8 Top Tips to make homeworking a success

White Paper

puzzel.com

ContentsExecutive Overview

8 Top Tips to make homeworking a success

Conclusion

2

Homeworking – 5 reasons to think again 1

Turning homeworking into reality

Case Study – Ombudsman Services supports rapid business growth and expanding client base

Case Study – Domino’s Pizza reaps the benefits of homeworking with happy staff and happy customers

3

3.1

3.2

Executive Overview

Not so many years ago, homeworking was considered the next big thing, a game changer for

the contact centre industry. At the time, Danish communications company Jabra1 published a

white paper that claimed six out of 10 contact centre managers saw the future of the contact

centre industry as one in which agents worked remotely instead of from a centralised location.

Managers of large contact centres, in particular, saw this as a critical emerging trend, with 84%

believing that remote agents were the future of contact centres. However, for a short while at

least, there was a general nervousness and sometimes blatant reluctance to follow the flexible

working route.

Since that time, two major factors have thrown flexible working practices back into the spotlight. Firstly, consumer behaviour has changed. In times gone by, if a customer had an issue with one of their service providers, for example telecommunications provider or energy supplier – they would be expected to call them during standard working hours to get this resolved. Not anymore. These days, customers want 24/7 support in order to get any issues resolved at a time that’s convenient for them. According to ManpowerGroup2, these “changing consumer buying habits mean contact centres are under pressure to deliver in new ways, and effectively harnessing a temporary workforce can allow them to better meet these demands.”

Secondly, non-traditional ways of working seem to be growing in popularity amongst employees

themselves. In fact, when ManpowerGroup interviewed 19,000 millennials to get their

perspective on the future world of work, 75% said they’re currently working in a full-time,

permanent role, however 50% of those surveyed would be open to non-traditional forms of

employment in the future, including contracting, freelancing, and gig working.3

Finally, technological advancements have transformed the potential for effective homeworking.

Today’s increasingly cloud connected and virtualised world has brought with it unlimited

possibilities. Therefore, perhaps it’s time to think again.

This white paper outlines the top reasons to re-consider homeworking as an option for contact

centres and reveals some practical tips to overcoming the common challenges associated with

remote resources and highlights several real-life success stories.

There are many advantages to contact centre agents working

from home, especially when supported by the latest cloud-based

technology. Here are the top five reasons to inspire a fresh

approach to flexible working.

Homeworking - 5 reasons to think again1

1.1. Schedule flexibility

It’s every contact centre manager’s dream to have flexible

schedules which mean agents are available to answer

customer calls at periods of high demand but are not

sitting around waiting for calls at other times. Workforce

management tools go a long way to resolving this issue but there are times when

periods of high call volumes are short; for example for 30 minutes every couple of

hours. Or there can be occasions when shifts would be better split to cover demand.

Schedules to cover this level of flexibility are difficult to achieve on-site but are very

manageable using homeworkers who can log on and off as required, even doing multiple

shorter shifts in a single day.

In a nutshell, homeworking gives organisations the ability to effortlessly scale up and

down to accommodate changing business requirements as well as seasonal peaks and

troughs.

1.2. No more boundaries - open the door to a wider talent pool

It may be that the people with the perfect skills, or rare and specialist knowledge,

are those with families, they could be carers or they might have physical disabilities.

Similarly, when the majority of contact centre employees are in their 20s, those of more

mature years who have highly valuable experience might feel a little out of place working

alongside colleagues young enough to be their children. With cloud-based technology,

everyone can still log in and commit to an agreed number of working hours in the

comfort of their home or using their own mobile devices.

No longer restricted by a physical location, organisations can look further afield to

attract the best people for their contact centres, particularly important where specialist

skills, such as multilingual capabilities, are hard to find. Geographic boundaries can

be removed and different language skills sourced where they are most apparent, for

example, the pool of native Welsh speakers is highest in Wales while an organisation

with the need for Welsh speakers could be based in London.

Flexible, remote working means there are no more geographic and demographic

boundaries and this opens the door to a much wider talent pool.

