Remote workers are happier, more productive, cost less in overhead, and offer companies a much wider variety of talent. They can work from anywhere and—with the added bonus of not having to commute every day—can have a much healthier work-life balance.
Even still, remote work has its pitfalls. Managing a distributed team isn’t always easy and comes with its own unique set of challenges. How can you keep your team engaged and maintain high productivity with staff scattered across different time zones? That’s where contact center software comes in.
We’ve put together an in-depth guide, chock full of powerful tools and best practices to help you navigate the world of at-home work. Let’s get started, shall we?
Pros and Cons of Remote Call Center Teams
So why are remote call centers becoming the norm, and what should you know before establishing one for your business? Let’s break down the pros and cons.
Benefits
1. Cost savings for businesses
Office spaces come with hefty fees, such as rent, utilities, maintenance, cleaning, and, of course, an endless supply of tea and coffee. Remote teams don’t need any of that – your only expense is the usual hardware and software, acquisition and training costs that come with on-premise teams anyway. And the savings don’t stop there: hiring remotely often comes with cheaper talent in countries where the cost of living is lower. Essentially, your finance team will thank you for it.
2. Flexibility and better work-life balance
Agents working from home can make and receive calls from their own home office (or, let’s be honest, their cosy sofa), which gives them much more control and comfort in their daily lives. They don’t have to wake up two hours early and commute on a stuffy, crowded bus to get to the office, or arrive home past 7 p.m. to inhale a quick dinner, take a shower and go to bed without any downtime.
And not to mention: they don’t have the usual distractions that come with office work – just the chance to be comfortable and more present for their families, friends, hobbies, and maybe even walk their dogs on their lunch breaks. Happier agents are more motivated, and can be up to 13% more productive, so it’s in your best interest to give them every chance to thrive.
3. Wider access to talent
Hiring in-office limits your business to talent within the city you’re based, whereas remote work opens up opportunities globally. It’s like fishing in a pond versus the deep sea – you can spread your net much wider and deeper, and gain access to top tier agents around the world. Plus, hiring people from different countries often means finding bilingual support agents, or even those with expertise in a niche industry that you wouldn’t be able to find at home. In a nutshell, the world is literally your oyster when it comes to remote hiring.
Challenges
1. Communication barriers
One of the most infuriating parts of remote work is trying to communicate over poor internet connections, especially when customers are involved. Remote setups can sometimes lead to inconsistency, which results in frustrated agents and customers alike. Service delays can happen during power outages for example, and misunderstandings can crop up if the line is spotty or weak.
2. Monitoring agent performance
You can’t read a book from 1,000 miles away – just like you can’t stroll by an agent’s desk and overhear their customer call when they’re based in Australia and you’re in London. Striking the right balance between productivity tracking and respecting privacy means mastering the art of knowing when to intervene, and knowing when to give the agent space.
And of course, having a powerful tool that enables call transcripts and recording. On top of that, if it offers advanced features like call whispering and listening, you can coach agents in real time while they’re interacting with customers. That way, managers can prevent any issues before they arise, and can guide struggling agents in the right direction.
3. Maintaining engagement and morale
It’s no secret that call centers are stressful environments, especially when angry customers are involved. And true to its name, remote work can feel, well, remote. Agents can feel isolated without office parties, team building activities, and random brainstorming sessions, which can cause the team spirit to hit a low point. Keeping agents motivated takes effort – it means connecting with your team through creativity, consistency, collaboration, and maybe the occasional virtual pizza party. Even remote work can be social!
Essential Strategies For Virtual Call Center Agents
Managing remote teams is definitely not easy – it comes with its ups and downs, but with the right strategies, you can turn chaos into control. Let’s look at some best practices for managing your remote call center agents.
Establish clear expectations and goals
Remote teams rely on clarity; any guesswork can easily lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Your agents need to know what’s expected of them, or performance will drop faster than a bad phone connection. Here’s how:
- Define KPIs: Set clear benchmarks and targets for your team like average handle time, first-call resolution, customer satisfaction, and average wait time, to guide agents toward consistency and success.
- Communicate effectively: Nobody likes playing guessing games at work, especially when strict targets are involved. Whether it’s hitting today’s call quota, next week’s satisfaction rate, or this month’s conversion rate, agent metrics need to be front and center. Tools like real time dashboards can help you get there by reminding your team what their goals are.
Provide comprehensive remote training
Five-star service is a direct result of five-star training. Setting your team up means laying the foundation for success with a strong onboarding programme, backed up by ongoing training and skill workshops. Remote or not, consistently providing opportunities for agents to upskill leads to a powerful and talented team. Here’s how:
- Offer virtual onboarding: Get new hires started the right way with virtual structured, engaging onboarding that they can do from home. Get rid of the boring PDFs and monotonous slide decks – incorporate video walkthroughs, tutorials, live Q&A sessions, successful calls from other agents, or a strong learning management system to keep them engaged and motivated.
