As more companies transition to the cloud and search for ways to boost revenue and minimize costs, the call center model has come under immense scrutiny. But, out of all the discussions surrounding the contact center, the outsourced vs. home-based agent debate continues to be in the spotlight – and for good reason.
Over the last few years, a consistent tug-of-war has existed between those who believe outsourcing their customer support efforts to other geographical locations cuts down on costs, and those who dispute that argument. 3CLogic (News - Alert), a company specializing in cloud-based call center services, is armed and ready to prove that, in fact, outsourced agents can be detrimental to a call center’s bottom line.
3CLogic argues that the “myth behind outsourced agents costing less than home-based agents has proven to be nothing but a contact center industry rumor.” Not only do outsourced agents cost more in the long run and can lower customer satisfaction rates, but contact center business owners risk alienating a significant portion of their valued customers by outsourcing support to an undetermined location, such as India and the Philippines.
By employing a home-based agent business model, call centers can guarantee customers are connected with an agent that is adequately trained to handle inquiries, without the cost of calling out of the country. In addition, since home-based representatives have the option to work from any location of their choosing, this limits costly infrastructure fees and boosts agent productivity and workflow. The bottom line is, home-based agents, rather than outsourced agents, eliminate any communication barriers between customer and agent – an advantage that will spur brand loyalty and lead closure rates.
According to 3CLogic, call centers that turn to a homeshoring model will reap the following benefits:
Cost-efficiency: Whereas outsourced agents require a brick-and-mortar location to perform their call center responsibilities, home-based agents can perform full call center functionalities with just a headset, PC and working Internet connection. Meanwhile, a homeshoring model eliminates the need to perform expensive updates on computer and software, as updates are done during off-hours for remote agents. Moreover, virtual contact centers won’t be hindered in the event of a power outage, as each agent is in a location unique to them, resulting in 24/7 business continuity and on-demand assistance.
Business continuity: With the unpredictability of Mother Nature, a call center with a distributed architecture will guarantee that you’re always online and ready to serve customers, regardless of the situation. Helping your customers at a time when your competitors didn’t will give you the competitive advantage to retain a customer base.
Increased performance: Virtual contact centers do away with the traditional cubicle, and enable agents to work from home, or in a location they feel most comfortable. In addition, this broadens the hiring pool to agents that can contribute to your team without being hindered by distance.
Contribution to the economy: In a time when jobs are dwindling and Americans struggle to find work, many argue that outsourced call center jobs are holding the U.S. economy back from its full potential. A new “homeshoring revolution,” sparked by Congressman Chuck Schumer in 2010, has helped to upend the call center industry and enable major companies like Jet Blue to fulfill call center operations requirements by employing remote workers. Not only have companies limited the hourly costs per agent, but thousands upon thousands of American citizens are no longer looking for work.
While the decision to pick a home-based or outsourced call center model is solely up to the business owner, 3CLogic understands that every business has unique requirements and caters to these demands by offering multi-channel solutions offered in on-premise, hosted, or hybrid formats. Through its cloud-based call center model, 3CLogic is leading the way in bringing these jobs back to the U.S. and helping to sprout economy growth.
Edited by
Amanda Ciccatelli
