Workforce Management Featured Article
April 17, 2009
Workforce Management Key to Successful Remote Agent Management
One of the biggest obstacles to implementing a remote agent program is the fear that remote agents cannot be properly managed. This fear is well-founded as it is important to deliver a consistent customer experience and ensure that all agents are doing what they were hired to do.
The real question is not so much how to properly monitor the remote agents – as a variety of software solutions have proven to be very effective in this area – but how to monitor them in a way that that does not negate the financial benefit they were intended to create. Fortunately there are affordable workforce management solutions that allow call center managers to do just that, but how do you select the one that is right for your environment?
The first thing to consider is what benefits you wish to gain from the workforce management solution. Are you looking for a solution that just keeps track of the hours spent actually working on the phones or the computer? Or, do you want a solution that includes advanced forecasting capabilities so you can properly balance the number of agents to the number of contacts coming in? Or perhaps you need a system that tracks agent performance in every type interaction, including Web chat and email, and not just phone calls?
The other thing to decide is how much monitoring is effective in order to increase productivity. Some call center environments require a lot of monitoring while other do not require as much. Sometimes all you need to do is conduct random checks to ensure results.
Every call center is unique and it is important to examine why you implemented remote agents in the first place. If they are already delivering benefit to your organization, how can you capitalize on this already positive arrangement and continue to improve it? Suddenly introducing a solution that monitors every move an employee makes might be met with adverse reactions. Instead, seek to create an environment where accountability is expected.
To make the best move toward remote agent monitoring, turn to an industry expert such as Monet Software. The company’s workforce management solutions, which are offered on both a premises and hosted basis, are designed to meet the specific needs of the changing call center.
Monet Software understands the challenges within the brick and mortar call center and the virtual call center. This puts the company in a unique position to right-fit solutions for just about any type of business. By leaning on their expertise, you can properly monitor remote agents to drive ultimate performance without interrupting workflow.
The real question is not so much how to properly monitor the remote agents – as a variety of software solutions have proven to be very effective in this area – but how to monitor them in a way that that does not negate the financial benefit they were intended to create. Fortunately there are affordable workforce management solutions that allow call center managers to do just that, but how do you select the one that is right for your environment?
The first thing to consider is what benefits you wish to gain from the workforce management solution. Are you looking for a solution that just keeps track of the hours spent actually working on the phones or the computer? Or, do you want a solution that includes advanced forecasting capabilities so you can properly balance the number of agents to the number of contacts coming in? Or perhaps you need a system that tracks agent performance in every type interaction, including Web chat and email, and not just phone calls?
The other thing to decide is how much monitoring is effective in order to increase productivity. Some call center environments require a lot of monitoring while other do not require as much. Sometimes all you need to do is conduct random checks to ensure results.
Every call center is unique and it is important to examine why you implemented remote agents in the first place. If they are already delivering benefit to your organization, how can you capitalize on this already positive arrangement and continue to improve it? Suddenly introducing a solution that monitors every move an employee makes might be met with adverse reactions. Instead, seek to create an environment where accountability is expected.
To make the best move toward remote agent monitoring, turn to an industry expert such as Monet Software. The company’s workforce management solutions, which are offered on both a premises and hosted basis, are designed to meet the specific needs of the changing call center.
Monet Software understands the challenges within the brick and mortar call center and the virtual call center. This puts the company in a unique position to right-fit solutions for just about any type of business. By leaning on their expertise, you can properly monitor remote agents to drive ultimate performance without interrupting workflow.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Patrick Barnard