Running a contact center is an eternal quest to reduce costs and increase efficiency while also improving customer and employee experiences. This alone is no small task. Adding hybrid working into the mix probably hasn’t made it easier since it requires new policies and workflows; however, there are good reasons why 54 percent of contact centers plan to maintain their hybrid work model moving forward.

For one thing, it reduces expenses. With a hybrid work model, contact centers located in areas with a high cost of living can hire skilled workers from lower cost areas. This can help cut spending on overhead for facility related expenses, including real estate, utilities and in-office amenities. Hybrid work also reduces absenteeism, which is great news because it usually drives up costs and frustrates customers with longer wait times.

But the benefits don’t stop there. Hybrid work also improves contact centers’ agility, allowing them to easily add their preferred number of agents to handle volume spikes and continue operations in the face of the next natural disaster or social crisis. In today’s climate, we all know how valuable agility can be.

Perhaps the most important aspect of hybrid work is that employees are happier with it. This directly correlates to better experiences for customers, who have higher standards for service than they did before the pandemic. Research indicates that 79 percent of contact center professionals prefer a hybrid work environment. They appreciate the more flexible work/life integration and freedom to choose how they can be most productive.

TTEC expands on this in a recent article stating, “The days of the mega-centers are waning—the future is fast, nimble and spread out.” Hybrid work is here to stay, so as contact centers prepare for the future, we have some tips for providing great customer service.

THREE TIPS FOR DELIVERING GREAT HYBRID CUSTOMER SERVICE:

1. Give your customer service representatives the right audio tools to create real customer connections.

According to Forrester, “Service delivered by human agents (not robots) is what drives positive customer outcomes.” Creating real customer connections, building strong relationships and delivering positive outcomes requires crystal-clear audio. When customers and representatives can hear each other well, mistakes and misunderstandings are avoided, while issues are resolved quickly and effectively.

2. Maximize your move to the cloud.

In the 2021 Global Contact Center Survey, Deloitte Digital found that 32 percent of organizations were running cloud contact centers and 75 percent expected to be doing so within the next two years. Wherever you are in your cloud adoption journey, providing your customer service representatives with the right communications equipment will help you get better results from your investment.

3. Increase employee morale.

According to a global survey, the contact center attrition rate in 2021 was at 42 percent, which is comparable to pre-pandemic rates. However, McKinsey&Company research has found that only 38 percent of contact center agents are extremely satisfied with their jobs. Retaining happy employees means ensuring they feel like an important part of the team, no matter where they’re working. With professional-grade audio and video equipment, employees can enjoy seamless, natural conversations as if they were all in the same room, fostering authentic connection and increasing morale.

TAKE YOUR CONTACT CENTER TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Your communication technology choices are the foundation of your customer and employee experiences. To make the most of your hybrid model, everyone must be seen and heard clearly, no matter where they’re working.

Read our eBook, “The New Hybrid Era: New Advantages for Contact Centers,” to get practical advice on using audio and video solutions to create better customer connections, make the most of your cloud investment and boost morale.

There’s still a lot of work to be done to define the best working model for hybrid teams in the call center, which we addressed in a previous blog “Hybrid Workforce or Hybrid Employees?” Today we’re investigating whether hybrid work delivers the best of both worlds or if it’s a compromise that misses the mark and leaves remote employees wanting. Is there a better solution or improvements we can make around how our teams are structured?  

Employee experience plays a key role in building and running successful call centers in the era of hybrid working. As many agents have been working from home effectively, it begs the question…. what is the office’s role in today’s modern call center? Is it a social meeting place? A learning and collaboration hub? Do we focus on ‘half the space, twice the experience’ to make employees want to come in, rather than forcing them?  

Those are frequently asked questions surrounding our new normal, and many organizations are currently ramping up, struggling to adjust to their employees’ new needs. That’s where Poly comes in! On Dec. 8, we are hosting a webinar with guests from Telus International and CCNG to explore hybrid working in call centers. The discussions will help you formulate a strategy to implement hybrid working and plan for what lies ahead. 

How are Service Levels Changing? 

The long-term rise of digital interactions has been accelerated through the pandemic, and the inability to accurately plan caused havoc for many organizations. However, the time for hiding behind a badge on a website that says you’re incredibly busy is long gone. How have your service levels changed? Are you using new or different Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)? What are your customers’ expectations of service levels now? Poly is here to help you move through these questions and find suitable solutions. 

Is the Great Resignation Making It Worse? 

Attrition was already a major issue in call centers in recent years, but now, with over 40 percent of the global workforce considering leaving their employer this year,1 it might get worse. Or could this be an opportunity for service delivery organizations? Has attrition increased or decreased in recent months for you, and does offering hybrid or remote work options help recruitment and retention? Join Poly and Call Center experts Mike Ringman, David Hadobas, and George Wilson who will share their insights into how the modern call center is transforming and the impact it will have on your business and employees. In this 45-minute session you will:  

• Learn how customer service representatives can be successful while business is unusual   
• Learn about the technologies that will help your workforce when hybrid working  

• Help improve your attrition rate and keep your employees happy. 

Where Do We Go from Here? 

We will conclude the discussion with practical insights designed to help you create instant solutions for employees’ safe return to the workplace and to foster improved collaboration between teams.  

Join us on Dec. 8 for an interactive panel discussion (no slides!) and a chance to win some great Poly Swag. 

Register today!