1.3. Saves money

Homeworkers are particularly effective when scheduled to work short shift patterns to

cover periods of high demand. Savings on overtime payments can quickly add up. In

addition, reductions in terms of infrastructure costs, by using a pay-as-you-go cloud-

based solution can soon make a business case for homeworking. Simply put, more

agents working remotely reduce the requirement for larger office premises and tons of

expensive IT equipment. An organisation can expand without having to re-locate because

agents simply use their own devices to log into the contact centre at anytime and from

anywhere.

1.4. Increased productivity and customer satisfaction

Working from home eradicates the high noise levels which are often unavoidable in

large open-plan office-based contact centres meaning agents can concentrate without

interruptions. They can focus their time and effort 100% on giving customers their full

attention and delivering a more personalised and satisfactory service.

As shifts tend to be shorter and at times more convenient to the agent, the result is

homeworkers are often more productive. Rather than already tired employees working

overtime, flexible working from home maintains efficiency and productivity. Once set up

at home with all the right equipment and cloud-based telephony, agents are less likely to

look for another job also saving on recruitment and training costs.

1.5. Happy customers, happy business prospects

Happier employees lead to greater staff loyalty and reduced staff turnover, a situation

that helps to safeguard precious skills that may demand a higher price elsewhere. Good

agent morale and productive teamwork create a solid foundation for organisations to

drive forward their growth plans and improve profitability.

What is more, the money saved on office space and equipment, can be devoted to other

staff benefits such as childcare vouchers and gym memberships, incentives that attract

the best talent - a win, win situation that engenders success inside and outside the

organisation.

Look at the Hard Evidence - Homeworking Facts and Statistics

“Workers want more flexibility with 35% of UK workers considering it to be an important factor when making a decision about their career.”

ManpowerGroup4

“65% of contact centre employees who homework have a better work-life balance”

“58% of contact centre operators now employ homeworkers”

“69% of these organisations say homeworking creates happier and more productive employees”

“74% say that homeworking enables them to schedule staff more flexibly to meet expected customer contact volumes”

UK Contact Centre Forum5

Whatever the benefits of homeworking, managing a remote workforce comes with its own set

of challenges. Working at home or elsewhere can be isolating socially and present problems in

terms of access to systems and information. Remote agents risk feeling out of the loop and to

being treated differently, even unequally, from their office counterparts. On the other hand, how

do managers track individual activity and performance and monitor key performance indicators

(KPIs) if their agents are not physically in the office or are dispersed across multiple locations?

It is important that both frontline customer service staff and remote workers have the information

and technology they need to deliver an exceptional customer experience. In addition managers

need to have the right tools to support their teams and control their contact centre environment

to their best ability.

8 Top Tips to make homeworking a success 2

2.1. Hire the right people and train them properly

Recruitment and training are critical success factors. In his article published in Call Centre

Helper6, Bill Backus, managing partner of international consulting company Backus and

Associates claims that “Remote agents are the answer to many of today’s contact centre

expense issues. However, to be successful, a company must hire the correct people and

train them thoroughly.”

To lower costs further, he recommends the hiring process should be completely virtual.

Set up 30-minute telephone interviews advising the candidate to be at their computer at

the time of the interview. Give the applicant a short explanation of the type of products/

services they will be representing.

Next, have the agent perform several browser-based activities to determine their internet

IQ and don’t forget to ask the ‘Big 4′virtual agents questions. Be sure you can “hear” the

applicant smile while speaking:

• Do you consider yourself competitive?

• How would you handle an irate customer (including an example)?

• How do you handle a customer with a service problem?

• Why do you want to work from home/what are your thoughts about working at

home?

2.2. Make the most of technology to create an inclusive mobile workforce

The latest cloud-based technology brings with it a wealth of benefits that underpin a

cohesive contact centre operation. An agent desktop based in the cloud enables remote

agents to work anytime, anywhere. Choose a system that allows workers to work remotely

whilst being fully integrated into the company’s existing infrastructure. That means

homeworkers are getting the same experience as agents working in the bricks and mortar

of the contact centre.

