acce icmi presentation

THINK BIG - WORK SMART

“Bridging the Gap between At-Home Agents and In-House Agents.”

ACCE Conference & ExpoJune 16, 2010

Anne Ivey Slough

Director, Customer Loyalty Practice

[email protected]

919.779.0003


Agenda

Introductions

Contact Center/At-Home Agent State of the Industry

At-Home Agents 3 Key Areas (case study format) Recruiting Training Managing/Engaging

Final Thoughts


LSA Global Introduction

• Founded in 1995• Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA• Partnered with over 500 clients to deliver targeted business solutions,

consulting solutions, and learning solutions.

“We believe successful organizations recognize that effective people strategies are an integral component in creating and maintaining a competitive advantage. We help clients build their competitive advantage by understanding their critical business needs and bringing the exact expertise to meet those needs.”

• A+ programs, facilitators, and consultants• Best of breed expertise and experience• Bottom line impact• Flexibility and responsiveness• Deep knowledge of the client and your organization• Reduced overall learning costs• Ability to quickly and effectively scale up and down • Guaranteed results


Introduction Activity

1. Name2. Role/Title3. Company/What do they do?4. Why are they at this session?5. Do they have an At-Home agent program? If yes, then how

many agents, how long have they had the model in place? If no, are they planning on implementing At-Home agents and when/why?

6. What is their biggest challenge regarding At-Home agents?


State of the Industry-Overview

Quality talent needs are still unmet in Contact Centers:1

Customer Experience D+

Agent Advocacy/Empathy C-

Efficiency D

Automation Features D-

1. Leo J. Shapiro & Associates, LLC


State of the Industry-Overview

In 2006, there were 112,000 home-based agents, by 2010, projections show U.S. home-based agents could reach over 300,000.1

Projected 37% increase in at-home based agents.

According to one poll, 46% of respondents said they were using at-home agents.1

Studies show that 28% of the “free agent” demographic (25-35 yrs.) would leave their current jobs for more flexibility.2

And of those not in the workforce, but highly skilled, 60% would be employed if a flexible job environment existed.2

1. US Home-Based Agent 2005-2010 Forecast and Analysis, Dec. 2005, UCN

2. Kelly Connect Webcast, CCNG, March 2010


At-home Benefits

Brainstorming Activity


At-Home Agent Benefits (1)

0 20 40 60 80 100

Reduced Office Space

Fewer Work Distractions

Atrracting Better Employees

Retention of Key Employees

Having a Continuity of Operation Plan

Increased Productivity

Happier Workforce/Agent Satisfaction

1. The Work AT-Home Agent Model for Improved Customer Loyalty, inContact, by UCN , The Telework Connection

91%

78%

76%

68%

68%

67%

55%


State of the Industry-Why At-Home Agents?

1. Employer Benefits. (INCREASE REVENUE)

2. Employee Benefits (INCREASE ENGAGMENT/SATISFACTION)

3. Flexibility for workforce management and better talent. (INCREASE SATISFACTION)

4. Environmental Impact (INCREASE VALUE)

ROI/Business Case:


Employer Benefits

1. Capital Investments/Facilities

-expansion without adding brick and mortar facilities or computers, desks, chairs, etc.

2. Benefits-often part-time employee model

3. Training-virtual/elearning model; faster speed to proficiency

“Deploying flexible home agents increases capacity by 15%-25%, reduces costs by 15%-25% and increased customer satisfaction.”1

=INCREASED REVENUE

1. Kelly OCG Services, 2010


Employer Benefits

In-House At-Home Annual Savings(200 seat center)

Facilities $6,000 N/A $1,200,000

Wage (no benefits) $11.00 per hr. $9.00 per hr. $832,000

Health Insurance $2,500/yr. N/A $500,000

PC $800 N/A $160,000

Reduced Recruitment

$6,000 $4,500 $300,000

Savings $2,992,000

1. Kelly OCG, CCNG webcast, March 2010


Employee Benefits

1. Traditional work costs– Eating Out– Dry Cleaning– Child Care– Commuting (gas & car expenses)

2. Employee Loyalty

- Flexibility

- Improved work/life balance

- Comfortable work environment

= INCREASED ENGAGEMENT & CUSTOMER SATISACTION


Flexibility and Talent Quality

1. Expanded footprint for talent and increased quality-ability to utilize screening analytics to select best candidates ex:

banking knowledge, pharmaceutical knowledge

-ability to compete for the top candidates; no borders

*Traditional Agents At-Home Agents

18-26 Avg. Age 30-4835% College 80%Average Attrition LowerUnder 10 Avg. Yrs Work Over 10

