10 Reasons Your Call Center Should Use Home Agents
1) Better employee retention. Most agents who plan on quitting to take a better-paying job – such as janitor or migrant farm worker – will reconsider if given the freedom to handle calls naked.
2) Expanded recruiting reach. When seeking candidates for agent positions, you will no longer be limited to dropouts from just local high schools/colleges.
3) More flexible staffing/scheduling. Such immediate access to their workstation makes it easy for off-duty home agents to work odd shifts and to save managers’ butts after inaccurate forecasts.
4) Higher productivity and quality. The extra sleep and not having to suffer through rush-hour traffic enables home agents to stay focused and energized throughout the entire first half-hour of their shift.
5) Decreased facility expenses. You can grow the call center without expanding walls, the parking lot, or the toilet paper budget.
6) Improved attendance. Absenteeism and tardiness will drop, assuming you select reliable agents who don’t suffer from long-distance sleepwalking.
7) Enhanced disaster recovery. No longer will closed roads brought on by blizzards or Justin Bieber concerts bring employees and the call center to a standstill.
8) Increased ability to tap “alternative” labor pools. Going virtual provides job opportunities to qualified candidates who might otherwise be unable to consider call center work – e.g., individuals with physical disabilities, older workers, or people deathly afraid of cubicles and industrial carpet.
9) More environmentally responsible. Using home agents reduces vehicle pollution and gasoline/oil consumption; also conserves water since agents will no longer need to bathe, brush their teeth, wash their clothes or clean their wrist brace.
10) Improved call center aesthetics. You can rid the center of the least-attractive and worst-dressed agents without losing their valuable skills and experience.
For more on home agents (not “moron” home agents), be sure to check out my previous playful posts on the topic:
-“Making Home Agents Feel ‘At Work’” http://bit.ly/eSyctW
-“Home Agents: A Call Center Game-Changer” http://bit.ly/hXI62g
In addition, you can see what real home agent success looks like by reading the following “Contact Centerfold of the Month” article:
-Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI). http://bit.ly/gCzLRT
You can also hear how much I don’t sound like Bob Dylan in my home agent song parody, “On the Phone at Home”. http://bit.ly/8X3uQj (After clicking link, scroll to the third song sample on the page.)
Don't forget to check out my recent research report, "The State of Home Agent Staffing", in which I surveyed dozens of contact center leaders who have already gone the remote agent route: http://goo.gl/XoDAH
Finally, my ebook – Full Contact – contains ample info on home agent programs, as well as a comprehensive sample work-at-home agent agreement donated by a real call center. So be sure to buy about 12 copies. http://bit.ly/cl745j
1) Better employee retention. Most agents who plan on quitting to take a better-paying job – such as janitor or migrant farm worker – will reconsider if given the freedom to handle calls naked.
2) Expanded recruiting reach. When seeking candidates for agent positions, you will no longer be limited to dropouts from just local high schools/colleges.
3) More flexible staffing/scheduling. Such immediate access to their workstation makes it easy for off-duty home agents to work odd shifts and to save managers’ butts after inaccurate forecasts.
4) Higher productivity and quality. The extra sleep and not having to suffer through rush-hour traffic enables home agents to stay focused and energized throughout the entire first half-hour of their shift.
5) Decreased facility expenses. You can grow the call center without expanding walls, the parking lot, or the toilet paper budget.
6) Improved attendance. Absenteeism and tardiness will drop, assuming you select reliable agents who don’t suffer from long-distance sleepwalking.
7) Enhanced disaster recovery. No longer will closed roads brought on by blizzards or Justin Bieber concerts bring employees and the call center to a standstill.
8) Increased ability to tap “alternative” labor pools. Going virtual provides job opportunities to qualified candidates who might otherwise be unable to consider call center work – e.g., individuals with physical disabilities, older workers, or people deathly afraid of cubicles and industrial carpet.
9) More environmentally responsible. Using home agents reduces vehicle pollution and gasoline/oil consumption; also conserves water since agents will no longer need to bathe, brush their teeth, wash their clothes or clean their wrist brace.
10) Improved call center aesthetics. You can rid the center of the least-attractive and worst-dressed agents without losing their valuable skills and experience.
For more on home agents (not “moron” home agents), be sure to check out my previous playful posts on the topic:
-“Making Home Agents Feel ‘At Work’” http://bit.ly/eSyctW
-“Home Agents: A Call Center Game-Changer” http://bit.ly/hXI62g
In addition, you can see what real home agent success looks like by reading the following “Contact Centerfold of the Month” article:
-Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI). http://bit.ly/gCzLRT
You can also hear how much I don’t sound like Bob Dylan in my home agent song parody, “On the Phone at Home”. http://bit.ly/8X3uQj (After clicking link, scroll to the third song sample on the page.)
Don't forget to check out my recent research report, "The State of Home Agent Staffing", in which I surveyed dozens of contact center leaders who have already gone the remote agent route: http://goo.gl/XoDAH
Finally, my ebook – Full Contact – contains ample info on home agent programs, as well as a comprehensive sample work-at-home agent agreement donated by a real call center. So be sure to buy about 12 copies. http://bit.ly/cl745j
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