing is not as apparent and structured like other companies. I wish they would let clients purchase an x number of hours and use it for x amount of days and have roll over. Instead, they bill per week or month.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO, Financial services company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Remote CoWorker?

We hired RCW for professional staff augmentation and for personal assistant to the CEO and President services

SOLUTION

How did you select this agency and what were the deciding factors?

We selected TVW based on the interview process among 6 agencies. The reason we selected them was quality of the interviews, responsiveness, politeness, clarity of a business model, simplicity and duration of the contract and price. RWC was superior in 6 out of 7. All initial interviews with salespeople were good but the rest of the follow up was best with RWC

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I have several ongoing projects and we employ several VAs from RWC. One person, for example, handles ongoing insurance related claims, submits them to the insurance companies, identifies discrepancies between what is covered and what was billed by the doctors and makes sure the reimbursement from insurance company is received in full. The other project is to learn about ESG initiatives, daily analysis of topics, analysis of trends for the last 2-3 months, putting results and topic summaries in the table, and develop blogs for most important topics.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We had many resumes to chose from, we narrowed the choices down for one on one interviews over Zoom. Zoom flow was very well organized by our account manager in 15-min increments. We selected candidates and had immediate onboarding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

All results are our internal property and have to do with personal or professional sensitive information

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow is very effective, and we communicate on a daily basis. Have project grids, training for each project, onboarding, status checks, and daily live conversations.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

All of the things based on each they won our business. We described 7 evaluation factors above. RWC was unique on each.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We are happy so far. We love the time Doctor feature so we can supervise the activities of the VAs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Chief Content Officer for a B2B media company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Remote CoWorker?

We hired Remote CoWorker to contract a half-time worker with solid data entry skills and ability to spot and correct errors.

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

We used Google to look for outsourcing firms with strong reputation and have a business model and pricing plan that fit us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Tasks include researching public companies for sales and earnings presentation data to input. We submitted to Remote CoWorker a job ad and received about 6 resumes immediately. Remote CoWorker set up video interviews for the candidates we finalized. Once a hiring decision is made, Remote CoWorker emailed us an invoice which we had to pay in advance before the worker would start. Every four weeks, we received an invoice.

When we decided to stop the contract, we emailed a termination notice, giving them 3 weeks in advance. Remote CoWorker acknowledged the termination notice and told us we would not be receiving the next invoice after the expiration date of the last paid period.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

One account manager from Remote CoWorker was working with me the whole process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We used Remote CoWorker for 3 months. For the most part, the contractor’s work quality was good. Here are the pros and cons of using Remote CoWorker:

Pros:

1. Quick startup – After submitting our job ad to Remote CoWorker, we received about half dozen resumes immediately from candidates with a wide range of skills and experience levels. We selected three for interviewing and the interviews were set up within two days. So, from job ad submission to completion of hiring, it took us less than a week.
2. Low-cost plus transparency – They offer affordable rates for small businesses and their hourly rates are posted on their website with no additional fees, overtime or holiday work premium, no lengthy negotiation and no surprises. Their service is a godsend in today’s insanely tight labor market with runaway inflation that chokes small businesses.
3. Perfect for temporary/seasonal projects - Remote CoWorker has a pay-as-you-go, no-string attached service model. No cancellation fee as long as you give them a written two-week notice. So, once again, it’s small-business-friendly.

Cons:

1. Not sure if how thoroughly they vet contractors for equipment adequacy/internet setup. Our contractor had computer freezing or Internet slowdown from time to time, which impacted productivity.
2. No emergency contact when reliability issues come up. There were times when the contractor arrived at work 45-60 minutes late. Usually, it’s due to some infrastructure issue (e.g. power outage) – according to the contractor when she finally got online. But each time we were left wondering what was going on and whether she would show up for work. We would appreciate having emergency contact at Remote CoWorker to help pin down what’s going on when these things happen.
3. Managing time zone difference – 6am in the Philippines is 6pm in US East Coast. Theoretically, the benefit is having someone continue the work after your US workers sign off. But in reality, you need to be there to spot and correct their problems. If you don’t want to burn the candle at both ends, I’d recommend asking Remote CoWorker for contractors in Latin/Central American countries that have the same time zones as the US.
4. Slow learning pace - spotting and correcting problems on email and Zoom is never as efficient as handholding a trainee right next to you, giving instant feedback and doing a show-and-tell in-person.
5. If the outsourced job is a written task, expect to see some typos and other writing errors from remote foreign contractors who aren’t familiar with US/First World brands or domestic business issues. Our contractor hits the mark about 80-90% of the time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was challenging to have 100% smooth workflow. The contracted worker wasn't always responsive and sometimes showed up an hour late. Because of the time zone difference, when the worker's shift was supposed to start, it was already after hours for Remote CoWorker. So, if there was a no-show situation, we had no way of contacting anyone at Remote CoWorker to address the situation.

