Today, there are thousands of jobs that can be performed remotely. While there are certainly challenges like creating dedicated workspaces and being on time for meetings, the benefits are increasingly evident: staying safe, avoiding traffic, having less laundry to do, and the list goes on…
Like many organizations, AER has adopted the Work From Home (WFH) model for many of its team members. We sat down with two members of our Dealer Team, Dave Samule and Gumaro “Junior” Rodriguez, to find out what it’s been like for them. Here’s what they had to say:
DAVID SAMULDE
1. What’s been the biggest challenge in transitioning to a WFH work environment?
Tie between keeping the damn cat quiet while I’m on the phone, and learning to ask others that work on-site to do things I’d normally do myself. We’re very lucky to have the right people in the right places, and they all define the meaning of the word “Team”.
2. What’s does a typical day working from home consist of for you?
Make a pot of coffee and get the job done.
3. Do you have any unique routines you’ve adopted since working from home?
Double-check that I’m wearing pants before Team video conference calls. Trust me, that’s a mistake you don’t want to make a 6th time…..
4. If you could give one bit of information to one of your customers that is transitioning to a WFH environment, what would it be?
Self-discipline is everything. Treat it as another day in the office, but without the traffic jams and road rage.
5. In general, how are dealers faring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic?
We’ve adapted. Completely. The car business eats those alive that don’t, and everyone that works in the auto industry knows that. We keep America moving.
GUMARO RODRIGUEZ
1. What’s been the biggest challenge in transitioning to a WFH work environment?
The biggest challenge has been not eating all the snacks in the house!
2. What’s does a typical day working from home consist of for you?
Getting up just as if I was going into the office, making sure my “office(daughters room)” is ready to go and everything is plugged in. The rest of the day is just making sure to stay focused and moving. Very hard to stay focused when you work in a pink/purple room.
3. Do you have any unique routines you’ve adopted since working from home?
Well since I’ve grown a quarantine beard, making sure it doesn’t look bad for my weekly video meetings with the boss.
4. If you could give one bit of information to one of your customers that is transitioning to a WFH environment, what would it be?
Set yourself up a workspace that everyone knows not to bother you at. Dogs don’t listen though. Also make sure the work area is far from the kitchen, the quarantine 15 is real.
5. In general, how are dealers faring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic?
From speaking to my dealers everyone is just trying to take it one day at a time. We are all in this together and it seems that we are all helping each other more than ever.
