Remote call center software is part of the digital revolution, and all of the incredible, affordable technological functionality it’s delivered to businesses large and small. Remote call centers have enabled many entrepreneurs to set out on new ventures. Many small businesses work out of the owner’s home—may have as few as 1 to 3 employees. Most companies now manage remote call centers and call centers to manage customer requests, questions, and concerns in an effective and modern way.
In some cases, these remote call center companies have plenty of manpower in terms of actually delivering their services, but as business picks up, it can be difficult to manage specific administrative tasks without expansion or outside help.
While expansion is sometimes necessary, third-party remote call center solutions are frequently the better bet for small businesses. Remote call center solution vendors have recognized the booming small business and work-from-home market and are eager to provide customizable, scalable services at reasonable costs. This is particularly true when it comes to a virtual remote call center. Incorporating a remote call center into your small business offers many benefits.
Building a Professional Brand
If you run a business from your home, you know just how important it is to manage your brand as professionally as possible. While the stigma associated with home-based businesses is slowly fading, it hasn’t disappeared. All organizations must make an effort to present themselves professionally, but those operated from a home office have an additional hurdle to overcome. Of course, you may work primarily online if you run a business from home. That means your “office” is your website, so you don’t have to worry about that aspect.
But you do have to worry about how you communicate with your customers. When business is booming, you don’t want your phones to go unanswered or customers to be on hold for hours. You don’t want to become so overwhelmed and flustered by emails, calls, and instant messaging chats that you aren’t able to manage your company’s other operational necessities. That’s where a remote call center comes in.
A remote call center can provide a third-party resource that can act as a help desk, appropriately route calls, collect information, or order whatever you want. You have to find the right remote call center solution vendor, and there are more vendors for these services than ever before, and they’re offering more perks and remote call center features at more affordable prices than you might think possible.
When your customers call your business number and are routed to a professional, knowledgeable remote call center, they’re provided with timely, punctual service—just as they would be if they were calling an enterprise-level, Fortune 500 company. This level of professionalism, accomplished by employing a work-from-home call center service, can make the difference between a customer choosing your company or one they perceive as being more established or reliable.
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What Remote Call Center Management Services Can I Expect?
One of the hurdles that some work-from-home business owners have to overcome is simply needing to be more knowledgeable about the features and services available. They may assume that call centers can’t assist customers correctly or that their services are too large a scale to be affordable or valuable for a small company to run from a home office.
The fact is that a remote call center can do more than most small business owners imagine—and their services are frequently tailored to precisely what the business owner is looking for. That means that even the smallest company only needs to pay for the remote call center features and options they need. Many small business owners find that employing a third-party remote call center saves them money and increases their profits—because their employees can focus on their core competencies.
Some of the features offered by a remote call center include:
- 24/7 support
- Security compliance, including HIPAA, PCI, and FISMA
- CRM platform integration
- Help desk tasks using the company knowledge base
- Built-in redundancy—your customers will always be connected
- Call center scripting
- No expertise is required on the business owner’s part—IT or otherwise
Cons of Using a Remote Call Center
While the benefits of running a remote call center might seem enticing, there are some cons to consider as well.
Agent Burnout
Working from home in a remote call center can be taxing to perform consistently. Remote call center agents report feeling more burnt out than those working out of an office. Dealing with multiple customers a day from home and the subsequent burnout can be avoided by using the best remote call center solution that will become your agents’ biggest strength.
High Agent Turnover Rate
Studies show that the remote call center employee turnover rate averages 44%. Hiring and training remote call center agents can be a substantial financial burden on your business. The best way to avoid remote call center agent turnout rates is to hire tenacious individuals with the right skill set to thrive in your remote call center. Promoting remote call center agents from within can help keep employees motivated to excel.
Demotivation
The grueling task of answering calls in a remote call center can cause agents to become demotivated if not addressed promptly. Demotivated remote call center agents are not likely the most effective customer service help. Hence, it is essential to use remote call center software to reduce the number of repetitive tasks assigned to each agent by automating tasks. Product integrations such as a CRM integration with your remote call center can be a great tool to streamline how employees perform in your remote call center.
Finding the Right Remote Call Center Software
Only some services offer the same features, and some may be better for your business regarding features, affordability, or services. So how do you choose from the myriad vendors competing for your attention? Use our comprehensive comparison tools to compare remote call center solution vendors, which includes average ratings and top-billed features at a glance. You’ll also be able to explore each vendor in greater depth.
