Slack has been revolutionizing business communications since 2014. Last year, they were put to their biggest test as organizations transitioned to remote work en masse. Their tools helped employers quickly disseminate critical information, provide stellar customer service, and keep employees feeling connected. See how three companies used Slack to set a new bar for workplace comms.
Keeping employees informed
As the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc across the globe, T-Mobile used Slack to power its move from physical to remote offices. This was no small task for the second-largest wireless provider in the US. The effort included shifting 12,000 call center employees to work from home in less than two weeks.
To do this, T-Mobile’s care team orchestrated everything in Slack channels and facilitated curbside pickup for employees to retrieve necessary equipment. Meanwhile, experts maintained direct access with the appropriate teams, avoiding dips in customer support.
On a day-to-day basis, Slack helps all of T-Mobile’s teams keep things running smoothly. The consumer markets team uses a simple Slack form to solicit and answer questions about individual store reopening policies, compensation, and safety guidelines, all in real time. Because store managers can receive responses in under two minutes, they’re able to update and enforce local guidelines and keep customers and employees safe.
The platform also helps frontline employees stay informed about new T-mobile products, replacing request for information tickets and HQ calls with Slack support channels and user groups, to mobilize the right people at the right time and answer questions in a matter of minutes. The wireless leader has successfully pivoted, using Slack as its digital HQ.
Spreading the telehealth gospel
Oscar is a virtual health pioneer. Each of Oscar’s 529,000 members has their own personalized Care Team, which consists of both care guides and clinical experts, there to support members through any issue from beginning to end. Behind the scenes, the team uses Slack channels to share knowledge and find answers fast.
“Slack enables us to be more succinct and efficient when responding to members,” says Sebastian Burzacchi, Oscar’s Vice President of Service Operations. “It allows us to solve issues in almost real time, often with the member on the phone.” Oscar’s Net Promoter Score—which measures customer experience and predicts business growth—is 30, compared with an industry average of 3 among other health insurers.
In March 2020, when U.S healthcare systems went into overdrive in response to Covid-19, Oscar led the sprint to start up new services and testing. On March 13, 2020, the company released a risk assessment survey and testing center locator for free public use. Both products launched during shelter-in-place, and most of the strategizing was done in Slack.
With the help of Slack, Oscar scaled up its systems and moved its workforce remote, keeping more than 1,800 employees focused on doing what they do best: innovating to deliver a patient-first experience.
Boosting morale and creating safe spaces
At Wayfair, Slack keeps teammates connected and engaged. With guidance from Kristin Geyer, head of internal communications, Wayfair’s office teams in Boston, Berlin, and London have gone all-remote for the first time since the company’s creation.
“With our teams working remotely at this scale, we’ve leaned on tools like Slack more than ever,” Geyer says. “We use Slack channels to share frequent reminders such as how to keep equipment up to date at home, the latest policy announcements from local and national officials, and helpful tips for staying safe, healthy, and balanced. It’s been great to see the creative ways that teams have used Slack to stay closely aligned and maintain dialogue.”
Working in Slack channels does much more than boost productivity, though: It also helps maintain a sense of community. For example, in a time of heightened civil and social unrest, Wayfair’s allyship channels, like #wayfair-allies and #allies-for-blm, have served as safe spaces for employees to listen, learn, and engage with one another to drive understanding and change. Other channels, such as #goodnews-wayfair and #global-supply-chain-spirit, serve as outlets for levity and celebrating one another’s resiliency and hard work.
Geyer will continue to use Slack to help grow and strengthen the global Wayfair colleague community.