New Normal For the Call Center Industry

The call center industry is one of the organizations that have been dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many agents and management executives who have suffered a loss from the call of the coronavirus pandemic to stay at home to avoid contact with people. Now, the call center experience is undergoing a revolutionary shift as more and more companies turn to remote work as the new normal. Aside from this work arrangement, the whole pandemic has succeeded in challenging the customer care industry into innovating their processes. Take a look at some of the best practices happening in the industry across the globe now. 

New Business Models

Social distancing has brought about the advent of new business models that honor the health measures required of everyone. Suddenly, the daily operational processes are intercepted by guided workflows and digital transformation. Automation is at the helm of the new business models and with less contact, this has proven to be more beneficial for call center agents reporting for work nowadays. Communication is managed on an efficient manner and there are measures in place that ensures that connection is not lost among the involved parties. 

Fast-paced environment

As the world copes with the pressure that the coronavirus pandemic has given to the health and economy sector, so do call center companies. The said industry has always been fast-paced what with the requirements that are imposed upon those who are working here. But now that the pandemic has made itself known in the industry, it has given way to more challenges that enables everyone to keep up with the faster pace of the environment. 

Health and safety measures

With the rise of COVID0-19 cases worldwide, health and safety measures are faithfully implemented in the call center industry. Social distancing and strict observation of the health protocols like wearing a mask is the new norm for call center industries across the globe. Updates from health organizations help in determining the next step for the workforce. There is a requirement to closely monitor these updates in order to ensure that the workplace is safe for all. It is important that the management has the best interest at heart and this means guaranteeing the safety of employees. 

Remote working setup

Exploring other alternatives that can ensure the safety of employees while giving quality work for customers. Employees working from home can incur many benefits aside from the most important one which is staying safe from exposure of the virus. Staying on top of customer requirement and keeping the economy alive do not need to come to a halt especially if remote working is an option for the call center company. 

Although there are some people who fail to see the benefits of working from home, this pandemic has left everyone with no choice but to make it work. With the help of VPNs and secure connection,  call center companies will do well if they equip the employees with the right equipment. Since work from home is a new setup that employees and the management have to adjust to, it is important that everybody stays resilient in the midst of this global pandemic. 

Innovative digital materials

Since a work from home setup can open up a world of distractions for agents, companies should strive to help them alleviate these types of interruptions. There are those who are living with kids so a noise-cancelling headphone will be their best weapon against the constant cries and sounds of play from children at home. Since team leaders cannot supervise everyone like they do on the office, you can explore communication vessels like Zoom, Google Meets or Discord that can help gauge the attendance and participation of employees. This pandemic can also bring about anxiety to employees so companies should take advantage of the digital presence to address this and make them feel that they are not alone. 

Establish a strong training plan

Times have shifted from early days of training face-to-face. With social distancing and staying at home as the norm nowadays, it is important that you revamp training plans for new hires or for regular team members to cater to the requirement of going all-digital. Procedures should be aligned to its relation to the crisis. You have to make sure that coaching is still taken into the highest standard even if work setup is revamped to a remote working environment. 

Key Takeaway

Call center companies are still thriving to answer customer concerns in the world today. No matter what the situation may be, you can always count on these organizations to fulfill the best standards in customer experience. Companies need to be proactive in handling the response for this crisis which is why the best practices mentioned here will help you in achieving that.