COVID-19 Underscores Need to Prioritize Agent Well-being

Avoiding the crowd is taking on a whole new meaning today, courtesy of COVID-19. The contact center is faced with myriad challenges, but agent well-being should never be put in question. As the state of California urges its citizens to stay home, many businesses are shifting operations to the cloud, and moving the office home, there are still many not taking proactive measures.

Verizon (News - Alert) saw this up close and personal when an employee tested positive for COVID-19, and it was forced to shut down operations in the Elgin, South Carolina call center temporarily for deep cleaning.   A South Korean call center was hit hard by the coronavirus, serving as the source of a cluster of nearly hundred cases. Moving to Morocco, agents are voicing concerns as call center management investigates options.

Paul Stockford, a Tennessee-based research director for the nonprofit National Association of Call Centers told the Sun Journal the tight spaces, different shifts of people and shared equipment that makes the call center a “pretty high” risk environment for coronavirus exposure.

The contact center is a necessary component to customer service operations, and the best way to maintain loyal customer relationships and drive satisfaction is by putting agents first. Cloud contact center providers are answering the call…literally. Telecom is coming to the rescue to support remote working during the COVID-19 crisis to make sure of a seamless transition.

Avoid blockades in the shift home, lean on your technology partners to support operations in these trying times. Instead of putting agents in harm’s way, put the technology to work. Remote work can be a dream come true with the proper pieces in place, but this begins by prioritizing agent wellbeing.             

Edited by Maurice Nagle