Developing an effective remote agent strategy
By Chris Rieple
As more and more organizations are offering at-home or remote employment options, contact centers are moving agents out of the call center and into the home. There are many benefits of providing an at-home or remote agent option. At-home agents can work flexible or part time hours, they can be more experienced and they are often less expensive because they do not have transportation costs and they can be located in lower cost labor markets. Providing a remote agent option expands the labor pool well beyond the confines of a geographic region. While remote agents provide many benefits, they don’t come without challenges. Developing a remote agent solution can require rethinking workflow, changing management processes and updating the technical infrastructure.
Workflow
Re-evaluating agent workflow will help the organization identify any potential issues that could arise as a result of moving an agent offsite. Creating an agent workflow chart with all applications accessed by an agent is necessary. Agent workflow includes any data that the agent receives, manipulates or sends. It is critical to ensure that back end systems such as CRM or accounting packages can be accessed from remote locations. In the end, the remote agent must be able to operate as if he or she were on premise, or processes must be changed to re-allocate responsibilities.
Management process
Understanding the management process for premise agents can help an organization develop a strategy for managing remote agents. Supervisors should be proficient in managing the numbers. If most management activity comes from the call center floor, supervisors should become proficient in understanding productivity from a data and reporting perspective. Whereas premise agents are often paid when they arrive at the office, remote agents are often open to performance-based compensation. In addition, wrap times and break times should be scrutinized with remote agents to ensure maximum productivity from the at-home agent. Organizations can experience significant financial benefits by leveraging the reporting and management tools in their contact center solution to ensure that at-home labor costs are controlled based on productivity instead of hours worked.
Technical infrastructure
Examining the technical infrastructure of the agent location will help identify opportunities for remote agent connectivity while also ensuring that the quality of remote agent contact is adequate. For example, poor voice quality or delayed screen pops can occur with remote agents who do not have adequate network/internet connectivity bandwidth. Developing both minimum and optimal bandwidth requirements for remote agents can remedy this. Connectivity options such as VoIP can have a major impact on sound quality if bandwidth is not adequate. Knowing that a contact center solution supports remote agents is very different from knowing that an at-home agent has the infrastructure to connect and function effectively. A little work on the front end can save a lot of headaches on the back end.
By examining the workflow, management processes and the agent location, organizations interested in developing remote agent strategies can ensure that deployment and effectiveness of remote agents can be managed and optimized.
To learn more about developing a remote agent program, or to obtain a free remote agent technology assessment, contact Chris Rieple at TouchStar.
