Customer Contact

In addition to assessing the workplace, it is important to see to what extent you can maintain contacts outside the organization.

 

You often must deal with customers, clients, external parties, parents, children, etc. You have to ask yourself whether you are the most suitable person to maintain these contacts at this moment.

 

You are reintegrating and that is not always easy. Remember that: talking people, driving a car, pressure and stress are still difficult to deal with.

 

It is good to remember that the contacts outside the organization are not with you for the time being, but with your replacement.

 

Own experience

In education we also deal with the parents of children. Contacts with most parents are fine. But there are also: dissatisfied parents, parents who want something different, children who need close contact with parents, etc.

 

In the beginning of my recovery, I mainly left that contact to my replacement. I wanted to focus on my core task: teaching. The contact with parents seemed too much for me for now.

 

It occurred to me that it is not nice for parents to have contact with a teacher who is not yet ready for that.

 

This was also communicated to the parents. That I give the lessons, but the contact is done by mine replacement/substitute. It provides clarity for everyone.

 

I received positive reactions from many parents. They felt taken seriously.

 

What’s positive

Thinking about this can prevent a lot of misery for both the customer and the organization. After all, the customers are the ones that are important to the organization. Then it is very annoying if you cannot deliver what they expect.

 

As a result, removing customer contacts from you provides peace of mind, which in turn is beneficial to the recovery.

 

Tips:

1.      Customers are important. This can cause pressure and stress and disrupt recovery. So if you can, spend this on others.

2.      Inform the regular customers about the situation. With a bit of openness and honesty you gain understanding.

3.      Showing that you are fragile, is also very powerful. It shows that you are also a human

 

For the employer

Because these are important tasks within an organization, it is very advisable to ask yourself whether these tasks will be left to someone who is not yet good at it. The employee is still looking for what can and cannot be done. Then maybe it’s better not to put that on him.

 

So advice: take a critical look at these tasks.