{"id":40417,"date":"2020-07-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/at-home-agents-a-model-for-the-future\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T01:15:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T08:15:48","slug":"at-home-agents-a-model-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/at-home-agents-a-model-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"At home agents: a model for the future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past few months, working from home has become the rule, not the exception. From just mid-March to mid-April, the number of American workers who have worked remotely <\/span>doubled to 62%<\/span><\/a>. And as a recent study in the U.S. found, 80% of remote workers are <\/span>happy to be working from home<\/span><\/a> even during pandemic conditions, which may hinder a return to the office or for agents, supervisors, and managers — the contact center<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to develop new strategies to protect employees, virtual contact centers<\/a> quickly took the place of traditional customer service operations. Even as businesses prepare to resume typical processes, it is clear that remote work is now a permanent part of contact center operations and customer service delivery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Businesses with contact center agents now have to reevaluate their contact center management and workforce management. How do you successfully integrate at-home agents and virtual contact centers in a way that maintains customer satisfaction without disrupting business continuity?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a virtual contact center?<\/span><\/h2>\n

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When organizations use a cloud contact center solution to connect virtual agents to your customer base, they have taken the first steps in creating a virtual contact center. Cloud contact center software solutions allow organizations to build a global team that offers excellent customer experiences, no matter the time of day or the physical location of agents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consequently, since customer service operations are no longer limited by geography or physical needs, organizations can improve customer care, agent productivity and retention, and customer loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why should organizations invest in a virtual contact center?<\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

With contact center agents working from home, what used to be a stop-gap just a few months back is now proving to be a very real scenario for many organizations, and organizations must be prepared to embrace this new reality for both their customers and their internal teams. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Just as the contact center has changed, customer expectations continue to evolve and are becoming increasingly more demanding. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Consumers demand a contact center model that facilitates quick and friendly customer service and speedy resolutions via phone — but it goes much beyond that. Today\u2019s customers also expect to access the digital channels of their choice to connect with companies as well as the ability to chat and message with sales staff, among other expectations. A virtual contact center solution allows organizations to continue meeting these needs while also prioritizing workforce optimization, which leads to valuable benefits throughout their operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Improved customer service<\/span><\/h3>\n

There are numerous ways remote work can strengthen an organization\u2019s customer service offering. Whether running an outbound call centers<\/a> or handling inbound customer inquiries, a cloud contact center software and work-from-home agents can make a significant difference to an organization\u2019s customer satisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Extended customer service hours<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Using remote agents eliminates many of the problems associated with 24\/7 customer service. Whether based in the United Kingdom or North America, organizations can employ agents around the world that can fill the shifts that workers in a single time zone (where the contact center may be based for example) may not want. Organizations can more easily keep their \u201cdoors\u201d and lines of communication open to customers when it\u2019s most convenient for them to reach out or deliver customer service when they need it most, after hours for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Increased productivity<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The comfort and flexibility offered by remote work creates a more relaxed — but not less productive — working environment for many employees. In fact,\u00a0 studies show that <\/span>at-home workers are 35-40% more productive<\/span><\/a> than those who work in the office. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Cloud contact centers<\/a> provide the productivity tools managers, supervisors and agents need to do their best work, regardless of their location. For example,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n