Why Aren’t More Companies Using Home Agents?
August 04, 2011By Rick Owens
While the number of companies incorporating home agents into their customer service mix is growing, home agents still account for quite a small piece of a company’s total customer service portfolio. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), there are more than 4 million traditional call center workers in the United States, but only 400,000 agents will be working from their homes in the United States by the end of this year.
In today’s business environment where everyone is looking for ways to reduce costs without compromising their customer relationships, I have to ask, why aren’t more companies using home agents?
The advantages of home agents speak for themselves:
1. Greater Flexibility – The flexibility of home agents allows companies more options when it comes to occupancy and scheduling. As a result, home agents tend to have high attendance and low attrition rates.
2. Extended Labor Pool – The home agent model opens the door to an extended candidate pool that is educated and dedicated. Happy in their work and capable of performing at a high level, home-based agents on average produce strong customer satisfaction ratings.
3. Lower Costs – With an at-home workforce, companies obviously save on the overhead costs associated with maintaining a call center facility, but additional cost savings come in the form of lower recruitment and training costs, lower benefit costs (if part-time) and improved business continuity thanks to the security of a geographically diverse delivery footprint, to name a few.
No problem here it would seem. Instead, what appears to be accounting for some companies’ delay in using home agents is the complexity of establishing, managing, and growing a successful home agent program.
No doubt it can seem daunting, especially for those with no experience in managing this alternative service model. If implementing a home agent program were an easy undertaking, every agent would be at home and brick and mortar facilities would cease to exist. In reality, many companies find themselves reluctant to embark upon a home agent venture amid concerns of hiring (where do I find quality home agent candidates?), managing (how do I know they are working?), and security (how can I protect my sensitive information?).
Establishing a successful home agent program requires specific human resource and technology expertise. Certainly not every organization has this expertise in-house, but that doesn’t mean the benefits of a home agent program are out of reach. It just means you may need to enlist the services of a third-party vendor that has the necessary experience and expertise to implement such a program.
Over a series of upcoming blogs, I will be elaborating on a variety of topics relating to home agents. I will be busting the myths that are holding some companies back and providing my own insights as Senior Director of Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions, in an attempt to answer some of the questions that surround the establishment and management of a home-based customer service agent workforce.
In the meantime, I encourage you to post your questions, concerns and thoughts below. In addition, if you would like to learn more about home agent programs, I encourage you to view the webinar “Why Aren’t You Using Home Agents?”
Rick Owens is the Senior Director of Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions. In this role, Rick is responsible for establishing and implementing the product strategy for Convergys’ Home Agent Solutions as well as business development.
