![Teamwork Made Simple: How SMEs Use Google Workspace to Stay Organised [Image] Discover how Malaysian SMEs use Google Workspace to stay organised and work like corporates. Learn teamwork hacks for proposals, spreadsheets, and project tracking. Boost productivity, save time, and simplify collaboration with Exabytes Google Workspace solutions. Targeted Keywords: Google Workspace Malaysia, Google Workspace for SMEs, teamwork with Google Workspace, Google Workspace collaboration tools, SMEs productivity tools Malaysia, project tracking with Google Workspace, Exabytes Google Workspace solutions Teamwork Made Simple: How SMEs Use Google Workspace to Stay Organised Running a small or medium enterprise (SME) in Malaysia often means juggling multiple roles at once — handling sales proposals, updating financial spreadsheets, managing HR files, and following up on client emails. Without the right tools, these daily tasks quickly become scattered across WhatsApp chats, email attachments, and endless file versions. This is where Google Workspace comes in. Designed as an all-in-one productivity suite, it helps SMEs streamline teamwork so even small teams can operate with the efficiency of large corporations. 👉 In this article, we’ll explore: - Why staying organised is critical for SMEs. - Real-life scenarios where Workspace improves teamwork. - How proposals, spreadsheets, and projects get done faster. - Extra features beyond Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. - A Malaysian SME case study. - The importance of security and trust. - Why Exabytes is the right partner for local businesses. --- Why Organisation Matters for SMEs Organisation is not just about being neat — it directly affects profit and growth. According to a study, unclear communication and disorganisation cost teams 20–30% of their productivity. For SMEs in Malaysia, where teams are often small and resources limited, this impact is even greater. Consider this: - A delayed proposal can mean losing a valuable client. - A duplicated spreadsheet entry may create cash flow miscalculations. - Misplaced documents can slow down regulatory compliance. By adopting structured tools like Google Workspace, SMEs can: - Share and edit files in real-time without confusion. - Keep communication centralised, reducing reliance on messy WhatsApp groups. - Track tasks and projects systematically. - Build a professional image when engaging clients and partners. --- Scenario 1: Sharing Proposals Without the Chaos Imagine a sales executive at a Kuala Lumpur-based SME preparing a proposal for a major client. Traditionally, the process involves: 1. Drafting the proposal in Microsoft Word. 2. Emailing the attachment back and forth for edits. 3. Managers reviewing different versions simultaneously. 4. Confusion about which “final_v2.docx” is the actual final version. With Google Docs in Workspace, this chaos disappears: - Multiple teammates can edit and comment in real-time. - The manager can approve changes instantly without version clashes. - A single live link is shared with the client, avoiding outdated attachments. For SMEs, faster proposals mean a higher chance of closing deals ahead of competitors. --- Scenario 2: Collaborating on Spreadsheets Made Easy Finance and operations teams often depend heavily on spreadsheets. But with manual file sharing, version mismatches and calculation errors are common. With Google Sheets, SMEs benefit from: - Live updates: everyone works on the same file simultaneously. - Data integrity: built-in change history reduces the risk of accidental deletion. - Advanced features: pivot tables, charts, and even integration with external data sources. - Access control: sensitive data is view-only for some, editable for others. 📍 Example: A Penang-based SME tracks supplier payments and client invoices in Google Sheets. When a team member updates a supplier’s payment status, the finance manager sees it in real-time. No delays, no duplicate records. 💡 Supporting Research: A PwC report found that while digital tools can boost productivity, clarity in digital processes is essential for improving employee morale and reducing workplace stress. --- Scenario 3: Tracking Projects Like a Corporate Giant One of the biggest struggles for SMEs is managing multiple ongoing projects without expensive software. Google Workspace makes this simple by combining Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Google Meet. - Project files are stored in shared Drives, eliminating scattered folders on personal laptops. - Deadlines are synced to Google Calendar, with automated reminders. - Weekly check-ins are held on Google Meet, where teams can update progress directly from linked Docs and Sheets. 📍 Example: A Johor-based creative agency uses Workspace to manage multiple client campaigns. Each campaign has its own shared Drive folder, with timelines tracked on Calendar. The team no longer spends hours asking “who has the latest file?” — everything is in one central place. 💡 Research Insight: A report by International Data Corporation (IDC) sponsored by Google found that organisations using Google Workspace gained significant productivity benefits, including an average reduction in project delivery time compared to traditional methods. --- Beyond the Basics: Features SMEs Often Overlook Many SMEs in Malaysia still think Workspace is only about Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. But it offers much more: - Smart Canvas: assign tasks, insert checklists, and tag teammates directly inside Docs or Sheets. - Google Chat Spaces: structured, searchable team chatrooms — a more professional alternative to WhatsApp groups. - App Integrations: connect Workspace with Asana, HubSpot, or Trello to create a central hub for all work. - Forms & Surveys: quickly gather staff feedback or client inputs without relying on third-party tools. These features transform Workspace into more than just a productivity suite — it becomes a complete SME management platform. --- Case Study: Malaysian SME Scaling Faster with Workspace A Johor Bahru-based e-commerce SME adopted Google Workspace after struggling with scattered tools (email on one platform, Dropbox for storage, Trello for tasks). Within six months: - Proposal turnaround dropped from 3 days to 1 day. - Finance reporting errors decreased by 40%. - Meetings became shorter and more effective as updates were visible in Docs and Sheets before calls. - Team onboarding improved as new hires could access all resources in one shared Drive. This shift helped the SME appear more structured to partners and investors — a critical factor in securing funding. --- Security and Trust — Even for Small Teams SMEs are often targets of cyberattacks due to weaker security setups. A 2024 report by Lockbaud indicates that small companies experience a 350% increase in social engineering attacks compared to larger organisations. With Workspace, SMEs benefit from enterprise-grade security without the costs: - TLS encryption for email. - Two-step verification for accounts. - Admin controls for file sharing and device access. - Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to prevent accidental leaks. This means even a small 5-person team can have the same protection as a multinational corporation. --- Why Malaysian SMEs Choose Exabytes for Workspace While Workspace itself is powerful, implementing it correctly can be tricky. That’s where Exabytes steps in: - Migration support: move old emails and files without disruptions. - Local support: 24/7 assistance from Malaysia-based teams. - Affordable pricing: plans customised for SMEs. - Training & onboarding: ensuring staff adopt the tools effectively. For Malaysian SMEs, this local support makes all the difference in achieving smooth digital transformation. --- Conclusion For SMEs, staying organised isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about survival and growth. With Google Workspace, small teams can: - Share proposals seamlessly without version confusion. - Collaborate on spreadsheets with real-time accuracy. - Track projects like corporate giants. - Leverage security and integrations usually reserved for big enterprises. The result? Faster decision-making, a more professional image, and stronger client trust. In Malaysia’s competitive market, these advantages give SMEs the agility they need to thrive. 👉 Ready to simplify teamwork for your SME? Explore Exabytes Google Workspace solutions today. --- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Here are answers to common questions Malaysian business owners ask about Google Workspace: 1. Why should SMEs in Malaysia use Google Workspace instead of free tools? Free tools like Gmail, Dropbox, or WhatsApp may work initially, but they lack consistency, professionalism, and control. With Workspace, SMEs get a unified system for communication, file storage, and collaboration. This means fewer errors, faster decision-making, and a stronger brand image. For SMEs competing in Malaysia’s crowded market, these small advantages add up. --- 2. How does Google Workspace improve teamwork compared to traditional email attachments? Traditional workflows often involve endless email chains and multiple file versions. With Workspace, all team members edit the same document or spreadsheet in real-time. The “version history” function ensures no data is lost. This means fewer misunderstandings, less back-and-forth, and faster project completion. --- 3. Is Google Workspace too advanced or costly for small businesses? Not at all. Plans start at just a few ringgit per user per month, making it affordable even for micro-SMEs. More importantly, the time and errors saved often outweigh the subscription cost. Plus, Workspace scales easily as the business grows. --- 4. How secure is Google Workspace for SMEs? Very secure. Workspace uses enterprise-grade security, including TLS encryption, two-factor authentication, and AI-driven spam/phishing filters. According to Google Cloud, Workspace blocks 99.9% of spam and phishing attempts before they reach inboxes. This gives SMEs protection usually only accessible to large corporations. --- 5. Can Workspace integrate with the tools I already use? Yes. Google Workspace integrates seamlessly with CRM software like HubSpot, project management tools like Asana, and accounting platforms like Xero. SMEs can keep using their preferred apps while enjoying centralised communication and file management. --- 6. How does Workspace help SMEs present a professional image? Emails from yourname@yourcompany.com look far more credible than free Gmail or Yahoo addresses. Consumers are more likely to trust and buy from businesses with branded email addresses. For Malaysian SMEs, this can be the difference between closing or losing a deal. --- 7. Does Workspace help remote or hybrid teams in Malaysia? Yes. Workspace is cloud-based, so employees can log in from anywhere. Whether staff are in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, or working overseas, they can collaborate seamlessly on Docs, Sheets, and Meet. This is crucial as hybrid work is now the new normal in Asia. --- 8. How does Workspace reduce reliance on WhatsApp groups? Many SMEs in Malaysia still run projects through WhatsApp, leading to lost messages and scattered files. With Google Chat and Spaces, discussions are structured, searchable, and tied directly to files in Drive. This prevents important updates from being buried in casual conversations. --- 9. What happens if my company grows quickly? Workspace scales effortlessly. Adding new staff is as simple as creating new accounts under your domain. Each team member instantly gets access to shared drives, branded email, and collaboration tools. This keeps the organisation consistent as the team expands. --- 10. Can Workspace really save time for SMEs? Yes. Features like Gmail’s Smart Compose and Docs’ AI suggestions help employees write faster and avoid repetitive tasks. Google mentioned that AI across its productivity suite saves its 3 billion users' time. (Google Blog). For SMEs, time saved translates directly into cost savings and faster client responses. --- 11. How does Workspace help with project management? Workspace combines Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, and Meet into a single ecosystem. SMEs can store all project files in shared folders, assign tasks via Docs or Sheets, and schedule deadlines in Calendar. This makes project tracking far simpler compared to juggling multiple third-party apps. --- 12. Is Google Workspace mobile-friendly? Yes. According to DataReportal Malaysia 2024, 96% of Malaysians use the internet via smartphones. Workspace has official apps for Android and iOS, so employees can check emails, join meetings, or update files while on the go. --- 13. Can Workspace improve customer service for SMEs? Absolutely. SMEs can set up specific email addresses such as support@company.com or sales@company.com. This ensures customer queries are directed to the right team, speeding up response times and improving satisfaction. Customers perceive the business as more organised and professional. --- 14. Is it difficult to migrate from Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook to Workspace? Not with the right support. Google offers migration tools, and Exabytes provides local assistance to transfer emails, contacts, and files safely. This ensures zero downtime, so businesses can continue operating smoothly while upgrading to Workspace. --- 15. How does Exabytes support SMEs using Google Workspace? As an official Google Workspace Partner in Malaysia, Exabytes offers: - Domain setup and email migration. - Training sessions for your staff. - 24/7 local support in English and Bahasa Malaysia. - Affordable SME-friendly pricing plans. This means SMEs don’t just get the software — they get guidance to fully maximise its potential.](https://i0.wp.com/www.exabytes.my/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5273896e-9703-42cd-8d04-7e9ab092839a.png?resize=218%2C150&ssl=1 "Teamwork Made Simple: How SMEs in Malaysia Stay Organised with Google Workspace")
When you are involved in customer support, I believe that you may wonder if there is one skill that you must have.
After asking around many customer support agents this question, “Empathy” is the word that is most commonly emphasized.
Table of Contents
What is Empathy?
Empathy is the ability for someone to understand and share the feelings of another. It is the action of putting yourself in other’s shoes and seeing the problem from their point of view. Customers need your understanding of how they feel about the product or service.
In customer service, empathy is essential and important to serve your customers. Most failed cases in customer service are due to their lack of empathy towards the customers.
Being empathetic towards someone doesn’t mean that you agree with their point of view or action. It just means that you understand their situation. Customers love it when you understand how they feel, especially when they face an issue that is related to your brand, product or service.
As a support agent, empathy is an important character trait to have. Definitely, you have to face different kinds of customers every day, listen to their complaints, emotional outburst, etc. and to solve their problems. So, treat your customer service agents better.
5 Benefits of Empathizing
You may wonder if it is really so important to spend time and effort empathizing with every single customer when you can spend that time effectively to solve several issues.
Let us tell you how empathy in customer service support benefits your business.
Understand Your Customers Better
One thing you have to remember is customer support is all about people. When you are able to understand your customers well, you can support them better and increase their satisfaction level. Your customer needs your understanding, not your excuses. Practising empathy every day will help you serve your customers better and also build a good relationship with them.