2.3. Create a social aspect

Working alone at home or elsewhere can be isolating. Remote workers want to feel as

much a part of the team as everyone else. Implementing a fully integrated, multi-channel

contact centre and therefore embracing IM chat capabilities between staff as well as with

customers creates a social aspect for agents.

Having the same informal and formal communication for both homeworkers and office

based agents help to make all staff feel equal.

Successful agents are the result of great training and preparation. Moving training

online further reduces costs by lowering the number of trainers necessary whilst also

maintaining consistency. Because virtual learning does not rely on a different set of

instructors, agents receive the same quality information from class to class including

videos of specialists giving in-depth background and demonstrations. It is as interactive

as traditional classroom training - instructors ensure class participation by calling on

students to share their computer screens or asking students to demonstrate a process

on the instructor’s computer.

The latest multichannel cloud contact centres can also offer sophisticated training

capabilities. Scheduling ‘face to face’ meetings and training sessions via video will greatly

help agent productivity as well as bridge the personal relationship gap with staff that can

sometimes arise as a result of remote working.

There is also hard evidence to suggest that virtual training is the way to go. Latest

research from the UK HomeAgent Forum (a Special Interest Group set up by the UK

Contact Centre Forum), claims that 86 per cent of HomeAgents experience virtual training

and that 54 per cent of these think it is just as effective as office-based training.7

2.4. Add some fun with gamification

Gamification applications are intended to mimic the instant gratification and reward systems

in gaming devices. Gamification can help to improve:

• Performance

• Productivity

• Employee retention

• Sales

• The creation of a fun environment

Gamification can engage agents in their own success, wherever they are, and provide

managers with an effective way of indentifying coaching and training requirements.

2.5. Enable mobile management

Of course it is not just agents who are likely to be mobile – contact centre managers also

benefit from the flexibility of working from home. Having a system that gives managers the

ability to access the same applications for up-to-the minute data and information as they

would in the office is important for full visibility across the board.

2.6. Implement real-time analytics

Tracking agents activity and performance against KPIs if they are not physically in the office

or are dispersed across multiple locations can be a challenge. However, implementing a

system with real-time analytics allows managers and supervisors to track productivity and

provides the ability to ensure that the contact centre is meeting service level agreements

and KPIs wherever the agents are situated.

2.7. Maximise workforce management

Implementing a workforce management tool provides the data required to scale the

business up or down depending on seasonal peaks and troughs.

Whether the contact centre needs 25 agents one week and 100 the next, resource

requirements can be scaled up or down easily and efficiently, supporting a fluctuating

workforce with ease. An effective workforce management solution will also indicate non-

adherence (when agents should be logged in and they are not) both in real time and

historically, for training and management purposes.

2.8. Take advantage of quality monitoring and call recording

Call recording is an essential feature of modern contact centres. And it becomes even more

important with a mobile workforce, when a manager cannot walk over to an agent’s desk

or simply overhear a conversation. Does your call recording solution allow you to capture

transactions across every channel and regardless of agent location?

Put call recording in place with a cloud-based solution to create a fully integrated system for

a mobile workforce - not a system that has been simply ‘stitched together’.

Offering remote work options can deliver the following benefits:

• A larger applicant talent pool

• Gains in staffing efficiency

• Higher employee satisfaction

• Low agent turnover

• Less absenteeism

‘The proof is in the pudding’ as they say and forward-thinking organisations such as Ombudsman

Services and Domino Pizza have taken a fresh, inclusive approach to homeworking and

combined it with the latest cloud innovations to drive customer satisfaction and boost business

performance.

Turning homeworking into reality 3

3.1. Case Study - Ombudsman Services supports rapid business growth and expanding client base

Ombudsman Services8 provides dispute resolution for the communications, energy,

property and copyright licensing industries. The company’s contact centre handles more

than 40,000 calls per month and employs 166 enquiry officers, 150 investigation officers

and 29 case administrators.

The contact centre team itself has grown significantly over the last few years to meet the

needs of Ombudsman’s fast-growing, diversified client base. To maximise productivity and

accommodate increased workloads, the company introduced the option of homeworking

for Investigation Officers and invested in cloud-based technology to support the roll-out of

the programme.

