Press Release

Working with Home-Based Service Agents

(Boonton, NJ, Jul 2, 2009) — A growing number of companies are showing interest in using home-based customer service agents. In fact, according to a recent survey, some 63 percent of companies with call centers are either considering an at-home initiative, developing a pilot program, or currently piloting an at-home agent initiative.

According to an article in the July issue of Customer Service Newsletter, companies are interested for a variety of reasons — to cut costs by reducing brick and mortar overhead, to provide greater staff flexibility, to improve employee satisfaction and engagement, and to provide better service to customers.

Despite the interest, however, the same survey suggests that companies still have a lot of questions about using at-home agents, and many still see such initiatives as potentially difficult to manage and fraught with risks.

The article discusses how to plan for and implement a work-at-home program, as well as focusing on two important keys to success: selecting the right person for the job and providing ongoing support and training.

"Virtual agents should be able to reach out for help when they need it," says Kristal Sautter of MovingBeyondtheBricks. "If that lifeline isn't there, they will begin to feel deserted — and will eventually begin to act as such," Sautter tells Customer Service Newsletter.

About the Customer Service Group

For more than 20 years, the Customer Service Group has helped customer service, call center and help desk managers increase productivity, improve service quality and boost customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention. The Customer Service Group publishes Customer Service Newsletter and The Customer Communicator.

Website: http://www.CustomerServiceGroup.com