Arguably the next generation of call centers will less likely be housed in nondescript buildings in office parks or converted department stores and more likely in agents’ homes. The reasons include cost saving, greater flexibility, business continuity and widened access to the best available and most loyal talent.

One of the challenges of having home-based call center agents though is training. It is one thing to instruct someone face-to-face, and to look over their shoulders, which provide psychological muscle; it is another to try and have same effect via communications technology. How do firms ensure that these “out-of-sight” agents meet or exceed expectations via excellent training?

To obtain insights, TMC (News - Alert) recently interviewed RCCSP Professional Education Alliance’s subject matter expert on home/remote agents, Tim Dewey, chief operating officer, B Virtual (News - Alert) on training home-based call center agents. He teaches RCCSP Professional Education Alliance courses on remote agents and virtual support management including:

--Managing a Successful Virtual Support Center
--Virtual Support Professional Certification

TMCnet: What are the unique issues entailed in both initial and in ongoing training home-based agents as opposed to those working at employers’ premises? Break these out between home agents who are:

(a) Standalone i.e. agents do not have to travel to the “parent” call center versus satellite i.e. those who can travel to the center

(b) Independent contractor versus employee

Tim Dewey (News - Alert): Let’s look at these issues separately:

At home-only remote agents

We have determined that a company must first define their “proximity requirements.” The requirements are based on the skillset, budget and logistical nature of how a remote agent would be able to make onsite visits. If it is determined that the remote agent will work only from home, with no travel to brick and mortar then the following unique issues present themselves.

1. Training. The organization must determine the balance of training mediums (delivery methods) for training. Since the resource will not travel, then Webinar based training, eLearning and remote shadowing must be balanced to meet the learning objectives

2. Communications Plan. If resources are working only remotely, then the organization must determine what communication plan and path exist to engage the remote agent continuously. Areas to consider here include:

a. How will the at home agent interact with their peers during a given workday?

b. How will the at home agent interact with their supervisor and gain feedback?

c. How will the at home agent work with other departments/resources in order to remain productive at home?

d. How will the at home agent work with external customers/resources?

3. Culture. In any service organization, culture is critical to excellence in customer support. Therefore, ensuring that remote teams remain “virtually connected” is important. This means reviewing current morale programs to ensure they meet the remote agent needs and connection required to make them feel part of the team and organization.

Part time onsite agents

This class of remote agents works both onsite (call center) and offsite (at home). The benefits include having a personal connection with the organization and allowing the organization to evaluate performance more easily. It does, however, create some logistical challenges and cost considerations.

1. Financial benefits not recognized. If you are managing a team that works both remotely and in an office, you must have both works spaces available, as well as manage any support requirements and technology needs when remote agents report to an office. You may opt for “touchdown” space and rotate such a remote team to make sure space is available, but that requires logistical management

2. Logistics. In some organizations, the ability to manage logistics of a resource working in dual locations can be more time-consuming than managing a holistic remote team. Managers are already burdened with work, and adding the requirements to manage workers in two locations can be an additional challenge.

3. Seniority versus Performance. Most managers today will base the ability to work from home on seniority or performance. Unfortunately, these decisions ultimately lead to some conflict within the team regarding who should work from home or who should not.

Let’s face it; in the business of support, managers can easily create conflict by choosing who works where and when. In addition, some managers are not setting schedules or basic parameters and allowing the at-home remote agent to dictate when they work from home versus brick and mortar.

Independent contractor versus employee

Work at home hiring principles should align with the organization’s current balance of contractors to employees. There should not be an exception made for at home worker that favors hiring them as a contractor or employee. Most companies have a 90-day contractor to permanent policy, which is very good for at home hires, because it gives both sides the ability to evaluate success, and then make the decision to hire as an employee if performance objectives are met.

TMCnet: What best practices methods do you recommend in training home-based agents: standalone, satellite, independent contractor and employee?

TD: If a company is going to engage in a blended delivery model (onsite and at home), then they want to consider the following best practices regarding training of those support resources:

--Determine your mix of training medium as described above. Consider that today’s learners are now learning much differently. It is a false assumption to believe traditional learning methods still apply, even in brick and mortar. With distance learning growing at 33 percent a year, there is now a learning formula that states there is diminished value with in class, instructor-led training only. With that said, create a training program that is consistent across both onsite, as well at home resources. We do not recommend as a best practice to treat training time and effort differently for contractors

--Do not deploy an at home model without a performance management plan. All too often managers today are allowing teams to work from home with few measurements for success, or key performance indicators (KPIs). With a false perception sometimes in the marketplace about at home workers and what they are doing, it is critical to have KPIs, and a performance management plan that includes the qualitative and quantitative requirements. It is important to note that most great service organizations already have this in place, and if so, extending it to at home workers is very easy.

--Test, test, test. It is important that all training end with testing to ensure retention. By doing this, managers can validate learning objectives and have the confidence that the learning objectives are being met through the training medium

--Create learning avenues for at home teams. Learning avenues are ways that at home resources can communicate and collaborate to learn informally. In brick and mortar, this is where Bill turns to Jim and asks him a question about how to handle a customer. That same informal learning experience needs to be represented for at home workers. There are plenty of collaborative tools to achieve this same learning path. It is a matter of training that behavior, and developing the skills to use them

TMCnet: Managing call center workers who are out of sight is extremely challenging for most supervisors. What training do you recommend for those who are responsible for agents in the following milieus?

TD: Managers today are faced with many daily challenges. Between increased workloads, more responsibility, the idea of having to manage a new group of resources broken down into these categories can be overwhelming. Here are my recommendations for each resource segment, but I would caution managers that segregating your resource group is not effective. You must create a consistent set of standard best practices that apply across all resources (training, performance management, morale/incentives) in order to maintain your sanity and consistency in quality. Below are some suggestions for each specific group that may help managing your team.

(a) Standalone. Yes, managers have to develop a new skill set. Our Virtual Support Manager course teaches managers how to manage resources they do not directly come into contact with every day. The days of coming to an office and having your entire team working “on the floor” are over. Managers must realize a new skill set is required to manage remote resources. From communication to career progression for at home workers, managers have to make changes in how they approach at home positions

(b) Satellite. Structure and discipline are the foundation for models like this. Set schedules for where and when resources will work, review performance of one location over the other. As studies have confirmed, working at home is more productive. As a manager, it will be difficult to manage it, but you have to expect higher performance at home. By doing this, you have to manage your resources and communicate your expectations. Otherwise, some of the key benefit of the at home model are lost

(c) Independent contractor. Simply put, don’t treat them any differently than a permanent employee. In doing so, it becomes another element to have to manage for which managers do not have the time. Work with your personnel department to ensure that at home workers who are contractors are documented and what they will be provided as far as training, equipment, and benefits are clearly outlined

(d) Employee. Your employees are your single greatest asset. Set them up for success in whatever model you provide. Courses such as our Virtual Support Professional course teach employees to be more successful working from home than in brick and mortar. Determine career paths for your employees that can include progression, even working from home. Working from home is not a phenomenon; it is an evolution of the workforce. Managers should have a well laid out plan for at home teams, as well as brick and mortar teams.