Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
Can the Home Agent Model Work with Call Center Scheduling?
Deploying the home agent strategy has proven to be a win-win for the agent and the call center. The agent doesn’t have to spend time on the road, saving fuel and time, and the call center doesn’t have to provide the physical space or infrastructure to support the agent on-site. Both enjoy greater flexibility and the call center can hold out for the skilled individual, instead of pulling only from local talent. One thing that may need a creative approach, however, is that of call center scheduling.
Fortunately, the adoption of solutions via the cloud has helped streamline call center scheduling, providing agents and supervisors a direct line of interaction at all times. Plus, cloud-based software provides agents with the same capabilities from home that they would enjoy in the physical office. Call centers don’t have to deploy an IT professional to the agent’s location as installation isn’t necessary.
Once an agent is up and running on the call center’s system, there are a few elements that go into play when it comes to call center scheduling. With a cloud-based approach, supervisors can monitor agent data, see when the agent is on the phone, on line or away from his or her desk. They can also capture this information over time, running historical reports for forecasting and scheduling according to availability, skill-set and need.
The same scheduling details supervisors are accustomed to in the office apply to those working from home. They need to know when an agent is available to work, their performance while on the clock, the time they need to education and training, their ability to adhere to set schedules and the number of times they request changes to their schedules. Using this information, supervisors are able to determine which agents are better suited for work-from-home freedom.
While all of this information is accessed over the Internet, it’s still secure. And while the agent is working offsite, supervisors can still assess performance in real-time. This approach also gives supervisors much more flexibility in hiring and managing a proven agent base as they can select individuals from around the world, able to work hours when other agents are asleep. This gives the call center greater availability for customers who call at all hours of the day, while eliminating the need to build centers around the world.
Perhaps the biggest perk associated with the home agent strategy is the ability to reduce the cost of operation while supporting higher service levels. When this is achieved in the long-term, the call center and the company it is supporting, is better suited to drive long-term profitability in a highly competitive market.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi