home-based agent deployment
TRANSCRIPT
Home-Based Agent DeploymentBest Practices for Contact Center Organizations
Michael DeSalles, Principal Analyst
Contact Centers
1
March 16, 2011
Today’s Presenters
Michael DeSallesPrincipal Analyst , Contact CentersPrincipal Analyst , Contact Centers
Frost & Sullivan
Best Practices Agenda
18%
20%
• Market Drivers
• Recruitment and Hiring
• Training20%• Training
• Workforce Management
• Contact Center Operations
• Security
Research Demographics
Primary IndustriesPrimary Industries Size of Contact Center Organization by Number of Seats
Size of Contact Center Organization by Number of Seats
Research Methodology: Web-based survey conducted in 2010
Sample Size: 311
Respondents: Contact Center decision makers
Region: North America
Globally
10Note: Percentages in charts may not equal 100% due to rounding. Results based on sample sizes less than 50 should be
considered directional, not actionable.
Expected Change in Outsourced Agent Location –
% Respondents that said Increase
37%
30%
27%
24%
26%
34%
41%
42%
31%
25%
25%
18%
52%
31%
21%
54%
31%
25%
USA - Home based agents
USA - Traditional call centers
India
Total Financial Communications Retail and Healthcare Others Sample Services Consumer
Q: Do you expect that in the next two years your proportion of outsourced agents will increase, stay the same, or decrease in the
following countries/regions – % of Respondents that said Increase
Source: Frost & Sullivan
27%
26%
22%
20%
34%
17%
17%
14%
31%
36%
23%
36%
18%
16%
24%
16%
21%
20%
25%
23%
25%
32%
22%
18%
India
Philippines
CALA
Other
Market Drivers – Why WAHA Now?
18%
20%
• Recovering Economy
• Quest for Quality
• Paradigm Shift20%
• Paradigm Shift
• Technology
• Do-it-Yourself Trend
• Business Contingency Planning
Recruiting and Hiring Home-based Agents
• “Hub and Spoke” vs. Virtual ModelBest Practice: Virtual Model
No geographical limitations gives companies a broader pool of applicants to choose only
the top agents.
• Diversified Recruitment Plan• Diversified Recruitment PlanBest Practice: 100% virtual recruiting and hiring systems
� Traditional media (newspaper/magazine/trade journals)
� Radio advertising
� Television interviews with company executives
� Online/web recruiting (ratracerebellion.com)
� Social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc..)
� Employee referral programs
Recruiting and Hiring Home-based Agents
• Skills Assessment TestingBest Practice: Virtual Model
� Customer service skills
� Sales skills and technical aptitude
� Simulations
� Problem solving assessments and personality inventories
• Background ChecksBest Practice: Check 100% of candidates
� Employment history
� Criminal and background check
� Some companies overlay this with a credit check
and drug testing
Training Home-based Agents
• Think outside of the call center box Best Practice: 100% virtual computer-based training
Deliver a combination of:
� Live instructor-led modules
� Online self-paced training
� Multi-media formats
� Limited reading material
� Online assessments and scoring� Online assessments and scoring
� Make chat available to ‘raise a hand’
� Test home equipment and network connections
• Document, Document, DocumentBest Practice: Put policies in writing and get sign off
� Job responsibilities
� Technical requirements
� Company policies and procedures
Training Home-based Agents (cont.)
• Corporate identity, branding and culture can be communicated
through virtual training. Best Practice: Corporate identity can be incorporated into all
facets of a program, including; video messages
from the CEO, customized agent desktops,
weekly news updates etc…
Workforce Management
• Empower your agents Best Practice: Give agents the ability to choose and build their own schedule. This leads to
a more satisfied agent and helps create the work/life balance that draws top talent to
your program.
• Short shifts are at the heart of staffing flexibilityBest Practice: Schedule in short shifts since it is critical to efficiently handle
the common Monday morning rush, seasonal needs or business the common Monday morning rush, seasonal needs or business
continuity issues.
• Get the best agents in the game Best Practice : Route calls based on agent performance
by call type and incent them to perform.
Offer schedules to your best performing agents
Home-based Agent Operations
• Make it a Pilot Best Practice: Establish a three-month trial/probationary period
• Provide 24x7 Technical Support Best Practice: Have a separate group that can support the
technical side of a virtual solution
• Connected and Engaged Best Practice: Creating a sense of community, keeping lines of
communication open
• The “Three M’s” of home agents are critical to
success Best Practice: Monitor, Measure and Manage
Home-based Agent Operations (cont.)
• Go on the recordBest Practice: Record 100% of calls
• Practice makes perfectBest Practice: Provide real –time and
historical dashboards for coaching and reviews historical dashboards for coaching and reviews
• Listen to your agents out on the frontlineBest Practice: Ask home agents to provide end-of-shift feedback
• Get the customer’s side of the story too Best Practice: Voice of customer surveys
Home Agent Security
• Security starts with your agents. Best Practice: 100% background checks
• Authenticate and Verify Best Practice: Have an authentication process consisting of multiple factors when an
agent logs on and accesses the environment. Provide access only to those applications
required to service customersrequired to service customers
• Lock it down!Best Practice: Ensure control of the agent’s
desktop. To do this companies have two choices,
shipping a computer to an agent or virtually locking
down an agent’s existing computer.
Home Agent Security (cont.)
• Utilize remote administration, monitoring and other security
measuresBest Practice: Protect all your valuable data and applications behind firewalls and within
a secured data center. Ensure the desktop solution remains uncompromised and free of
any malicious software, spyware, viruses etc…
• Customer confidence is critical. Make sure
you are compliant you are compliant Best Practice: Make sure that all certifications and compliances
are met:
� ISO
� PCI DSS
� HIPPA
� Sarbanes-Oxley
Concluding RemarksQ & A
Michael DeSallesPrincipal Analyst , Contact CentersPrincipal Analyst , Contact Centers
Frost & Sullivan
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Michael DeSalles
Principal Analyst – Contact Centers
(210) 348-1000
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