BY BRENDAN READ, CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE; Q & A WITH TIM HOULNE, HUMACH
I also saw that WFH could help companies respond to disasters, like hurricanes. Along with the potential of broadband networks, VoIP, cloud computing( contact center-as-a-service or CCaaS, CRM), collaboration, and remote support, all of which were in their infancy then, to enable remote working.
But like all innovations, WFH adoption takes time because it’ s a different mental model. It breaks corporate norms. But once that dam breaks, there’ s no stopping a good idea.
HOW DID COMPANIES INITIALLY DEPLOY WFH FOR CONTACT CENTER APPLICATIONS?
A: At first, companies used WFH for contact center applications as a response to various challenges as I had outlined. Here are the methods they selected.
On-Staff Agents gained popularity for core services where continuity, training, and strong company knowledge were essential. Companies that needed to maintain quality control leaned towards this model.
BPO On-Staff Agents increased in popularity as businesses sought to balance cost efficiency with quality service offerings. Many companies preferred this for ongoing, high-volume customer service applications without the overhead of permanent hires.
BPO Independent Contractors( ICs) became favored due to their high flexibility. They were ideal for specialized projects, short-term needs, or when testing new markets without commitments to long-term employment.
THERE WERE NEW BPO COMPANIES THAT WERE FORMED USING IN-HOUSE AND ICS WFH AGENTS. DID COMPANIES CHOOSE TO OUTSOURCE THEM BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT / WERE NOT SURE HOW BEST TO SET UP AND MANAGE WFH ON-STAFF AGENTS? OR BECAUSE THEY WERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO ON-PREMISE BPOS?
A: It was a combination. In both cases they sought ease of management, flexibility, scalability, cost control, and access to talent. Outsourcing became very popular, obviously, as a means of rapid scale and was ideal for cyclical businesses.
In other situations, more captive teams could provide more consistency and expertise which helped customer interactions.
"... MAJOR PARTS OF THE ECONOMY ARE STILL WORKING FROM HOME AT LEAST PART TIME."
-- TIM HOULNE
A:
OUTLINE THE GROWTH OF WFH IN THE CONTACT CENTER. DID IT OCCUR IN A STRAIGHT LINE OR IN STAGES OR WAVES? WHAT WERE THE KEY EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS?
1990s: Early Adoption
• Companies began experimenting with remote agents, primarily in telemarketing and customer service niches. They were limited by technology and internet connectivity, which hindered widespread adoption. Most contact centers operated on-premise.
2000s: Gradual Acceptance
• Advancements in technology, in particular, improvements in internet speed, VoIP, and CRM made remote operations more viable. A number of businesses initiated pilot programs for remote agents, particularly during peak seasons. This was also the birth of BPOs in WFH.
2010s: Significant Growth
• More companies recognized the benefits of remote contact centers, such as lower overhead costs and improved employee satisfaction. And the rise of cloud-based solutions facilitated seamless remote operations. Remote work was no longer a crazy idea. It was now mainstream.
2020: COVID-19 Pandemic
• The pandemic accelerated WFH, and within a couple of months nearly everyone was working remotely. They quickly adopted and became proficient in new tools like video meeting and collaboration applications.
Post-2020: Ongoing Evolution
• Long after the pandemic, major parts of the economy are still working from home at least part time. This gives organizations a high level of flexibility.
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