*CBRE, Spring 2009, Exploring the Virtual Workplace


Flexibility and Talent Quality

2. Scheduling-increased flexibility for schedule times (up to 15

minutes increments), part-time, spilt shifts, ondemand

3. Disaster Recovery

=INCREASED LOYALTY


Environmental Impact

Transportation Effects– Gas– Air pollution– Wear and tear on vehicle

“112,000 home-based agents saved $58 million gallons of gas and $640 million on commuting expenses, industry-wide in 2007.” 1

1. West at Home Study Highlights, Home Agents’ Positive Environmental Impact


Environmental Impact

1. Home-based Agents in 2007

Home-based Agents in 2010

Reduction in Air Pollution

473,013 Metric Tons 1,267,000 Metric Tons

Reduction in Gasoline Consumption

58 Million Gallons 156 Million Gallons

Savings from Reduced Gasoline Consumption

$175 Million $468 Million

Savings from Reduction in Commuting Expenses

$640 Million $1,714 Billion

1. West at Home Study Highlights, Home Agent’s Positive Environmental Impact= INCREASED VALUE


Case Study


Case Study

Established in 1972 as the Industry Leader by being the most responsive, stable and cost-effective company in the Student Loan Management Industry.

Highly regulated product.

Call Center/Production environment.

Family owned and operated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

25 In-house agents and 15 At-Home agents.

Company Overview:


Case Study

Business diversifying; need for higher quality talent. Location of center far from workforce pool. Lower costs for staffing needed. Outgrown existing facility. Disaster recovery plan needed.

At-Home Business Drivers:


Case Study

Several centers closed down in area, so job pool of highly, qualified talent available, just not in area of center.

Documented Job Descriptions to delineate In-House vs. At-Home agent duties, criteria and competencies.

Typical profile-stay-at-home moms-been in workforce previously and wanted part-time-banking/financial first; call center second-college degree

Phone screen and onsite interview “Birds of a feather….” referrals

“You are recruiting for a lifestyle…..”

Recruiting:


Case Study

Hiring Profiles based on high performers. Job-Shadowing prior to hire. Listening to calls . Document job responsibilities, requirements, procedures,

policies and time frames.

Recruiting Best Practices:


Case Study

In-house (onsite), instructor-led primarily with CBT modules for systems and regulations.

2 weeks: 6 days instruction, testing, roleplaying; 4 days on OJT, shadowing and mentoring.

Once per month brought in-house for “spot” training. 1-2 weeks after initial training, brought in for testing on retention. QA to re-enforce. Train in-house agents separately from at-home agents.

Training:


Case Study

Bring agents in-house, for initial training, to learn the culture and feel connected.

Blended Learning is best:

-elearning for product knowledge, processes, operations, procedures, skill knowledge

-Instructor-led for skill practice, feedback and re-enforcement Utilize your intranet or LMS to keep accountability for learning.

Training Best Practices:


Case Study

Utilize technology to create learning groups and provide feedback and “high touch” when in-house training is not possible.

Leverage elearning simulation training (call, email, chat) to ramp up the learning time.

Establish an assist queue. Deliver ongoing training based on need identified in QA; don’t

“sheep dip”. Tie ongoing training to results: increased QA or decreased AHT.

Training Best Practices:


Case Study

QA key tool for feedback. Recorded calls and remote QA sessions. Include At-home agents in all meetings and communications. Schedule weekly “touches” with at-home agents to garner

feedback. Support success via IM and Chat. TBD…..

Managing/Coaching:


Case Study

Always schedule coaching sessions via WFM.

Create balanced scorecards that acknowledge the responsibilities and contributions of the at-home role.

Separate performance coaching from results coaching.

Maximize coaching with at-home agents to foster a sense of community (e.g. “what’s up?”).

Document coaching sessions and next steps electronically and store on intranet/portal.

Intricately weave QA into coaching.

Managing/Coaching Best Practices:


Lessons Learned

Engagement is key! Utilize social networking to create community.

Allow autonomy and self-management if you have the technology/tools (WFM, QA, eLearning).

Solicit feedback for improvement and maximize their past business experiences.

Leverage at-home agents’ life experience and education.– Complex call types– High value customers


Final Thoughts…

Risks– Not connected to

organization’s culture– Difficult to keep on top of

performance– Strong internal managers

may not transition well to a virtual management structure

– