What to Do if a Virtual Assistant Ghosts You
When working with a virtual assistant, you are delegating tasks to free up your time and carry on your business day without any worries. However, what if your VA ghosts you?
Ghosting is the practice of ending a relationship and cutting off all contact without an explanation. This has been known to happen in romantic relationships, but it is also happening in the work environment.
Just when you thought you were worry-free, your VA has created yet another barrier or adjustment to overcome. If you’re working with a virtual assistant for the first time, it could feel like an adjustment in itself. You’re communicating with a contractor in a whole new way and trusting that they will complete the tasks and follow through.
So, if a virtual assistant ghosts you, what do you do? Many VAs work as independent contractors; therefore, they have equal bargaining power and can set boundaries accordingly. It’s a positive when the work is going well and when they hold up their end of the bargain, but it can be negative if the client-to-VA relationship ceases to exist.
In this blog, we’ve collected five tips on what to do if a virtual assistant ghosts you. We recommend taking these steps in order if they apply.
1. Use an Alternative Contact Method
If you normally communicate with your VA via email or Zoom, for example, try calling their phone number. Even if their phone information is off-limits according to their work style, this is a time to try everything you can to make contact.
2. Contact the Virtual Assistant Agency
If your VA was vetted through a virtual assistant agency, see if you can contact their leadership team to get support. They may be able to get through to the VA faster, especially if the call is coming from someone challenging their employment. Also, if you have a third party involved, it takes some of the pressure off you, making this interaction less stressful overall.
3. Reach Out to Mutual Connections
If your VA does not have a virtual assistant agency, perhaps you can contact the mutual connection who gave you the lead in the first place. Maybe you can find the forum or virtual assistant board where they listed their services.
Think back to where you found the VA initially and see if you find any mutual contacts. Maybe you can find previous clients who have their own feedback and reviews to report. Any research helps! This is the time to investigate and see if this virtual assistant is worth it in the long run.
4. Schedule a Catch-Up Meeting
If your VA has a meeting link, you can use, go ahead and schedule a meeting to get on the same page. You can title the meeting as a “catch-up” or “touching base” meeting, even if you plan to make some assertive requests in terms of work style and communication.
This shows that you’re willing to work through their communication setback and figure out a better way to keep in touch. If the VA does not have a meeting link, email them to set up the meeting.
You may also want to make this a video call so you can get a visual of their body language. If they have a virtual assistant leadership team, invite them onto the call so they can mediate, if necessary.
5. Begin Offboarding
Of course, if you are still ghosted after all these efforts, then you can definitely go in the direction of offboarding the VA from your projects. Review the terms of your agreement to see if you can get a refund for unused hours. Some virtual assistant agencies have a refund policy that is accommodating to the client. Still, if the VA is completely independent, it may be difficult to get your money back, especially if they have already ghosted you for a considerable amount of time.
To offboard, send the VA an email asserting your dismissal and termination of the agreement. At this time, it’s best to eliminate all access they have to your platforms, such as your email domain, social media accounts, CRM, etc.
The Trusty Oak Guarantee
At Trusty Oak, one of our core values is to “follow through on every commitment.” So, if ghosting is your top worry (especially after reading this blog!), we are here to put your mind at ease. Our Trusty Oak guarantee is to give you trustworthy support every step of the way. By vetting VAs through our careful and deliberate process, we ensure that you’ll never, ever be ghosted by a Trusty Oak virtual assistant.
In January 2019, Lauren began working with Trusty Oak as a virtual assistant. She loves helping her clients build their social media brands, and she also assists with project management, email marketing, and blogging. Lauren also worked as the Trusty Oak Social Media Manager from March 2020 to March 2021.
In her spare time, Lauren writes her own music, plays her flute for her partner’s studio sessions as well as for other independent musicians and producers, and she performs at venues in New York City.