How to effectively setup, launch and manage your remote call center for your Business 

With the advent of corona virus pandemic newbie aka COVID-19, a lot of businesses were forced to shut down their operations as directed by World Health Organization (WHO) and Governments in order to flatten the curve of infection and reduce the spread of the virus.   While some businesses may not really be affected as they fall within the allowed number of staff and can still practice social distancing in their offices; Some businesses with large number of employee siting in one space like Call centers were forced to shut down.  So many jobs were lost and the lucky ones were asked to work from home. The Former could be seen as those businesses who do not already have remote work policy  in place and now cut unawares; unlike the latter, who already have in time past embraced work from home policy.

So we can say that many contact center employees lost their jobs as the allowed number of agents had to be reduced to maintain social distancing while some who have embraced remote work technology were able to ensure their business continued by making them work from home.  The reality right now is that perhaps even after this pandemic, remote work may become a standard for many of these businesses, having survived and stabilizing, given the circumstances.

So here is how you can effectively setup, launch and manage your remote call center

1) Getting the right Call center Technology.

You need to check if your existing call center or contact center technology supports Remote work.  Does it support Omnichannels remotely? If Yes, then you can set up the remote work service and launch. But if you do not have that, then you have to either consider buying a new Virtual Call center Solution  that support remote or Virtual call center Agents or renting or leasing a Contact Center as a Service  a cloud platform as a services from SGSL) You also need to embrace Vide conferencing for face-to-face meetings with your agents, this goes a long way on communication.

Once you have recognized the need for a Call Center as a service or a new Solution, you need to find a suitable vendor like SGSL who meets your requirements. We understand that there are so many Call center Solution Software and providers in Nigeria but here are some pointers that can help you to shortlist the right vendor for you.

You need a web browser-based Call center application with automatic inbound and outbound Call features as well as Automatic call distribution. This will get your agents up and running more quickly and help improve quality without having to install any software on their system. SGSL offers options based on your budget book a demo

2) Ensure Secure Network connectivity between agents systems and your Systems.

Your IT and Network team must ensure agents can work over a secured network.  They need to have work-approved personal firewalls on their computers to protect home-based internet connections so that no one else, including neighbors, can get on the network.   Except the business is providing them with laptops and computers to work from Home. Agents should authenticate to the network so that, even if log-in information is saved, they face an extra step that authenticates the agent is personally accessing the service and that someone else is not using their computer to gain access to confidential files.

3) Training the agents on remote work with the new technology.

If you are getting a new Cloud Call Center technology which supports remote work and maintains all channels your agents are used to.  Then Train each team member on all available channels on the new or existing solution that you’ll be using, so that they are fully aware of the functionality and tools available even remotely. No Assumptions!

4) Ensure that you Have a central Monitoring system for management of your Agents

Remote monitoring solutions come as part of features of Robust Call center solutions and this helps Businesses to monitor networks and endpoints from a remote location. By using a monitoring tools, Call center managers and IT teams can in real-time get notifications and remotely take action to solve problems. These solutions are invaluable for enterprises who need to keep on-premise systems functional while employees work from home. Cloud Contact centers on the other hand are always on 24/7.

5) Launch!

6) Set up a Collaborative channel of communication and ensure to communicate your expectations.

This is to create a sense of purpose which should be supported with putting systems in place to collect real-time data on individual and group performance. Embrace conferencing like Vidyo, Team, Skype and Zoom, have scheduled meetings with the team to ensure everyone is on page.

7) Set Up a Quality Assurance System to promote accountability from both supervisors and agents;

Working from home or remotely has its challenges, so it is very important that you ensure your quality of service does not drop  by setting up QA systems to ensure accountability, even with your employees working from there homes. This will enable remote managers to have a deep level of observation and metrics about the KPIs that matter most to the business. Because through this data that you can give good feedback and coaching, which opens up the door for autonomy and getting work done.

8) Ensure accountability by communicating your Key Performance Indicators to your teams

You must regularly communicate the organization’s KPIs and  also monitor performance with systems and processes to ensure that all responsibilities and commitments are clearly understood.

In conclusion, setting up, launching and effectively manage  a Virtual Contact center requires that you get it right first time in order to set your team members up for success.  From choosing the right technology, to providing clear expectations, training your agents on the tools and resources they can use, and then providing a framework for accomplishing their goals; including guidance and parameters for measuring performance. With this done, Launch and encourage your center agents get to work.  All you need do, is to regularly monitor remotely through your technology with scheduled check-ins and regular communications of their performance which you can see in real-time.

Scimitar Global Services Limited  (SGSL) Is Call Center Software Provider In Lagos Nigeria That Provides You With Technology Driven Solutions And Services For Your Business.  We Specialize In The Fusion Of Business Processes And Modern Technology As Our Strategy To Help Optimize Your Sales, Marketing And Customer Service Activities For Increase Sales Revenue And To Achieve Significant Cost Reduction For Your Business.

Here are details of our Contact Center as a Service offering.

Learn More about our Omnichannel Contact center Solutions here so that you can book a demo for free.