{"id":16821,"date":"2021-02-10T11:03:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T11:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=16821"},"modified":"2021-04-15T09:28:10","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T08:28:10","slug":"how-to-set-up-a-virtual-contact-centre-a-starter-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/how-to-set-up-a-virtual-contact-centre-a-starter-kit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Up a Virtual Contact Centre: A Starter Kit"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than half of businesses (58%)<\/a> have a single virtual contact centre<\/a> as part of their customer service strategy. This comes as no surprise given the events of 2020. Many customer service operations had to switch to operating remotely overnight. In April last year, findings told us that most \u2018traditional\u2019\u00a0<\/span>contact centre agents (84%) moved to working from home.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Almost a year on, contact centre leaders still face many challenges; erratic levels of demand, altered channel usage, staff morale, to name but a few. It\u2019s clear that those heading up customer service strategy have enough on their plate without having to worry about their technology. But there are many that have problems with their solutions. For those who are thinking twice about the technology currently in place or if you\u2019re starting from scratch, we\u2019d like to explore some options. Consider this a virtual contact centre starter kit.<\/p>\n

Your virtual contact centre starts with your agents. Since you aren\u2019t limited by geographical constraints, you can hire local employees or use a globally distributed team. The resources you\u2019ll need include internet connectivity, a marketing software solution, conferencing tools and any hardware your agents need to connect.<\/p>\n

While some of these tools are high-end, more costly options, there are many tools designed for small businesses and budgets. As you build your virtual contact centre toolkit, work with providers to design the solution that best meets your customer service and budget requirements.<\/p>\n

What equipment do agents need when working remotely?<\/h2>\n

Your customer service now relies on team collaboration, so you need to equip your agents with these three resources to allow them to connect reliably with co-workers and customers from their homes:<\/p>\n

Internet service and speed<\/h3>\n

Working remotely relies heavily on your agent\u2019s internet connection<\/a> and speed. When setting your agents up, test their network\u2019s performance and speed. If the results aren\u2019t ideal, consider paying to upgrade their service. While it might not matter which IP address they use, you don\u2019t want to limit productivity with poor connections.<\/p>\n

Devices<\/h3>\n

Agents can use either company-issued or personal devices in their home offices. Your platform will work with any laptops, desktops, and mobile devices that meet software, video, and audio requirements. If you need your agents to participate in video meetings, for example, make sure they have video streaming devices that meet your needs.<\/p>\n

Hardware<\/h3>\n

Most people don\u2019t have the hardware they need to make and take customer service calls at home. As you build your remote centre, provide your agents with microphone-enabled headsets that work with their computers or phone systems. Some companies allow agents to use physical phones when working remotely, but you can also provide built-in softphones to improve agent efficiency and call quality.<\/p>\n\t\t