Unfortunately, we’re still dealing with the implications of the global pandemic. While you likely already have a remote call center, the beginning of a new year is a good time to examine how it’s going and optimize your tech stack accordingly.

Moving operations remote has been a challenge for a lot of contact centers the past couple of years. It takes a lot of planning, coordination and investment to move everything remote.

So, how is it going? Before we check in on how to optimize your remote systems further, let’s dig into why you should in the first place.

remote call center checklist

Optimizing Your Remote Call Center: 2 Reasons

It’s best to plan for long term remote work. With the right technology supporting your remote contact center, you can optimize your process and work flexibly for years to come – no matter what’s happening in the world.

So, don’t just bag your remote call center operations in anticipation of the pandemic subsiding. Here are two specific reasons why you should continue to optimize your remote operation.

  1. WFH Is Expected

You’ve probably heard this a thousand times already. But it’s true: WFH is the new norm.

Agents expect your call center to have WFH policies in place. The truth is people like flexibility. Remote capabilities are a requirement for job seekers (and there are a lot of them, in light of what has been coined as the ‘Great Resignation’).

So, if you – like many businesses – need to hire and retain talent, you need to make a strong case for why they should come work for you. Part of doing that is showing that you’ve taken the time to invest in their success by setting up flexible work protocols, and you have the technology in place that allows them to do their best work.

  1. Flexibility Leads to Better Service

Agents are happier when they have flexibility in their work and are armed with all the knowledge they need to succeed.

When agents are happier, they interact with customers better. That leads to higher customer satisfaction scores. Taking the time to invest in your agents will benefit your business in the long run.

So, what can you do to optimize your remote call center? It all comes down to your technology.

Checklist: Optimizing Your Remote Call Center

There’s almost an endless amount of call center technology out there. Depending on your operations, you can find several different solutions out there that will benefit your business.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s make sure that the essentials are covered. Follow the checklist below to optimize your remote call center with the right tech stack:

  • Telephony software – allows internet devices to make and receive phone calls.
  • Customer relationship management software (CRM) – allows you to compile all relevant and important data on prospect, clients and customers in one central place, giving your agents easy access to all the data they need to do their jobs well.
  • Call recording & monitoring software – allows you to record and monitor calls so you can make targeted improvements to your agent communication protocols.
  • Internal collaboration & communication tools (like Slack and Zoom) – allow you to keep in touch with your agents who are working remotely.
  • External, customer-facing communication tools (live chat, SMS, social media) – allow you to answer customer inquiries without a phone call, helping ease call volume burdens on your agents.

With this list in mind, ask yourself these questions:  

  1. Do you have the essentials in place, or are you missing any critical functions?
  2. Are your team members properly trained on these tools? Do they need a refresher?
  3. Are these tools integrated?

During the flurry of shifting remote at the onset of the pandemic, you might have acquired all of these tools (and then some). But did you take the time to integrate them all, especially as you might have added more and more features along the way? It’s important that all your desperate systems work well together – otherwise, they only get in your way.

To do that, you need computer telephony integration (CTI) — a type of technology that brings together the entire tech stack, including CRMs, internal and external communication tools, telephony software like IVR, and your live chat and SMS tools.

With the right CTI solution, adding new features is a breeze – and you won’t ever have to worry about falling out of sync with your systems again.

CDC’s CTI solution connects over 85 leading contact center systems. These powerful integrations allow you to enjoy all the contact center software features and maintain a high performing remote call center. Find out more by contacting our team.