{"id":39923,"date":"2022-09-13T08:20:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T06:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enreach.es\/?p=39923"},"modified":"2024-10-30T16:09:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T15:09:45","slug":"is-your-contact-center-prepared-for-hybrid-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enreach.es\/en\/blog\/is-your-contact-center-prepared-for-hybrid-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your Contact Center Prepared for Hybrid Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What we have so far referred to, as the \u201cfuture of work\u201d is fast becoming the present. Learning from what works and what doesn’t, we currently have a mix of remote workers, office workers, and some who work from home and also go in person to the company.<\/p>\n

It is this combination of personnel that makes up the new term, hybrid workforce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But unlike a “standard worker”, a call center agent has a unique role where working from anywhere other than the standard location can be difficult without the right tools<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Running a contact center in the hybrid work environment is a challenge for which cloud technology has solutions.<\/p>\n

What Are the Cultural Challenges of a Hybrid Call Center?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cultural challenges are what people worry about. Whether it’s an agent-supervisor relationship or the approach to dealing with impatient customers.<\/p>\n

To deliver the same (or better) customer experience (CX), differences in how teams work as work styles and locations change need to be identified.<\/p>\n

5 Challenges to Consider when Implementing a Hybrid Call Center<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Ask for Help<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When employees are together in an office, a tap on the shoulder or a wave of the hand is the simplest process to ask for help, since a colleague or a supervisor can approach them to solve their query.<\/p>\n

However, it must be considered that, when this happens, there is an agent who has been interrupted and who has to stop answering calls or doing administrative work if they are helping a colleague. This can become a red flag if an employee makes it a routine to ask for help instead of learning.<\/p>\n

It’s not that agents shouldn’t ask for help. But even when working across multiple locations, technology can help create a formal and productive process for getting help with an upset customer or technical query<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Solution? The cloud PBX allows you to work and collaborate without limits through collaborative tools such as <\/strong>Enreach Contact<\/strong><\/a>, which facilitate remote work and adapt to all types of companies and budgets<\/strong>. Thanks to it, agents can work from any place and device; communicate internally and externally by voice, chat and video through WebRTC technology, mobile apps and wireless or desktop IP terminals.<\/p>\n

2) Escalate Queries<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Just because agents are in another location doesn’t mean they’re on their own to handle the most complex queries. For example, when a customer demands to speak to a supervisor, he can do so thanks to the cloud PBX, since they can see which supervisors are available and transfer the call<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Also, instead of asking customers to explain their query over and over again, the history of interactions can be accessed thanks to omnichannel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So, whether the user first contacted the call center by <\/strong>phone<\/strong>, <\/strong>WebChat<\/strong>, or <\/strong>email<\/strong>, everything is recorded so the supervisor is quickly up to speed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

3) Stay Competitive<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In sales environments, competition drives better performance. How can you ensure this continues in a hybrid workforce?<\/p>\n

By enabling gamification components in the cloud contact center<\/strong><\/a>, you can turn work into a competition through leaderboards, prizes, training, and even promotions and bonuses at the top level.<\/p>\n

Outside of sales, agents have visibility into personal and group metrics like incoming calls, outgoing calls, and talk time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Metrics like these are included regardless of working in the office, at home, or both.<\/p>\n

4) Boost Morale<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When an agent has a bad call, there’s nothing better than letting off steam. But when he is telecommuting, no one can see that he needs a minute. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a moment and take a deep breath. All agents need to do is put themselves in termination mode or log out of the queue to avoid receiving new calls while they need to calm down.<\/p>\n

Gamification techniques can also be used to keep all employees engaged and organize virtual events to hold a meeting at the end of the day<\/strong>. Additionally, team trainings can be arranged for agents who don’t come to the office every day.<\/p>\n

5) Avoid Burnout<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like any type of employee, telecommuters or hybrid employees are susceptible to burnout and fatigue.<\/p>\n

When working from home for the first time, it’s easy to slip into work mode for longer than in the office.<\/p>\n

For this reason, agents must be encouraged and supervised so that they do not acquire bad habits and burn out, with tips such as the following:<\/p>\n