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Shifting to a remote contact centre?

2 Apr 2020 12:02 PM | Anonymous

Here’s some things to consider

Thanks to the team at 8x8 for their help with putting together this article. 8x8 provide a range of remote working solutions for contact centres.

Running a contact centre is an intense job at the best of times. Trying to get it up and running in the middle of a global pandemic is probably not how many of you imagined going live with remote contact centres.

Still in times like these we work with what we’ve got, so we’ve compiled some considerations for setting up working from home.

A good work environment

In an ideal world you’d check out an employee’s work environment before starting the trial, but you can still try to have it meet the following requirements.

  • Is it a private space? If those taking the calls are in a shared environment, then privacy could become an issue. Try to keep the space away from anyone who shouldn’t be hearing confidential information.
  • What is their internet connection like? A patchy internet connection is going to cause significant problems with providing a good service to callers. Fibre is ideal, but other types like VDSL may be sufficient depending on the speeds provided.
  • Is it ergonomically suitable? There’s only so much you can do in a lockdown, but people sitting hunched over for eight hours a day, for at least four weeks is going to have the potential to cause ongoing health issues. The same goes for issues such as lighting, headsets, and keyboards.
  • Make sure all agents are taking breaks. Working from home it can be easy for a day to blur together. Taking the time to get up, step away from the desk and relax like you normally would on a lunch break is important.

What equipment do they need, and who will provide it

Back in 2018 we did a story with Auckland Council about their home agents – they had 75 at that time. Here’s what they told us about their equipment set up at the time.


  • Modern systems are able to quickly route calls anywhere with little fuss, but with all the call centre systems running through a VPN pipeline over the internet, a fast and stable connection is required. Those with fibre or VDSL were considered to be adequate, while the remainder were supplied with a 4G modem to connect through the cellular network.

    To keep it simple, every CSR, whether they were at home or in the contact centre, was switched to a laptop that can connect to a docking station, along with dual screens and a keyboard. This way everyone has more flexibility to move if needed. It also means that if a home agent wants to be in the contact centre for the day, they can just take their laptop, plug it into a docking station, and away they go. Also beneficial, if the laptop dies for some reason it can be couriered away and replaced very quickly.

    The entire set up is actually identical to that in the call centre, down to the type of chair provided. In fact, the whole thing has been bundled into a ‘call centre in a box’ that can be sent to a home agent and set up quickly.

    While most councils are obviously not prepared enough for this to the point that they can have a ‘call centre in a box’, there are several things to consider. 

    • A computer that can run the required software and connect to all the hardware such as headsets. Make sure that this is connected securely to the internet to avoid any cybersecurity issues – you can see more tips for at home cybersecurity here.
    • Internet as previously mentioned
    • Ergonomic equipment like screens, chairs, and keyboards
    • Any stationary or office supplies that may be required
    • A way to safely get hardware to people while the lockdown continues

    Maintain that communication

    Having workers at home can run the risk of being out of sight, out of mind, which means regular communication with staff working at home is crucial. This can be done in a variety of ways, but it’s likely that your council now has some form of remote video meeting software available.

    One such piece of software is 8x8's free video meetings platform which provides unlimited meetings, with no meeting time limits, free dial-in with toll-free numbers and much more. To get started visit www.8x8.com/vc.

    More info

    ALGIM has a couple of CX experts on staff. If you’d like advice on anything customer experience related, we’d be happy to help. Please email us on admin@algim.org.nz

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