How to supervise a call center with the hybrid work mode

Call centers in recent years have moved to the blended mode and if you are one of them and want to know how to supervise a hybrid call center, you have come to the right place. In this article we will talk about everything that the new model has produced and, to get ahead of you, there are many advantageous things related to the operation and productivity of the call center .

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, companies were forced to move to virtuality, however, two years later we are gradually returning to normal. For this reason, businesses, including call centers, have decided to adopt the hybrid way of working. Which has been super beneficial for both companies and workers.

That is why we can say that the blended model is here to stay, since even before confinement, some companies had already begun to implement it. Even the type of hybrid call center already existed and, although the majority of call centers were physical, there was a certain percentage that worked under that modality for various reasons such as costs or comfort.

So, as we can understand, a hybrid call center can have great advantages. Therefore, in this article we will see better what a blended call center is and what its benefits are. Additionally, we’ll talk about how to successfully oversee a hybrid call center.

But first, review the points that will be touched on in the article.

What is the hybrid work modality?

Due to the new normality that we live in, post-pandemic, teleworking continues to be a fundamental part of many companies. But, businesses are wanting to return a little to the work model they had years ago. That is why the hybrid format is covering a large part of the labor market, becoming a business normal today.

When we refer to the hybrid work modality, we are talking about the mix between face-to-face work and virtual work . Now, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s 50-50, one may have more weight than another. But, basically, the blended method is the combination of going to the office or company and, at the same time, telecommuting.

This option of being able to partially telework represented a great incentive for many workers, since it gives them much more comfort not having to go in person every day and that is something that they take into account when they decide to apply for a job. worked.

Now, a hybrid call center fits exactly this definition and, as in the other sectors, it also meant that the call center agents acquired more advantages and flexibility in terms of fulfilling their tasks . People even began to look for this type of work more because of the benefits it represented.

Likewise, regarding the call centers, the implementation of the blended model also implied the adoption of new systems that ensure the proper functioning of the method . We are talking about software in the cloud, as well as a series of strategies and tools that contribute to knowing how to supervise a hybrid call center.

We can say that for call centers to adopt hybrid work they had to make changes , however, these were not as risky or forceful as moving to virtuality completely . Because, as we already know, this change represents more of a progressive and adaptive transformation.

So, now that we know better the definition of what hybrid work is and what it represented for call centers. In the next section we will see what those advantages are that it brought to call centers.

Benefits of hybrid work

Now that hybrid work in call centers is the new normal, we will talk about the advantages that this model brings to call centers. So, if you are one of those who have not yet implemented this format, read these benefits carefully so that once you decide to adopt it.

More flexibility

One of the great advantages that a hybrid call center offers you is flexibility, that is, there is a greater capacity to adapt to the needs or situations of the agents and the company. This works in favor of business, since it increases the productivity of call center agents , since it forms a positive relationship between the personal matters of the operators and their work.

When call center agents perceive the work environment as comfortable and convenient, they tend to perform their tasks better without the need to be behind them . Since, it will be born of them wanting to see their company grow in order to continue receiving the same benefits.

reduce stress

Another great impact of hybrid work is that it reduces stress in call center agents, what we know as burnout syndrome or “burnt worker syndrome” related to the chronification of work stress. Which is shown through a state of physical and mental exhaustion that lasts over time and alters the personality and self-esteem of the worker.

For this reason, the reduction in stress also influences the performance of the operators, since happier and more satisfied workers perform their tasks better. They do not feel pressured to carry them out and, in addition, a good work environment influences call center agents to better develop their skills.

talent increase

Hybrid work also means that one part of your operators can go in person and the other can work virtually. For this reason, call centers can increase their talents by hiring professionals from anywhere in the world.

This represents a great advantage, since call centers will no longer be limited to hiring personnel who live in the same city and who may not meet their job expectations. Therefore, it can be said that hybrid work opens a great window for the density of talent to increase and, consequently, improve your call center.

Cost savings

Having a hybrid call center gives you the benefit of being able to save costs related to infrastructure, because, if before you spent on renting a large office for all your workers to reach , now you can look for something smaller and distribute the number of employees who will go per day.