Also, the contracted worker would run into serious technical problem that impacted productivity from time to time, which I think is not uncommon when sourcing contractors from a somewhat impoverished part of a developing nation. That said, most of what the contracted worker accomplished for us daily was useful and in good form.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Remote CoWorker's business model is extremely friendly to small businesses. It's perfect for new experimental projects that we are uncertain about demand and therefore project longetivity. Once you send them a termination notice, there was no question ask and no cancellation fee.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Improve the emergency communication protocol.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a UX/UI Designer. I run my own business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Remote CoWorker?

With running a business, comes a great deal of responsibilities. I found myself too busy working in the business, when I wanted to be focused on expanding the business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Remote CoWorker online, and gave them a call. It was a seamless process. They walked me through the benefits of having their employees underneath me. They allowed me to interview as many applicants as I liked, until I found the ones I wanted to work with. Their low cost pricing was very appealing as well.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

My Va's help me run the business side of things, Marketing, getting leads, answering phones, designing web pages and applications and invoicing.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I have six VA's. Everyone one of them takes part in each step of the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since starting with Remote CoWorker, my business has grown tenfold!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's been an extremely pleasant and seamless process, and I'm looking forward to the continued professionalism and skills they always show me and my clients.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I found that this company actually cares about my business and is not just looking to bill me.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I haven't found any yet!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the sole owner of the company. We help policyholders get the settlement they deserve from their property damage claims. We help both residential and commercial damage claims.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Remote CoWorker?

I hired RemoteCoworker initially to have people to help grow my business with marketing and help me manage and handle daily business activities.

What were your goals for this project?

To be able to grow my company and sustain the company in this time of the pandemic.

SOLUTION

How did you select Remote CoWorker?

I was called by one of their agents and I saw the website, and I saw their services, the prices, and had an interview.

Describe the project in detail.

I got to interview my virtual assistants and got to know them and what work they were able to do prior to joining my team. We had weekly training and everything went on from there.

What was the team composition?

One is a team lead and the other the assistant lead. Both report directly to me.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We started generating more clients since the first month. We were able to get 100 more clients at the end of the second month. We have changed some procedures according to the team structure and we have done more since I hired my VAs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I do calls everyday with my hired VAs. RCWs team also has their own manager, they keep me updated if there is something I need to know.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The VAs are competent, easy to talk with and are willing to be trained. They have good personalities. The company also gives support if you tell them what you need.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Because this is remote work, the only thing that is t improve is communication when there are casualties happening. but that is uncontrollable. They make up for it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Platinum Public Adjusters, a public adjusting company. I am a public adjuster for them. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Remote CoWorker?

I needed sales leads and clients coming in, and that’s why I hired Remote CoWorker.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired the call center where we were doing cold calls to generate leads. They do some back-office services too.

What is the team composition?

I only work with one person, the VP of Remote CoWorker.

How did you come to work with Remote CoWorker?

I met their VP through a friend, but I’ve known him for a while since we lived together for a bit. He really showed me that he cared about my business and he was very motivated and looking out for us — that’s why I chose him over anybody else. In addition, their pricing was good too.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and we have an ongoing collaboration with Remote CoWorker.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve been great so far. I went from a couple of leads here and there to a steady influx of rapid amounts of weekly leads where I’m able to keep my business afloat. 

How did Remote CoWorker perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great and their VP is very on top of my project. I communicate with Remote CoWorker mostly through phone calls and texting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their VP makes sure that I’m following up and doing my end of the deal. The team has been very thorough in appointments, addresses, and information that I need in order to close a deal.

They make it super easy for me to just walk in and have a good rapport with a customer. Prospective clients know what I’m going to talk about once I reach out to them. Remote CoWorker has made it very easy for me to transition into closing deals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can improve on the accuracy of the details about potential clients. Sometimes prospective customers aren’t who Remote CoWorker says they are and as result, they've been a little confused about the product I’m selling.

In connection with that, the team can a little bit more thorough in gathering information and making sure that it’s a smooth transition for me. Basically, they just need to make sure that the prospective client is aware of what’s happening.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sometimes when I’m talking to a prospective client, they have no idea what’s going on. I just don’t know if it’s a lead generation thing or I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but it seems like there are random phone numbers. I don’t know exactly how they’re getting that lead, but it’s just a couple here and there. I would just say to communicate with prospective clients to make sure that they're on board and ready to meet with me.