HERE ARE THE OPTIONS .
Remote Staffing . Hiring remote employees to handle customer service tasks from their homes allows you to quickly scale up or down your customer service operations , depending on your needs .
Benefits of remote staffing :
1 . Cost savings on overhead expenses such as office space ( including break and training rooms ), furniture , utilities , and providing parking and onsite security .
2 . Increased scalability in customer service operations . If you have to downsize , there is less negative community impact than shuttering an office-based call center .
3 . Ability to hire employees from anywhere , widening quality talent pools and reducing travel needs .
4 . More flexibility in customer service operations , such as hiring agents in different time zones .
5 . Business continuity , like the COVID-19 pandemic , but also through other disasters , like extreme weather .
Drawbacks of remote staffing :
1 . Potential security risks associated with remote access to customer data .
2 . The potential for lower customer service quality due to the lack of direct supervision .
3 . Risk of communication issues due to language barriers . When agents and customers do not share a common language or accent , it can lead to misunderstandings . In such cases , customers and agents may struggle to communicate effectively , resulting in frustration , miscommunication , and potentially dissatisfied customers , or technical difficulties .
4 . Difficulty managing remote staff if they are located in different time zones .
5 . There is a need to invest in additional technology to support the remote customer service system , such as a virtual private network ( VPN ). IT staff have to be trained on these tools .
While many of these positives were demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic , and many of these negatives had to be handled and were ironed out by necessity , there are still issues that contact centers continue to struggle with .
There still are a few challenges . Such as adjusting to the hybrid work style , data security , hiring and retaining agents , and efficiently implementing new technology . Also , maintaining consistent service quality , navigating legal issues , promoting equity and inclusivity , and meeting changing customer expectations .
Outsourcing . Hiring a separate company , e . g ., a business process outsourcer ( BPO ), to manage your customer service operations off-site . By doing so , you can benefit from their expertise , specialized knowledge , and access to the latest technologies .
Benefits of outsourcing :
1 . Frees up in-house resources and expertise , allowing them to focus on other tasks .
2 . Lowers costs by not worrying about the overhead associated with inhouse staffing .
3 . Access to specialized expertise , such as language or technical skills , which may be cost-prohibitive to hire in-house .
4 . Increased efficiency and cost savings by scaling up or down quickly depending on demand .
Drawbacks of outsourcing :
1 . Loss of control if you have a challenging partner .
2 . Loss of connection with your customers due to the lack of direct communication .
3 . The risk of poorer quality service due to a lack of direct supervision .
4 . Lack of transparency regarding pricing and fees associated with outsourcing .
COACH ’ S CORNER
I recently spoke to an old college classmate who used to work in a call center that supported an online website . He often received complaints from callers who struggled to understand his Indian accent .
However , his team addressed this issue by taking accent classes to improve their communication skills . Thanks to the classes , his Indian accent was no longer a barrier , and the callers could understand him clearly .
Agency Staffing . This traditional method of obtaining workers entails engaging with contracted staffing agencies to provide them on an insourced and onsite in-office basis .
[ WITH OUTSOURCING ] YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM THEIR EXPERTISE ... AND ACCESS TO THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES .
Benefits of agency staffing :
1 . Access to a talented and welltrained agent pool .
2 . Simplified staffing and Human Resources ( HR ) procedures .
3 . Bring expertise and flexibility , allowing rapid adaptation to specific staffing needs .
4 . Alleviate the administrative pressure on internal teams .
Drawbacks of agency staffing :
1 . Possible increase in expenses due to agency fees .
2 . A challenge is maintaining a consistent company culture and policies or adding additional formalities that are part of the insourced onsite company .
3 . While expertise is offered , there could be a lack of direct oversight and control over the workforce , such as the agent being coached or placed on disciplinary action , but the agency is unaware of their client ' s policies or business needs .
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