{"id":45223,"date":"2020-11-17T18:08:33","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T18:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=45223"},"modified":"2024-07-31T08:32:34","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T15:32:34","slug":"managing-remotely-transitioning-from-a-physical-to-virtual-contact-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/managing-remotely-transitioning-from-a-physical-to-virtual-contact-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing remotely: transitioning from a physical to virtual contact center"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, customer service contact centers reacted by sending agents to work from home. Many managers hoped this would only be a temporary solution. But transitioning from a physical to virtual contact center may well be a near-permanent transformation to which both agents and supervisors will have to adapt.<\/p>\n

This change, however, need not be difficult. Teams can use cloud-based communication technologies to not only help customers but even improve day-to-day operations and workflows.<\/p>\n

Customers deal with complex problems<\/b><\/h3>\n

The coronavirus crisis has put service reps under a lot of pressure. According to the AI company Tethr, difficult interactions account for 20% of all calls received by support teams across many industries, up from 10% in the pre-COVID-19 period. Agents and managers scrambled to rise to this challenge. Coordinating work over a mishmash of Slack, Skype, and email could only go so far. As wait times ballooned, it became apparent that old ways of doing things won\u2019t work anymore.<\/p>\n

Customer service teams demanded new tools, upskilled agents, and better management techniques. And the ability of supervisors to harness the power of technology to manage, motivate, and train people remotely became ever more important. But many managers were far from ready for this switch. According to a 2019 Deloitte survey, only 34% of contact centers had agents working from home, which means that most companies struggled to adapt.<\/p>\n

Supervisors adapting to a new reality<\/b><\/h3>\n

Supervisors had to find a way of staying connected with the team. Previously, they used to start the day by speaking to their agents. These engagements were an opportunity to provide work-related guidelines and create a sense of unity. Now, those meetings were happening over video chat.<\/p>\n

Also, during the day, supervisors often walked the floor to keep tabs on agents. They would sometimes stop to listen to a phone call and provide feedback, helping the group maximize its performance. The need to do coach employees hasn\u2019t gone away \u2013 only this time it has to happen digitally.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tSpotlight on the Supervisor\t\t<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tHow to better manage teams of remote contact center agents\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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