The explosion of virtual call centers isn’t just a lingering result of the pandemic. There’s been a massive uptick in remote work, too, thanks to advancements in the technology that supports it, and the advent of AI and automation tools.
These virtual call centers can bring a ton of benefits. Not only can your staff work more freely, but they’re also empowered to operate self-sufficiently, while your business can save on costs and infrastructure—and even help the environment, too.
In this blog post, we’ll cover what a virtual call center is, how it differs from traditional call centers, and some benefits of adopting a virtual model. Plus, we’ll explore how you can get the most out of your agents and workflows, and how you can make the transition yourself.
In a nutshell, a virtual call center is a customer service operation where agents handle calls from various remote locations instead of a centralized physical office—something like remote work for an entire call center.
These VCCs use advanced cloud-based technology to provide the same (and sometimes better) services as traditional call centers but with the added advantages of:
Plus, they’re often better for the environment and the economy.
In a virtual call center, agents connect through a secure internet connection (usually a VPN), accessing the necessary software and databases to assist customers as if they were in an in-office setup. These agents can work from anywhere in the world, such as their home or a coworking space, as long as there is reliable internet access.
Virtual call centers drastically reduce the need for companies to own and maintain physical infrastructure, lowering operational costs and enabling seamless scalability as businesses grow.
The biggest change between these two types of call centers is the physical presence of agents. Traditional call centers require a significant investment in office space, furniture, utilities, and equipment. Virtual call centers eliminate nearly all of these expenses.
On top of that, VCCs make use of advanced technology to manage and monitor agent performance to ensure consistent quality and efficiency across the board.
Adopting this virtual call center model gives you access to a global talent pool, as you can hire agents from different geographical locations instead of only those near your physical office. This also affects your agents' work-life balance, potentially leading to improved productivity and higher job satisfaction.
Finally, it’s important to understand that these agents working in a virtual call center are not the same as AI-powered virtual agents.
These agents are real people who work for your company to assist customers. Conversely, virtual agents are AI tools used to handle customer interactions that don’t need a human element. They usually handle repetitive, tedious tasks, or collect information before connecting the customer to a human agent.
Running any call center has its challenges, but switching to a remote setup can offer substantial improvements. Adopting a virtual call center style can wildly transform your company and its operations, so let’s check out some of the biggest impacts:
While transitioning to a virtual call center can bring a lot of benefits, that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect solution by any means. If you’re eyeing a switch to improve your call center, you should be aware of these issues—and how to overcome them.
Switching to a virtual call center requires a significant upfront investment of both time and money. Training, software, and infrastructure are all essential, so you’ll have to put a budget in place, on top of considering a slow-phased implementation.
Remote work environments make it easy for your agents to work but harder for businesses to maintain consistent quality across every interaction. Investing in robust QA tools with AI features, setting clear KPI and metric targets, and having regular feedback sessions can all help improve your baselines and move toward your goals.
Working from home can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation among agents, impacting productivity and morale. To combat this, you’ll want to foster a strong open communication and teamwork culture through regular video meetings, team-building activities, and encouraging informal chats alongside work. You should also consider their work-life balance and ensure they have time to enjoy life outside working hours.
It wouldn’t be the digital age if we didn’t suffer from the occasional bug. While it might not be on the same level as 2024's Y2K, issues like connectivity, power outages, software glitches, and the like are all more difficult to troubleshoot and resolve, especially remotely. To help operations run smoothly, ensure your agents have reliable internet connections and beef up your IT team to offer better support to your agents.
Just like there are benefits to compliance in remote work, there are potential threats, too. Handling sensitive data remotely can introduce security and compliance risks. Implementing strict security measures is essential, which means you may want to look into VPNs, regular auditing, and better compliance training.
If you want to successfully start a virtual call center, it takes more than just moving your operation online. If you want a smooth operation with top-quality customer service, you need to adopt the right practices.
Training is the first and most crucial step when establishing a virtual call center. Ensure your agents are well-versed in remote tools and communication protocols. Create a comprehensive onboarding program that includes technical and soft skills so they’re equipped to handle their jobs independently with confidence.
This also means that your employees need to have a remote-first mindset, meaning that remote work isn’t just an option but a fundamental part of your operations. Fostering a culture where remote work is normalized, valued, and appreciated can make all the difference in your agent’s mood and productivity.
To help with this, you’ll want to ensure that your virtual call center always has clear, reliable communications—whether internal or external. Your remote agents should know where to find the information they need or be able to connect with others on their team and have processes in place to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
That also means adopting software like Teams, Slack, or maybe even Discord (if you’re feeling hip and unique) to stay connected with teams in one centralized location. Remote worker isolation is very real, so keeping things transparent and open with your communications can combat this while giving your agents the freedom to work however they want.
Policies help guide behavior and establish clear guidelines, which can be difficult in a remote environment. Having clear policies that cover everything from data security to performance expectations means all your agents will be on the same page and know how to perform their duties if they need assistance.
Hiring the right virtual call center agents can mean the difference between providing customer service that’s just fine and delivering exceptional experiences that improve customer satisfaction and retain customers.
So, what essential skills should you look for to ensure your team stands out? Here’s a glimpse at some of the key attributes:
An effective tech stack is key to any call center’s success—especially if you’re operating virtually. Here are eight essentials:
Selecting the right software for your agents to use in a virtual call center setting can make or break your operations. But how can you figure out what’s worth using and what isn’t?
Examine your existing workflows and pinpoint areas that need improvement or don’t translate to a virtual call center. Look for features essential to your team and their operations, like CRM integration, call routing, and analytics. Knowing your needs is crucial to finding solutions for them; otherwise, you’ll end up nowhere.
A practical budget is key for finding a balance between cost and functionality. While you want to avoid overpaying, you can’t skimp on the essential features your agents need to do their jobs effectively. Look for software that offers appealing pricing plans that can work within your budget and needs.
Your software choices should align with your performance goals—so use software to help you reach them. Regardless of what metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) you aim for, the software you choose should have a clear way to help improve them.
New software often means you need to train your agents on how to use it. You should take into account how long it may take to integrate new software into your infrastructure and for your agents to master it.
The wave of globally distributed remote workers is here to stay. And transitioning your existing call center to a virtual, remote-first operation is a powerful way to improve your business and your agent’s lives. It offers massive benefits across the board, but you’ll still need to watch out for the challenges of a new working environment.
If you follow the advice we’ve given you, you can make a safe—and smart—transition to a virtual call center.
Adopting Scorebuddy as your all-in-one quality assurance solution will make this transition smooth and effective.
With a powerful QA platform, you can leverage the power of AI to dramatically improve your processes and workflows. AI Auto Scoring offers 100% interaction coverage so you can be 100% certain of the performance and accountability of your remote agents.
Contact us for a tailored demo of Scorebuddy’s AI Auto Scoring tool and see how it can empower your virtual call center.
