The past year for Alyssa Jones-Plutte has been like no other. She recently discussed her new role as a customer service representative, how she’s handled tremendous change on the job, and those tricky brain teasers shared among the IPS staff.
You were hired as an office administrator about a year ago. What was it like starting a new job during a pandemic?
Starting a new job during the pandemic was surprisingly easy. Everyone at IPS was very welcoming, and they tried to make things as normal as possible. The only downside was that some of my new coworkers were working from home, so I didn’t get to meet everyone right away. Luckily, technology made it possible for all of us to connect and get to know one another better.
What did you discover about yourself as an employee over the many months? Did you develop any new professional strengths or skills?
I have sharpened a lot of my professional skills over the last few months- the biggest skill being flexibility. The payroll industry is fast-paced and changes quickly, especially during a time when lots of new legislation is coming out because of the pandemic. As a payroll specialist, you must be prepared to deal with the changes as they happen. Luckily, everyone at IPS supports each other through these ever-transforming times.
Tell us about your promotion from Office Administrator to Customer Service Representative. What will you be doing in your new role?
I am excited about my promotion to CSR. It will allow me many opportunities to learn new things about the payroll industry. I have acquired a lot of new knowledge in the past few months, but there is certainly a lot more for me to learn. I look forward to these learning opportunities so I can provide stellar service to our clients, just like all of my coworkers do. With this new role, I will be doing more client-facing work than I did as the office administrator. It’s all very exciting.
What is the most important thing you want to relay to current customers and prospective customers when you work with them?
I want my customers to feel that they can come to me with any questions- no matter how big or small. My hope is also that they come away from any interaction with me feeling like their thoughts were heard and that they got a knowledgeable response about their request.
What have you done as a team to stay close during the remote work and now hybrid work schedule?
Working at IPS is great! It was obvious from the get-go that everyone wants each other to succeed. There is an incredible sense of community here, which really helps us grow together as a team. We do our best to stay connected through weekly video meetings and daily chats. One member of our team, Ashlie Bruce, also sends out riddles for us to solve. The brain teasers are a great way for us to have some fun together while we work.