Notice Things that are Unsaid
With Empathy, your customers will not need to spell out any single word about their needs and feelings. You will be able to guess what motivated them to approach you based on their situation, body language, voice, and tone. When you are able to help them based on what their needs are before they spell out, customers will appreciate your service. At the same time, it gives customers strong confidence in your brand.
Dealing Easily with Conflicts
You can resolve customer conflict and make them feel that you understand their problem. Customers will know that you are putting yourself in their situation and helping them resolve conflicts. It can be a good experience when your support team has a chance to assist customers who are angry with your services.
Invoking Empathy from Customers
I understand that there are a lot of hard conversations in helpdesk to support your customers. It is difficult to say no to your customers or tell them that they need to pay you more to use a feature.
In such a case, a lack of empathy will make your customers mistrust your intentions. Instead, if you try to understand their point of view well, it is easier for you to gain their trust and convince them.
Predicting Customer Action & Reaction
When you are able to empathize with your customers, you will be able to predict how the customer will react and proactively answer their questions. When you reply to them through helpdesk, you will be able to predict what they will feel on reading your answers.
At the same time, you are able to understand what is holding you back from implementing alternative solutions. It is easier in conversation on a live chat or tickets to help them understand these things.
Identifying an Empathy Problem
You may notice that some customer service interactions make you feel so happy even when you didn’t get what you want in the end. As a customer, you feel lucky enough to talk with an empathetic customer support representative on phone call or live chat.
Those interactions are usually rare because some customer service support teams are suffering from a lack of empathy. There are 5 classic signs of lack of empathy:
- Mismatch of Tone (between agent and customer) – One of the parties is too formal and another one is too informal.
- Late responses without an apology to the customer.
- Agents with somebody else’s problems syndrome – Issues getting deflected to other departments without any explanation or follow-up after that.
- Discouraging the customers from contacting support team, through words or behavior
- Lack of customer satisfaction.
If these signs are happening on your customer support team’s interactions with customers, you may need to come up with the solution to solve the empathy problem of your agents.
Nobody is perfect and born with empathy. Train and Encourage your support team to practise empathy when interacting with customers.
6 Ways to Develop Empathy in Customer Service
Understand Your Biases
I believe we always instinctively make judgments based on our mother language, skin colour, gender, religion, accent, and vocabulary. We might not be aware that we are acting out of bias and it will make us treat several customers differently.
For example, we may blame some customers who are not tech-savvy or aged. This bias will create a barrier between agents and customers. It is really harmful to your customer support services.
Recognize your biases first to develop empathy. When you want to assume something about someone with no data to support it, please contemplate and find out in more detail if that was because of a bias.
Understand your Customer Base
You should understand your customer base first so you will not think that they are overreacting to a problem when you think it should be a simple problem. You should understand that every customer is different in thinking about the problem that they face.
To cross this barrier, you need to figure out who your customers are and what your products or services mean to them. Think about your customer’s situation!
Trust me! You can really bridge the gap and cultivate empathy by considering their educational background, age, company, organization structure, etc.
Reading Books or Other Activities you can do
Studies show that reading books of fiction has proven that it is able to increase empathy. If you do not really like to read, meeting with different kinds of people will also help develop empathy. Set a goal of meeting one new person every day. You may get a different perspective of each person and open up your world a little bit more.
An alternative way will be to do other activities such as volunteering, playing sports like badminton or football, joining some art class where you are quite literally walking in someone else’s shoes.
Let’s do some activities to increase empathy Today!
Maintain Positivity
It is easy to be empathetic to the first customer of the day, but are you able to treat the same way until dealing with the last customer? That’s why it’s important to learn to remain positive and motivated as a customer support agent.
Always present yourself in a good way to stay positive every day and every month. Note down your feelings either positive or negative and the events that trigger it. It will give you a clear idea about what you should avoid to remain positive throughout the day.
Collect Feedback from Your Peers and Customers
You will find it hard sometimes to objectively look at the way you deal with customers. So at the end of every conversation, you can ask open-ended questions to your customers like “What do you think would make this conversation better?” You can notice an empathy problem if your customers complain about not being heard or respected.
You can also get the opinion from your peers who get along well with the customers. You can ask them about how you can deal with customers better or how you should talk to the customer from their perspective. The most important thing is always receive the feedback with an open mind.
