Going Green with a Virtual Call Center

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

The focus throughout the developed world is to ensure a business has made Green a priority. Whether it means reducing the consumption of power within the data center, turning the air conditioning off at night or moving technology to the cloud, companies throughout a myriad of industries are taking a different approach to the way they do business.

The call center industry is no exception. The good news is that this industry is already set up to easily become more Green by implementing a hosted call center environment. As captured in a recent Contactual (News - Alert) blog, a movement to a virtual call center allows the organization to do away with a physical building – talk about a reduction in power consumption!

In implementing a virtual call center, the organization can allow agents to work anywhere they have access to a phone and a Web connection. Such a hosted environment allows the call center to significantly reduce or eliminate altogether the physical space once needed to host the center. This approach produces a dramatic impact on rent and utility expenses.

Consider the following example. A traditional call center will allocate 120 square feet of office space per agent. Commercial space generally costs between $17 and $28 per square foot per year. If a conservative $21 per square foot rental is used, the cost per year per agent equates to $2,500, or $250,000 per 100-seat call center. Add in utility costs of roughly $30,000 per year and the potential savings in a hosted environment are considerable.

The mantra in the real estate business is location, location, location. As you can see by the example provided above, location can make a measureable different in the call center space as well. If the organization can implement a virtual platform that allows the call center to engage home-based agents, space can be significantly reduced and profit margins increased.

While the concept of Green has been overhyped in a number of industries, the call center industry is one that can truly enjoy measurable benefits that go beyond merely satisfying those who want a smarter approach to the environment. With a hosted platform that eliminates the need for a physical building, the organization saves money, reduces power consumption and can drive a better overall experience for everyone involved.

(source: http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/virtual-call-center/articles/95996-going-green-with-virtual-call-center.htm)