Two years ago, most call centers couldn’t fathom having agents working remotely. Then Covid changed all of that. Work-from-home call centers are normal now.
So, you’ve decided to embrace the future. You already have a call center and you’d like to take advantage of letting reps work remotely. But, what does that entail?
Working with call centers in my role as Director of Transformational Services at ScreenSteps — a knowledge base company that supports call center documentation — I’ve observed how a rapid transition from in-office to remote can be messy.
With careful preparation, a transition from in-office to remote call center work can go smoothly. And that also goes for situations where you hire a business processing outsourcing (BPO) or allow your company’s call center agents to work from anywhere in the world.
Below, I share six call center systems you need to audit and make a plan for when you transition from an in-office to a remote call center. Essentially, these items are a checklist of what you need to have in place in order to succeed with starting your remote call center.
1. Customer relationship management (CRM)
A customer relationship management system (CRM) is a hub for your customers’ information. Agents access customer information — past interactions, account information, etc. — to improve efficiency for themselves and your customers.
Before going remote, you’ll want to make sure your CRM is in place. You’ll use your CRM for tickets, complaints, requests, purchases, and other interactions with your customers.
2. Knowledge base
With a remote team, you will want cloud-based software that centralizes your documents in one location. You’ll want to fill your knowledge base with clearly defined policies, procedures, and call flows.
When you are in the office, your agents can ask their neighbors a question if they couldn’t find the answer in the knowledge base. With a remote call center, that will no longer work.
When people are working remotely, you start getting a lot more tribal knowledge that you don’t know is being passed around. Agents privately chat with each other for answers to questions.
Whereas when you work in the same place, you might overhear the chatter. Remote, you can’t keep tabs on everything. So, if you don’t have the knowledge base, it gets out of hand.
Prepare for a remote call center by evaluating your call center articles. Can you agents find and follow your how-to guides? Are they getting stuck at any point in your documented instructions?
Edit and optimize your articles so they account for all the possible outcomes of a call, taking into consideration all the troubleshooting options for each scenario. Make sure your articles have the most current and accurate information and have a plan to keep those articles up to date.
3. Permissions set up
With all the different call center software services you use, you’ll want to make sure you have the appropriate permissions set up. Grant your agents access to the information and programs that they need.
If they sit down to work at home and can’t get access to the applications and resources they need for work, it is going to take more effort to get the access they need.
🔎 Related: How to Start a Call Center For Your Business (3 Components)
4. Call recording
Have a call recording system. A call recording system will help with quality assurance.
You can use recorded calls to review how reps are doing. Plus, you can use these recordings to help train your employees. Use these tips on how to provide call center coaching, whether that is using recordings or listening to calls live.
5. Continuous learning plan
How will you continue to train your call center reps? When they are in the office, you may have had regular in-person training sessions. You need a plan for remote call center training.
With agents working from home, training can look similar but adjusted for the differences. For example, in-person training or lunch-and-learn sessions can be virtual events. You’ll need to purchase the necessary software and plan your training sessions.
Another option is using a learning management system (LMS). With an LMS, you can assign your reps to take self-paced courses.
However you do it, create a continuous learning plan so that your agents continue to improve their performance and advance in their careers.
6. Equipment
Do your agents have what they need in their homes? Call center agents require a variety of equipment in order to do their jobs.
You’ll need to have a plan in place to order and transport equipment to the many locations where your agents will work. Plus, you’ll need to decide what the company is covering and the budget for that.
Some of the equipment to keep in mind are the following.
Headsets
Just like in your call center, agents will need a way to have private conversations in their homes. With compliance, you’ll need to make sure only your agents can hear the conversation happening.
After all, you don’t know what their desk situation is or if kids will be yelling in the background. Provide headsets that help keep the sound clear and private.
Monitors
Your call center agents use a bunch of software services and often need multiple screens open to complete a single call. Ideally, you will still provide your call center agents with two monitors.
Having two computer monitors allows your agents to open the files and tabs they need to gather information and perform transactions.
Internet connection
How strong will your agents' computer connection be? Will your agents use WiFi or will you require that they plug their computer directly into the internet?
Ensure that your agents have a good internet connection. You could require a certain router or internet speed connection. Consider whether you will provide an at-home internet budget for your agents’ home office.
No matter where they are working, provide your agents with the support they need
There is a lot to think about when starting a remote call center. When you take time to evaluate and optimize the resources you have, your call center is able to make a plan that enables agents to perform just as well at home as they do in the office.
One vital tool your company needs is a way to centralize your company knowledge that is easily accessible for agents. A knowledge base is a cloud-based software that helps you collect the resources your agents need in one location.
With a ScreenSteps knowledge base, agents can access your help guides in as few as two clicks, no matter if they are working in the office or in their homes. Part of that is due to contextual help, which recommends relevant support articles depending on which program your reps are working in.
Think a knowledge base could help you take your call center remote? Check out this list of some of the best call knowledge base software available.
