By: Bill Durr, Principal Global Solutions Consultant, Witness Systems
Aging TDM switches and cheap, ubiquitous bandwidth have made voice over IP (VoIP) a compelling prospect for many contact centers. With the cost of moving packets of data using Internet protocol approaching zero, the industry has finally reached the place where distance is no longer a factor.
Prior to VoIP, implementing home-based agents was an expensive proposition that involved adding dedicated telephone circuits into the agent’s home to deliver voice and data. But with VoIP, the economics have changed. A single broadband connection delivers both voice and data connectivity, and data delivery speeds often rival those in the brick-and-mortar contact center.
With little functional difference between center-based and “homeshored” agents, other economic considerations move to the forefront. It’s advantageous for centers to have a significant percentage of part-time agents who are willing to work unusual shifts, including the infamous split-shift. With a larger number of part-time agents, it’s easier to match workload with resources and avoid excessive idle time. Freed from the time-consuming demands of commuting, homeshored agents are more inclined to accept split shifts and in some cases, may actually find them convenient.
According to analyst firm IDC, outsourced homeshoring jobs grew 20 percent last year and are projected to hit 330,000 jobs by 2010. Why? In part, because moving customer service jobs out of the contact center and into employees’ homes greatly reduces overhead.
The savings go beyond office space and supplies—often, agents are responsible for their own health care, computer equipment, and training. Moreover, the homeshore agent labor pool is significantly better educated, better experienced, and dramatically more loyal. They may also be more effective. Earlier this year, BusinessWeek Online ran an article in which Angie Seldon, the CEO of Willow, a virtual contact center outsourcer, mentioned that the company’s home agents make sales that are up to 25 percent higher and had customer satisfaction rates as much as 40 percent greater than agents in call centers. When you factor in other advantages, such as a reduced risk of cultural disconnection or security concerns (such as private data being disclosed internationally, beyond the reach of local laws), and the appeal of VoIP and homeshoring becomes powerful, indeed.
About the Author
Bill Durr is principal global solutions consultant for Verint® Witness Actionable SolutionsTM, a worldwide leader in software and services that help businesses capture customer intelligence and optimize their workforce performance. With over 20 years of experience in the contact center industry, he is the author of articles and books on contact center technology and management and speaks frequently on industry-related topics.