Teaching or Lecturing
Teaching is also a very good way to cultivate your empathy inside. Either you teach kids how to swim or guide your friend how to hike; both ways, it requires a lot of practice and patience. If you get an opportunity to share product or service knowledge with your new colleagues, take it up immediately. Especially, if you can teach your colleague how you offer support, you will be able to see what new customers struggle with. It will add to your perspective and increase the ability to feel empathy.
12 Ways to Show Empathy to Your Customers
Always LISTEN to your customers
Always let your customers talk first and actively listen to what they are saying. Do not jump to conclusions directly. Do not offer a solution when they are still talking about their problem. Respond to them with the same words they used with the solutions. If you are a live chat agent, wait for your customers to finish explaining their problem first. Sometimes, customers only want to be heard and their issues will be solved once they feel supported.
Give the Benefit of the Doubt to your Customers
Sometimes maybe your customers have a bad day, due to their job or a personal problem. Try to understand that it’s not personal if it feels like the customers are overreacting to something. You might not be able to help them with that but give them the benefits of the doubt. Always work under the assumption that this interaction is going to make their day better. Actively practise giving second chances.
Keep your Attitude in Check
Your job is to help your customers. Even though you have the urge to blame your customers for their mistakes, always remember not to expect their apology. It doesn’t mean you should let them walk all over you. You can be empathetic and stand your ground when you deal with some difficult customers.
Always Curious about your Customers
Customers will never appreciate when they never had a chance to explain the problem they are faced with. Expressing curiosity about how they faced the problem before they come to you isn’t good enough support. Instead of being offensive with your curiosity, it’s better to allow the customer to share useful information so that you can help them with it.
Look for Common Interests
Make some effort to build a strong relationship with your customers. Find out the common interests between you and your customers. Bring it up in your conversation. In the end, your customers will know that you can understand each other better and solve the problems easily. Always get more information about them through Exabytes Helpdesk Software that can help you to note down your customer info.
Be Respectful to Your Customers
Greet your customers by their name before you start your conversations. When the conversation takes a bad turn, it’s easy to forget manners. Even if you are standing up for yourself, remember not to put them down.
Read more: 6 Simple Tips to Write a Good Support Email
Make Customers a Part of the Solution
You may think the customer is being unreasonable sometimes when dealing with them. They might have a high expectation on the product or service which might not have been fulfilled to solve that customer’s problem. In such a case, Ask them what they think is the best solution to solve the problem. It will give them a chance to put themselves in your shoes instead of being against you.
Be Careful About the Language Barrier
You may not know someone who comes from a different culture or country while doing live chat support. You may assume based on your understanding and it can cause misunderstandings. Always alert the customer about these situations and try to make yourself as clear as possible. Use some emojis on your messages to express your real emotion if it comes down to it. I believe that many live chat software have built up a series of emoji collections for you.
Respond to the Customer’s Tone
Always respond to the customer’s tone so that your customers feel that you can understand their situation. You don’t have to give up your own or your company’s personality in the process. Just have a scale on formal and informal conversation mode that you and your customers feel comfortable with and pick a tone that’s between that scale.
Don’t Assume! Ask Them
Don’t make your own assumption that the customers would not know the simplest solution. Don’t ask them to refresh their screens or reboot their phones assuming they didn’t try this way yet. Always ask them if they have already done that. It will show that you are willing to troubleshoot their problem further. If you assume, not only will it make the process of solving customer issues longer, the customer will also feel like they are being rushed.
Avoid Sympathy
One thing you have to remember when you are expressing empathy is to avoid sympathy. For example, instead of saying “It must be frustrating”, you can say “I understand how frustrating it is”. Trying to be more personal also helps. Instead of saying: “The team will help solve the issues soon”, change it to “I am working with the team to solve your issues soon.” Customers will feel valued with tiny changes in the ways you express empathy.
Take their Side When They are Right
Don’t be afraid to take their side. When the fault is on your company’s side, go ahead and admit that “You’re right, we messed up. Thank you for your information”. Customers feel they are being heard and respect you and your company for it. They will be happy that you can accept your flaws and truly value your customer opinions.
Takeaways
You cannot always deliver the right solution but you can always deliver a good customer support service to your customers. Customers prefer a support agent who can really stand in their place and understand them. Let’s start being more empathetic to the customer Today!
You may also need better software for your support team for handling your customer enquiries. Try out Exabytes Helpdesk Today! Get 21-day Free Trial on Helpdesk Software Now!
Source:
Prashanthini Mande, A Guide to Empathy in Customer Service
