The Home Agent Model
The call center has become a strategic asset
within the enterprise, and customer sales and
service are integral parts of the overall customer
experience. In the past, foreign call center
agents were trusted to deliver on the promise of
improved ROI, but the deciding verdict to look for
new alternatives to outsourcing occurred when
customer loyalty measurements arrived.
An emerging solution that parallels the offshoring model without cultural or dialect differences is
outsourcing to a company that utilizes home agents. The main difference is the structure of the
customer interaction. Offshore transactions are very systematic and structured, while home agents
are dynamic-thinking and can process the calls based on customer direction and responses.
By using home agents, companies can leverage an experienced, educated workforce for improving
customer interactions and ROI. Key advantages include:
- Reduced operational costs
- Increased agent quality and experience
- Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty
- Reduced agent training time
- Decreased fixed asset requirements and capital expenses
- Flexible staffing to 15-minute increments without adding overhead
- Quick scalability
- Lower attrition and absenteeism
- Built-in disaster recovery and business continuity
- Increased agent tenure and job satisfaction
Also, the home agent model is inherently “green.” For instance, 100 home agents save an average
of 26,600 gallons of gas per year and 600,000 miles of commuting – a smart move to help preserve
the environment.
Finally, the home agent model frees you from the responsibilities of recruiting, training, and managing
the day-to-day operations of the contact center, allowing you to focus on your core business.