Representatives from innovative US airline, JetBlue, which grew up with an at-home workforce, delivered some compelling insight into the benefits and issues related to operating a remote workforce at the TUANZ Teleworking 2008 Conference today.

JetBlue has 1500 of its reservation staff working from home and says this arrangement benefits, not only the company, but also its employees and customers.

In the opening address of the conference, Cris Palauni, JetBlue’s Manager of Reservations, says although it is a value airline, JetBlue has a particular focus on providing exceptional customer service.

Therefore having satisfied customer service representatives is an absolute must for the company.

Enabling reservations staff to work from home with flexible hours boosts employee satisfaction, she says.

And happy staff relate to great customer service. “We believe if you our staff are happy they deliver better service to customers,” says Palauni.

As most reservations staff work part-time, the flexibility of remote working is ideal, says Palauni. Staff are able to easily trade shifts through an automated system, while 25 percent of staff able to choose their own shifts. “They are not tied down to their shifts.”

Working from home also makes it easier for staff to opt to take time-off when fewer resources are required, or conversely pick up overtime when more cover is suddenly needed, says Palauni.

Staff also spend less time and cost travelling, which gives them more time and money to spend with families. “They don’t have to spend additional time away from the family and have more money to spend on something other than gas,” says Palauni

A more satisfied workforce has enabled JetBlue to keep staff retention high and recruiting costs to a minimum. “We no longer have to advertise in print to recruit. It is now all done through word-of-mouth.”

The TUANZ Teleworking 2008 Conference, sponsored by Cisco, runs today and tomorrow at Eden Park in Auckland. More blogs from the event will follow in the next few days.