Likewise, call center agents can also save on mobility expenses, since they will not have to go to the company every day . Since, as we mentioned, the operators will be interleaved or some of them will be 100% virtual. This, in turn, represents that you keep the agents happier.

higher availability

One more benefit of hybrid work is that it allows call centers to have greater service availability, since you can select a group of agents to attend at one time and another group at another . In this way, your call center will always be accessible and you will raise the level of customer satisfaction .

Likewise, it will be much easier for you to cover possible absent shifts, if the call center agents are absent for some reason. In the same way, you will be able to use operators in a more specialized way to meet different needs that may arise unexpectedly.

Better customer experience

By having less stressed call center agents, distributed in schedules to make the most of their skills and a call center with 24/7 availability, it is impossible to deny the good impact that will be reflected in the quality of customer service provided. .

When our hybrid call center operators are happy and motivated, they do their job better. They will treat customers better and every interaction they have will be of quality , which positively affects the customer experience.

In short, having a hybrid call center helps us satisfy the preferences of all agents and, at the same time, we can enhance the customer experience. Since, as we have seen, having happy operators is the basis for the productivity of our entire call center to improve significantly.

How to supervise a hybrid call center?

Perhaps the greatest challenge of the blended modality is being able to know how to supervise a hybrid call center correctly, so that all the agents can develop their qualities to the best of their ability and the productivity of the center is at its maximum. That is why, here I will indicate what are the essential points that must be carried out in the monitoring of a hybrid call center.

Always stay connected

Since you won’t have all of your call center agents in person every day, and when that’s the case, only some of them will go and the other part will work virtually, it’s imperative that you stay in touch with all of them whether see or not Because constant communication is an essential part of the efficiency of workers.

To carry out this point of the guide on how to supervise a hybrid call center, you can create chat groups on platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram, so that communication is constant and instantaneous. But, if you want to be more comprehensive, you can use apps like Teams or Samepage, which allow you to share agendas, video conferences, group chats and files.

In this way, you will always be informed of what can happen in your call center and among the work groups that you are in charge of. Thus, you will be able to take care of any incident that escapes the hands of your operators or guide them so that they resolve them.

Build a good environment

A key point to know how to supervise a hybrid call center is to keep in mind that the agents are also adapting to the new modality, so creating a good work environment is very important. Although maintaining constant communication is the first step, the next thing would be to be able to encourage it to be friendly and cordial.

Thus, the call center agent will feel confident enough to share what he considers a difficulty that needs help , which is essential. Since, if he is one of the operators who works remotely, he will be able to have enough help to solve the problem and not just delegate it, that way he is also learning if a similar case were to come up in the future.

Select KPIs for call center

To have knowledge of how to supervise a hybrid call center, it is essential that you select KPIs that help you with the task. To do this, you must select the indicators that best present themselves in order to monitor your management. Since, there is a wide variety of parameters that show you different information.

A tip that can help you a lot is to select indicators that focus on the work and productivity of your call center agents. In this way, you will be able to supervise both face-to-face and virtual agents. Among these KPIs we have:

• Troubleshooting on the first call
• Customer satisfaction level
• Response time
• abandon rate
• Average talk time
• downtime

Analyze your call center software

An essential element of how to supervise a hybrid call center correctly is to know if the software you use in your call center is the right one. You may have a technology that does not really add to the good management of your call center.

Now, to determine if your software is the right one, it must meet certain requirements such as being cloud-based, having IVR, and allowing full integration. But, above all, that allows you to observe and listen to your call center agents in real time .

Having the ability to monitor your agents live, whether they are near or far from you, is what will make a difference in the way you monitor your call center. Thus, you will be able to know if the communication they are maintaining is adequate and if they are fulfilling all their tasks.

Hold weekly meetings

Something that yes or if you should do to know how to supervise a hybrid call center is to hold weekly meetings or videoconferences with your agents. Here what you will have to evaluate is whether your objectives are being met and how the productivity of each operator or work team is going. In this way, they will always have up-to-date information on the work rate of your call center.

So, now that you know how to supervise a hybrid call center, you won’t be able to make excuses for proper management. Remember that for excellent results it is better that you apply all the steps and do not leave any behind.

You too can feel like the king of the world, or of your call center, by knowing how to successfully oversee a hybrid call center. Therefore, apply all the call center monitoring guide that I assure you is effective.