A lot has changed in business in the last few decades. However, one thing that has remained constant is the need for customer service.
Many businesses have turned to remote call centers to meet customers’ needs. Setting up a remote call center can be a daunting task, but it is worth it for its benefits for businesses and customers alike.
Remote call centers have been gaining popularity in the past few years, but the Covid19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for its adoption hugely.
Offices were forced to shut down across the globe, and businesses had no option but to work remotely. According to a report by Nemertes Research, 74.1% of contact centers allowed staff to work at home during the pandemic, up from 59% pre-pandemic
This post will explore setting up a remote call center in 5 steps for your business. Stay tuned!
How to set up a remote call center in 5 steps?
Setting Up Your Tech Stack
A tech stack is crucial to ensure that your remote agents can do everything possible that they would in an office setting. Agents can easily access all information and tools required to work remotely using cloud-based software from anywhere globally.
- Dialers: Dialers are a system that automates making phone calls. They’re typically used in place of traditional call centers, which can be expensive due to their wages and other expenses like rent or equipment costs.
- IVR System: interactive voice response, or IVR for short, can be a great way to solve your customers’ problems on the phone. The system answers call automatically and then routes them accordingly- frequently solving their issue right away!
- CRM: CRM is widely known as Customer Relationship Management, and it’s a cloud-based software that allows agents to access all of their customers’ information from anywhere.
- Workforce Communication Software: As more and more people work from home, they must have easy access to their team members. This can be done through Workforce Communication Softwares like Slack or Microsoft Teams which allow for real-time communication between coworkers no matter where you happen to be located!
- Monitoring software: Employee monitoring software is a great way to understand agent workloads and provide more efficient service. Many remote call centers use this technology, which helps them monitor their employees’ performance in real-time, offering the best possible customer experience at all times!
Give your agents the right equipment.
Agents work best when they have the right tools to do their job. Virtual call centers don’t need much equipment, but providing your agents with some extra features will help increase performance and customer satisfaction.
For example:
A quality headset: A good quality headset is the most important thing for an agent as it
ensures consistent voice and audio quality for better customer service.
Good quality work equipment: Company computers ensure that remote call center agents have the latest and greatest technology to keep up with their work.
Remote Workspace Setup: Workspace equipment, like desks and computer chairs, can be helpful for agents in their work. They help them feel more comfortable while increasing productivity because of how much space it provides you with!
The future of customer service is VoIP. In a world where most people have smartphones, it’s unnecessary to use phones anymore!
The best part about virtual call centers? They don’t need any physical hardware – just internet access, and you’re good (literally).
The new technology known as Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) allows agents working in these cubicles or homes around the globe to make calls using their voices rather than having them come out through speakers like before
Secure your call center
Virtual call centers are a lucrative investment for any business, but security needs to be at the forefront. To protect customer data and ensure employees have safe laptops to do their job correctly, virtual networks must not be accessible outside of an organization’s secure network (using VPN).
Two-factor authentication should also be used when logging into company accounts from home bases or other remote locations. There may not always be someone else around who knows what you’re doing!
Storing only the data you need is one way to reduce your exposure in case of breaches. If hackers get into our system, they’ll have far less information on which to find something valuable with their hacking efforts!
Ways to reduce data storage:
- Let agents pause the playback when customers discuss sensitive information if you’re recording calls.
- Your system must never store sensitive data for longer than necessary. The best way to do this is by using a real-time access approach that immediately discards any unnecessary information after it has been used to ensure the security of your network and its users.”
Onboarding the right agents
When hiring for a remote call center, you can recruit based on the best fit of an agent rather than their location. This helps companies provide more empathetic support and connect with customers better because it hires people like your target market.
Working in a virtual call center is far more retention-friendly than working at traditional brick-and-mortar locations. In addition, remote contact centers often boast an 80% employee turnover rate, while only 25% for those who work on-site, which means there’s less risk involved with accepting this position!
The benefits go beyond just the status quo, though: With remote jobs being so much easier to come by due to their lack of physical proximity (and associated transportation costs), businesses can save money by hiring remote agents.
While there are many different requirements for being a successful remote worker, these five traits will help you find the perfect candidate:
- The person must enjoy working independently and be skilled at managing themselves.
- They should have experience working from home successfully before applying to your company
- Make sure they’re up-to-date with technology through training or demonstrated skillset
- It’s important that potential employees can work together as part of one team
Providing Agents With What They Need
A good way of ensuring that your agents are adequately trained would be by implementing an automated system that can generate reports. So you always know where things stand within different departments and across all locations (the more data points available means better decision making).
To make sure your new hires are on their toes, consider creating an online-only training program that teaches them all they need for the job.
Video or software walkthroughs can help with this process and give you a chance to answer any questions before it becomes too late!
To provide some guidance in person without requiring agents to come into headquarters every day at 9, hold virtual meetings during which experts correct participants when necessary so there won’t ever again be anything left up to interpretation about how things should work.
To ensure that your agents are taken care of, create documentation and store it in a searchable knowledge base.
Or use workplace communication software to give them direct access at higher levels within the company–this will help prevent loneliness while also increasing productivity!
Author Bio:
Moeen is currently a Sr. Content Marketer at Ameyo. Moeen is a copywriter, content developer, and content strategist with an ability to relate stories, a flair for detail, and a hint of humor. Moeen loves working with Technology-based companies (He is obsessed with Artificial Intelligence!), Tech, SaaS, Web Development, Mobile App Development, and Agencies. Moeen’s favorite brands are unique, full of character, and have that ostentatious vibe.