Today, around half of Ombudsman’s investigation officers work 50% of the time from home

and implementing a cloud-based solution makes flexible working possible. Agents simply

log into the system from anywhere, at any time, using personal computers or mobile

devices to make or receive calls. Simple to use and highly scalable, new agents are up

and running quickly and additional agents can be added on demand.

Cloud-based technology is also nimble and highly configurable meaning it can

accommodate Ombudsman’s diverse customer base and fast-growing business and, over

time, will integrate with the organisation’s new case management system to guarantee

excellent customer service and efficient dispute resolution at all times.

According to the Senior Planning & MI Manager, Business Support at Ombudsman

Services, “By far the biggest benefit is flexibility and scalability, making homeworking

possible and successfully supporting us during a period of tremendous growth and

change. The transparency of the system gives us complete visibility of call queues and

agent activity, putting us in complete control of our day-to-day contact centre operations.”

3.2. Case Study - Domino’s Pizza reaps the benefits of homeworking with happy staff and happy customers

Central to operations at Domino’s Pizza9 is its IT helpdesk service including a cloud-

based contact centre.

The contact centre is open from 10.15am to the following morning at 5am to cater for

a diverse customer base including students and night clubbers who often fancy a late

snack in the middle of the night. However, these unusual opening hours have frequently

had a negative impact on the company’s recruitment process. Today, the focus is on

offering flexible shift patterns and remote working to help staff achieve an important

work/life balance that keeps them and the customers happy.

The Helpdesk Manager of Domino’s Pizza believes flexible working and clever technology

to support it is critical: “Remote working is important for staff retention but it wouldn’t

be possible without a cloud-based infrastructure to support it. Working from home or

from a mobile contact centre set up in a hotel for corporate events, means that staff

do not miss out on team-building events or the countdown to New Year’s Eve and when

adverse weather prevents them from travelling to work, they simply log in from anywhere,

at any time. The flexibility of the cloud has proved crucial to running our business.”

References

1. “Realising the potential of remote contact centre agents http://jabrasuperagent.com/downloads/Jab-raContactCentreBusinessBrief_RemoteAgents2012.pdf2. http://www.manpowergroup.co.uk/the-word-on-work/harnessing-a-flexible-workforce-in-the-contact-cen-tre-industry/3. http://www.manpowergroup.co.uk/the-word-on-work/harnessing-a-flexible-workforce-in-the-contact-cen-tre-industry/4. http://contactcentremonthly.co.uk/homeworking-gathers-momentum-contact-centres/5. http://uk-ccf.co.uk/65-per-cent-of-contact-centre-employees-who-homework-have-a-better-work-life-bal-ance-says-new-survey/#sf-6. https://www.callcentrehelper.com/an-introduction-to-recruiting-and-training-home-agents-77653.htm

7. http://uk-ccf.co.uk/65-per-cent-of-contact-centre-employees-who-homework-have-a-better-work-life-bal-ance-says-new-survey/#sf-8. https://www.puzzel.com/uk/our-customer/ombudsman-case-study/9. https://www.puzzel.com/uk/our-customer/dominos-pizza/

Homeworking provides a more flexible approach to managing the workforce, particularly for contact centres and makes perfect economic sense. However, for homeworking to be successful, it is essential to have the right tools and that means a resilient, secure, cloud based system that gives full visibility and simplifies life for everyone, regardless of whether they are office based, home based or out in the field.

Companies which combine common sense with business acumen and all that the cloud has to offer will be rewarded with happier, super-productive agents managed by highly efficient supervisors. Together, they boost customer loyalty and sales and actively contribute to the future success of the organisations.

Conclusion

Puzzel builds on 20 years’ heritage. It was one of the first pioneers to develop a cloud-based contact center. Puzzle also encompasses leading mobile messaging and mobile payments to deliver a flexible and customisable customer

interaction platform to meet the needs of today’s omni-channel and mobile environments. Puzzel can be adapted to

accommodate from one to several thousand agents using any device, in any location and integrates with multiple

applications seamlessly.

Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Puzzel is passionate about delivering innovative customer interaction solutions for

contact centres and mobile environments.

For more information please visit www.puzzel.com

About Puzzel