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How to Effectively Manage Remote Process Servers

  • February 26, 2018
  • by ServeNow Staff
  • Articles

Whether you are a small business owner who outsources work or a large company with multiple employees or contractors, it is essential that you set up communication expectations to maintain your company’s work standards. The process serving industry allows for many servers to work remotely, so you should place a high priority on understanding how to effectively manage remote process servers and contractors. There are several tools and tactics that you can use to hold your employees accountable.

Managing Remote Process Servers

In the Field

Process servers spend countless hours in the car driving to and from serves, making them often out of the office and largely unavailable. But for daily business to remain operational, servers must stay on a schedule and be regularly reachable.

Set up clear standards for response times for your servers so that you or your clients aren’t waiting hours for document updates. Since your clients may have less patience for unreachable servers, ensure you have a home office staff member to speak with them immediately and offer a timeline.

Have your employees and contractors provide status updates or a timeline of their day so that you don’t have to personally check-in continuously. Schedule deadlines to ensure all work is completed on time. Effective management means providing your clients with status updates and knowing where your servers and client documents are at any given time.

However, keep in mind that it is dangerous to use a phone while driving. Don’t endanger your servers or implicate them in a traffic accident by requiring immediate response to messages. Their safety always comes first.

If you want to use other tools to keep track of your servers and attempts, ServeManager can track job attempts and server location with GPS. If your servers are using this process serving software, you have access to the most up-to-date information possible without directly contacting your server.

Out of State Contractors

Set up clear standards for response times and schedules. Set a hierarchy of communication and send your messages accordingly. If something is a low priority, an email may be appropriate. Something requiring action within a day could be delivered through text or instant messages. An update that necessitates an immediate response could be communicated through a phone call. When you establish a hierarchy that works for your company, make sure that your employees are aware of your expectations.

There are plenty of useful tools and software programs available for remote workers that allow for collaboration regardless of time zones. ServeManager is a great way to manage jobs, but there are also task management systems for other business management needs.

Basecamp is a popular option for team collaboration and communication. In Basecamp you can create routine check-ins for each of your projects and tailor your workflow. With their mobile app, process servers on the go can access their tasks outside of an office.

Shared calendars, such as Google Calendar, are a great way to schedule appointments and view when coworkers are busy. Make sure that your calendar is shared and visible to the appropriate parties.

Document management software, such as Dropbox or Google Drive, is a great way to give your contractors access to the documents they need and allow you to make changes or send feedback. Instead of countless emails and drafts, collaborate together by using these cloud-based applications.

All Work Reflects Your Company

When it all boils down, you are responsible for the work that your company produces. You must ensure that all your workers, remote or not, are held to the standards that you wish to provide.

If a server is not upholding your requirements, you cannot guarantee that work is being completed accurately. By clearly outlining your expectations, you will have an easier time finding reliable contractors and servers from the beginning.

Instead of scrambling and following up on last-minute updates, make it easier for you and your clients by having a built-in communication and task system in place. If you require certain responses and deadlines, your servers will be held accountable.


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