When our insurance team shifted to a hybrid setup, the biggest surprise was how quickly we started losing shared understanding of each case. In the office, people picked up details naturally by talking across the room or asking quick questions. At home, that small layer of teamwork vanished, and cases began moving more slowly because different team members interpreted the same situation in slightly different ways. To fix this, we created a habit where the person handing off a case adds a short note that explains the main issue, the customer's concern, and anything that might need extra attention. The note is written in everyday language so the next person can understand the situation right away. This small change brought clarity back into the process and helped the team work more confidently, even when everyone was in different places.
An unexpected challenge was handling equipment returns and exchanges for remote onboarding and offboarding as demand accelerated. We addressed it by expanding our return software to include equipment returns and exchanges. The solution took off faster than expected, highlighting the logistics demands of hybrid and remote work.