- Use interactive learning tools: Interactive tools like gamified learning platforms and simulated customer scenarios can keep things fresh and dynamic. It’s easy to let agent skills stagnate when they’re doing the same thing every day – get rid of the monotony by scheduling regular upskilling sessions that keep them sharp and confident.
Focus on effective communication
Good communication is the lifeline of remote teams. Since they’re so spread apart, connecting with each other isn’t as easy as walking across the office and having a conversation. Keeping in touch across borders is extremely difficult without the right strategies and tools in place, such as:
- Collaboration tools: Slack or Microsoft Teams are must-haves for remote agents, as they streamline communication through file-sharing and instant messaging. You can create dedicated channels for different departments and teams, and even make some fun, non-work related ones to keep things human.
- Regular video meetings: Video calls are essential for remote teams as they build connections across countries beyond simple messaging. Being able to see people’s faces (and maybe even pets) can bridge the physical gap between team members, whether it’s a weekly team sync or a casual end-of-week check-in.
Build a culture of accountability
A successful team is built on trust and responsibility. Each team member should feel like they’re part of something, and own their own work. Here’s how to do it:
- Regular check-ins and one-to-ones: Always have regular meetings with agents to address any issues they might be having, offer feedback on their work, celebrate their wins, and listen to their concerns. Touching on any potential roadblocks keeps agents aligned with their goals, and lets them know that you care about their success.
- Encourage ownership: Accountability starts with empowerment – encouraging agents to self-diagnose their own shortcomings and track their own progress results in a stronger sense of accountability and responsibility. They can find their own ways to improve, which gives them a strong sense of pride in their work – and that’s the secret to a high-performing team.
Best Tools For Managing Work From Home Agents
Technology is the catalyst to successful remote teams. Without it, you may as well be working on different planets. Think of communication platforms as your virtual toolbox – they make life easier and support agents in their work. Let’s look at the most essential ones to leverage in your remote call center.
Virtual call center software
Acting as the command center of your virtual operations, call center software holds your team together through collaboration and shared information. Tools like Voiso are instrumental in streamlining the whole process, whether it’s sales or support.
Key features
Look out for software that enables your agents to juggle email, calls, messaging, and web chat seamlessly with Omnichannel support. Real-time dashboards are excellent for tracking performance, while CRM integrations keep everyone on the same page.
Benefits
Call center software keeps everything in one place, allowing agents to focus on solving customer issues without the headache of battling multiple different platforms and technologies. It simplifies communication, improves agent workloads, and drives positive customer experiences that lead to less stress on your team. A clear win-win!
Collaboration tools
Instead of common areas, cafeterias, or a good old water cooler, collaboration tools are where your team meets. Think about platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, or Google Meet, that enable everything from quick chats to all-hands meetings. They keep your team in sync, as if they were sitting next to each other in an office, and offer a wide range of integrations for easy and instant communication.
Performance monitoring tools
Keeping tabs on productivity doesn’t mean micromanaging – it’s simply a way to identify struggling agents, spot emerging trends, and get a general overview of whether the team is on track to hit their target. You don’t have to be on top of your agents 24/7 to know they’re doing their jobs right. Performance monitoring platforms like Time Doctor, Hubstaff, or other workforce management software lets you track work hours and activity levels without looming over your team’s shoulders. With the right tool for your business, you can even keep track of time spent on tasks, which helps in identifying struggling agents and ensuring your team’s time is being spent wisely.
Analytics and reporting software
Call centers rely on accurate data to make informed decisions and optimize their processes, which makes it essential to find the right platform that provides insights into both customer interactions and agent performance. Such tools as Tableau or Power BI, or even built-in features of your call center software can give you full visibility over what’s working and what’s not. You can track trends in customer satisfaction, spot recurring issues, and get instant updates on agent KPIs to keep operations running smoothly and effectively.
Employee Engagement And Motivation
Keeping remote agents motivated takes attention, care, and the right kind of incentives. Nothing kills performance like a disengaged team, and high turnover makes it impossible to hit targets and provide customers with great experiences. Let’s look at some strategies for keeping agents engaged and motivated.
Recognize and reward performance
When agents are performing well or exceeding targets, it’s important to recognize their extra efforts if you want to keep the momentum going. Celebrating little wins with a gift card, employee of the month program, or a bonus in their paycheck can work wonders for keeping morale high. Or if an agent handled a particularly difficult situation with poise and professionalism, let them know! Recognition makes employees feel valued, and it gives them something to work towards during the rough days.
Create a positive team culture
Feeling like part of a team can be a challenge when your colleagues are spread all over the world; there’s only so much you can connect about over a video call or Slack huddle. But with the right approach, you can make everyone feel like a valued team member.
Promote virtual team-building
Team-building isn’t limited to a room. There are so many virtual activities your team can get involved in, like trivia nights, online escape rooms, or competition quizzes. They may not be the same as in-person fun, but they break up the monotony and remind your team that they’re part of something bigger than just their home office.
