At-Home Agents - The “Silent Boom”

With the volume of communications between customers and companies rising every year, agent-assisted contact deflection through self-service and social media cannot absorb all of the new volume. At-home agents can be perfect to help you deal with rising levels of agent-assisted contacts.

Within the pool of people available for at-home contact agent work are individuals who belong to the so-called "silent generation" as well as older baby boomers who are entering retirement. Together I think of them as the “silent boom for at-home assignments.” These older workers often have exactly what managers are looking for in customer service agents. They are mature, polite, and respectful, and they use less jargon than younger generations and tend to live in homes with fewer distractions - for the agent and for the customers. The children are grown and gone, so there are no babies crying in the background, and cats predominate over dogs, and do not make a lot of noise. There are quiet empty-nest bedrooms available to turn into home offices which are perfect for home-agent use. Those over 65 are covered by Medicare, which can take the expense of health care coverage out of the equation.

The unfortunate fact is that the market movements of recent years have left more of these older people in need of supplemental income. In addition, many are happy to work, as it gives their retirement years more meaning.

The combination of availability, superior work ethic, good work spaces and need for additional income make these population groups ideal targets for many at-home agent operations. It can be a win-win-win for you, your customers and the agents. 

To discuss best practices in designing or optimizing an at-home agent operation, please contact  

Bruce BelfioreBruceBelfiore@BenchmarkPortal.com

http://www.BenchmarkPortal.com