MT-CS-016: Out of Office Hand-off

Owned by arlene.coello
Last updated: Dec 02, 2024
6 min read

CONTEXT / SCOPE

The purpose of this SOP is to ensure uninterrupted customer support and communication during the absence of a Customer Success Manager (CSM) and establish an effective process for customers to reach someone in case of urgent matters.

IMPACTED TEAMS

  • CSM Team

  • CS Operations

GLOSSARY

  • CRED SOFT - Self-Managed Credentialing Software(Credentialing Software)

  • CRED SERV / FMC - Fully Managed Credentialing Service (Credentialing Service)

  • CSM – Customer Success Manager 

  • LMS- Learning Management System 

  • Opp - Opportunity (where RSM registers the process of sales and information about the purchased product.)

  • SF - Salesforce

  • TL - Team Lead

RESOURCES

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Out of Office Notice

As a CSM, you have the responsibility of notifying TL about any upcoming time off, to keep workflow and customer attention seamless until your return.

Notifying the CSM TL

No less than 3 workdays before OOO

It is mandatory to notify your respective CSM TLs about planned absences well in advance, no less than 3 workdays in advance. 

 

This allows the TL to:

  • Designate a temporary POC (point of contact).

  • Delegate tasks accordingly, depending on the severity (for more detail please go to the Pending Tasks section).

  • Approve Bamboo time off requests

  • Double-check that OOO configuration was set successfully (please go to the Out of Office Set-up section for more detail).

OOO Automated Email Set-up

No less than 1 workday before OOO

To set up your Out of Office Automated Email, please follow these steps below. Remember this needs to be set up no less than 1 day before your OOO starts.

 

  1. Go to your Gmail account, click on the Setting button, and then on “See All Settings”

  2. Scroll all the way down until you reach the “Vacation Responder” section. Set up the OOO dates as shown below, and change the subject to whatever works best (“Out of Office Notice” is recommended).

20240718-1456-13.6622580.mp4
Please feel free to use the Outreach OOO Notification Email Template as a base, and feel free to make any necessary adjustments to it.

Gathering Information Before Departure

Gathering as much detail and context as you can will help your team take care of pending tasks while you’re gone, so be as thorough as possible. You know your admins better than anyone. They already know your service, and you already know what they will expect from it.

Pending Tasks

To assist you with notating all that needs to be taken care of during your absence, please use the https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EtTWs1h9WDMktGTsWVW5Est3aetnfb3StOGajLC72fU/edit#gid=0 . Please consider the following points, as they make help you prioritize your tasks.

High Priority

These are tasks that cannot be postponed, and need to be temporarily delegated as soon as possible. Some examples are:

  • Escalation Cases

  • Anything regarding Regulatory and Accreditation Compliance.

  • High-Risk bug/system error tickets.

  • Any pressing credentialing task.

  • Users not being able to log in.

Medium Priority

These are tasks that can be somewhat postponed but may delay CSM's/Admin's workflow. Some examples are:

  • Medium-Risk bug/system error tickets.

  • New SSO or Integration Tickets.

  • Background Checks.

  • Assistance with Learning and Compliance Modules.

  • Custom Coursework.

Low Priority

These are tasks that you will be able to perform or complete seamlessly upon your return, so please do not add these to the file. Some examples are:

  • Tickets about to be completed (the admin already has context and knows what to expect).

  • Tickets that may be delayed or that are still being worked on, but the admin has been made aware of this and knows what to expect

  • General account low-severity assistance.

Backup Contact Designation

In this stage, your TL will evaluate how and to whom your tasks will be delegated. So, to assist with a smooth temporary transition, please provide a completely and thoroughly filled tracking file.

Admin Information

Proactively communicate with your clients who have ongoing or pressing issues to gather necessary information. Make sure to document client interactions, ongoing projects, and any outstanding tasks. Please use the  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EtTWs1h9WDMktGTsWVW5Est3aetnfb3StOGajLC72fU/edit#gid=0 to provide as much detail as possible for your back-up contact.

Hand-off Meeting with Back-up Contact

Conduct a comprehensive hand-off meeting with the designated back-up contact to discuss ongoing client commitments, project statuses, and potential challenges according to the https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EtTWs1h9WDMktGTsWVW5Est3aetnfb3StOGajLC72fU/edit#gid=0 , and share the file with back-up contact.

Out of Office Set-up

Here, take the time to double-check that you have not left any loose ends regarding your OOO Notice. Remember, both admins and internal colleagues may look for us at any given time.

OOO Automated Email Check

You and your TL must confirm that the setup on the OOO Automated Email Set-up section is complete. At this point, make sure you include alternative contact information in your OOO email response, such as a dedicated support email (support@medtrainer.com) and a support phone number and dedicated back-up contact email and phone number.

Calendar OOO Days Set-up

In your Google Calendar, make sure you have your applicable OOO days set:

RingCentral Call Forwarding & OOO Email Check

  • Your TL will indicate who will be in touch with your admins. Your TL should request call forwarding to the IT team, ensuring your calls get forwarded to team lead or backup contact designated by your TL during your absence. 

  • On the first day of CSM’s OOO, the TL designated backup contact needs to send a check email to the CSM, to ensure the OOO automatic reply is turned on.

Slack Vacation Set-up and Bamboo Time Off Requests

Just as general office procedure, make sure that you request your time off in Bamboo (with at least 1 week in advance), so your TL can approve it, as well as setting up a “Vacation” status in Slack, while setting yourself as away.

Backup Contact Follow-up with Clients

Tracking File

To provide full detail, the designated backup teammate must document all ongoing client communications in the shared https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EtTWs1h9WDMktGTsWVW5Est3aetnfb3StOGajLC72fU/edit#gid=0 for future reference.

Copying the CSM

The designated backup teammate must also copy the OOO CSM in the following:

  • All email communication with the admin(s).

  • All created Slack channels or conversations.

  • Any created Jira tickets

Return Meeting

Once you return, follow these steps: