Go Green with the Help of Home-Based Agents

Imagine a way in which your company can be eco-friendly and socially responsible while actually improving your bottom line. It’s actually possible, as many Fortune 1000 companies are finding out.

 

Most of us are concerned, on some level, about preserving the environment. Given the choice, we’d like to implement company policies that benefit the environment. However, many executives find it hard to justify the increased expense typically associated with preservation of the environment. In fact, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program, there is a growing gap between efforts to reduce the impact business and industry has on nature and the worsening state of the planet. This is because only a handful of companies in each industry actively take environment factors into consideration when making business decision.

 

Just like many of you, I’m the head of a growing company. Everyday I make decisions that affect our bottom-line and understand the pressures all of us face to remain competitive in today’s aggressive markets. Yet, recently there has been increasing importance put on corporate social responsibility, especially as concerns about climate change become more prominent. It’s a movement that is predicted to gain ground as more and more companies “go green.” So, with the additional pressure to be socially responsible, how can you balance your company’s desire to lessen the impact on nature with the need to balance your books?

 

There are many compelling reasons to consider using home-based agents for your customer service needs — operational efficiencies, improved revenue results, more satisfied customers — but one benefit you may not have considered is the positive impact the home-based model has on the environment.

 

It’s relatively easy to understand the benefits agents receive from working from home. With a flexible work schedule, reduced expenses and the ability to have true life balance, it’s no wonder home-based agents positions are in such high demand. From the business side, companies using home-based agents also receive tremendous benefits. For example, it’s been proven that home-based agent teams achieve faster call resolution, higher conversions and larger sales orders than in-house customer service representatives. But the environmental benefits offered by the home-based agent model are often overlooked.

 

To understand the savings afforded by thousands of people working from their homes, you need to first understand the reduction in commute time. Consider this:

 

 

By eliminating the need for 1,000 agents to commute, there is an actual reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) of 9,750,000 miles. In other words, almost 10 million miles not traveled.

 

To take this analysis a step further, it is possible to calculate the pollution and gas savings achieved by eliminating the need for these people to commute.

 

Using emission rates provided by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, 10 million less miles traveled translates in to tangible gas emissions as follows:

 

 

 

Gas savings seems like an obvious benefit of commute reduction. Most people tend to think of gas savings in terms of the dollar amount saved, especially with the ever-increasing cost of a tank of gas. However, with their offices down the hall, home-based agents are preserving gas at a scale large enough to make a true impact on environment preservation.

 

 

 

Corporate social responsibility has become the latest catch phrase in the business world. To some companies, it’s a way to improve their corporate image. To others, it’s a chance to make a meaningful contribution to the environment. Regardless of the motivation, if good intentions get in the way of making a profit, most companies are unlikely to initiate change.

 

Companies that manage their customer service needs through home-based agents are getting the best of both worlds. These companies typically experience real bottom-line results in the form of larger order sizes, more efficient operations, improved communication and higher buyer conversions. Add these profit-producing benefits to the pollution and gas savings experienced through the elimination of commutes, and you have a win-win situation. By making the decision to utilize home-based agents, executives now have a way to satisfy shareholders while playing an important part in reducing the impact big business has on the environment. It’s a move that could help position your company for long-term survival amid today’s turbulent market economy.

 

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