What Is A Virtual Call Center Agent?

At first glance, the term “virtual call center agent” could be something like Siri, a voice recognition system, helping users in their day to day to solve certain problems or make simple queries.

So, what is a virtual call center agent? Is it a bot? A product developed based on Artificial Intelligence? No, an agent of a virtual contact center is nothing more than a real human being. The “virtual” concept only modifies the location of the call center, so the call center is virtual but the agent is very real.

Currently, most contact centers are still in a physical space, that is, in an office. However, cloud technology has allowed call centers to hire more remote agents who can telecommute.

Agents who work from home are increasingly becoming a reality. Some contact centers combine “physical” agents and “virtual” agents. In others, however, the trend of other call centers in which only remote agents work, so they do not include physical facilities, is growing. This arrangement is known as a virtual call center and its remote agents are virtual call center agents.

Benefits Of Virtual Call Centers

The benefits of making the call center virtual can be significant, especially in terms of savings. This aspect may be particularly attractive for companies that scale to a large extent for vacation periods, but face an almost empty installation the rest of the year.

In addition, any contact center that uses a remote agent model can obtain the benefits of accessing labor markets around the world, promoting scalability.

“Virtual” agents can also benefit from teleworking. With cloud technology, all they need to do their job is a computer, Internet connection and a headset, so the configuration and support needs are very manageable.

Agents who work from home also have the advantage of labor flexibility and, therefore, the balance between work and personal life. This aspect can lead to greater retention of agents in the call center.

What Are The Challenges Of This Type Of Call Center?

The management of virtual call center agents has some unique challenges, but not insurmountable. It is likely that companies that use remote agents have to renew training to allow distance learning. In addition, organizations must have a solid plan to protect customer data.

And, of course, leaders must also remember that these agents are real people. The technology will allow supervisors to monitor compliance with schedules, productivity and the quality of customer service.

Equally important, supervisors must know how to motivate agents and make them feel part of a team. Working from home can be excellent, but it can also be solitary if the agents do not have a solid connection with their supervisors and teammates.

Therefore, the agents of the virtual call center are very real and a growing part of the operations strategies of many organizations.