Encourage open communication
Two-way communication is key for a great work culture. But employees need to feel safe voicing their concerns, no matter what they are. Creating an environment where agents feel comfortable sharing their thoughts through anonymous surveys, one-on-one sessions, or team meetings allows them to see how their voices make a difference.
Address remote work challenges
Let’s be real, remote work isn’t all sunshine and sweatpants. It has its challenges like everything else in life, but how you tackle those challenges makes all the difference in showing your team you’re on their side.
Foster a sense of community
Loneliness is a secret productivity killer. Remote agents shouldn’t feel isolated from their team just because they work from home. Making them feel like they belong means creating channels for casual conversations, virtual coffee breaks, themed work days, or any other small gestures that make them feel connected.
Provide mental health and wellbeing support
At the end of the day, we’re all human – and agents deal with a huge amount of stress and the occasional heated interaction. It can be easy to get burnt out or switch to autopilot, which has a major effect on mental health. Offering access to mental health resources like online therapy, or introducing flexible scheduling can give your team the outlet they need to de-stress. You can even organize online yoga sessions or give out wellness stipends to give agents a choice of how to relax.
Measuring Performance Of Remote Agents
If you don’t measure, you can’t improve. Remote agents aren’t immune from performance monitoring, but that doesn’t mean you have to breathe their necks. It’s all about using the right metrics and methods that empower them to succeed.
Track key performance metrics
Metrics are what keep call centers ticking. They highlight what’s working and what’s not so managers can quickly pivot and change strategies on the fly. Customer satisfaction (CSAT) lets you know if customers are having good experiences, while first-call resolution (FCR) shows how many calls are being resolved on the first go.
Choosing the right metrics for your call center gives you a clear picture of what’s thriving and where you could improve, but be careful not to overload your team with too many KPIs. Pick the ones that matter most and focus on them – the rest can be background noise.
Use real-time monitoring
Real time insights are a game changer for any call center, as they provide live updates on operations and performance. Managers can listen in on calls to provide immediate feedback to agents, or review call recordings and call summaries for keyword insights.
If an agent didn’t answer a tough question well, let them know! Or if they missed an upselling opportunity, use it as a teachable moment. Real-time monitoring is pivotal to improving performance and shows your agents that you’re invested in their long-term success.
Conduct regular performance reviews
They might not be everyone’s favourite part of the job, management included, but performance reviews are invaluable for growth. It’s important to identify strengths and weaknesses, on both a team and individual level, with accurate data from tracking tools. That way, you can highlight wins and opportunities for development, while allowing agents to share their own challenges and goals too. Checking in regularly keeps everyone aligned and working towards a shared goal.
Tips For Ensuring Productivity And Efficiency
1. Create flexible schedules
The traditional 9-to-5 system simply doesn’t cut it in a remote environment, especially with teams spread across multiple time zones. Remote employees often have personal obligations that make it difficult for them to adhere to a strict work schedule, and enforcing it on them can only lead to conflict.
Instead, think about implementing scheduling software like workforce management tools to create schedules that match customer demand and accommodate your agents’ individual needs. Flexibility results in higher morale, and happier agents are much more likely to succeed.
2. Provide the right tools and resources
Even the best agents can’t do their jobs without the right equipment. Remote work relies on technology, and it’s your job to make sure your team has everything they need to work properly. A bad internet connection or a poor-quality headset can only lead to frustration for both customers and agents, so make sure they have reliable internet access, headsets, hardware, software, and anything else they need to perform their roles effectively. Consider it an investment in your team’s efficiency – and ultimately, your business.
3. Encourage continuous learning
If your agents stop learning, your call center stops growing. Your business can only improve so long as your people continue to do so – which means investing in education and continuous training in everyone’s best interest. Offer training modules and certifications to allow agents to upskill through platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or any other learning management system. They can brush up on soft skills like empathy and product knowledge, while boosting their professional development with industry-specific certifications.
FAQs
How can I ensure effective communication with remote call center agents?
Collaboration tools like Slack or Teams are great for real-time updates and instant messaging, fostering a culture of open communication.
What are the best tools for monitoring agent performance remotely?
Time Doctor, Hubstaff, or Workforce Management Software can track productivity, and paired with call center platforms can offer real-time analytics and KPI dashboards for metric monitoring.
How do I maintain team morale in a remote call center environment?
Recognize and reward achievements through incentives and shoutouts, have regular team building activities and casual chats, and provide mental health resources to encourage feedback and support.
Remote work is here to stay
Remote work has its own unique set of challenges compared to on-premise offices, but all you need is the right strategies and tools to create a thriving, productive team – no matter where they are.
Clear communication is key to keeping things transparent, while team morale hinges on support and a sense of community. Delivering excellent customer service goes hand-in-hand with keeping employees happy and motivated, and as long as they feel connected to something meaningful, they’ll always be driven to succeed.
And remember: success isn’t about controlling their every move – it’s about empowering agents to own their work.
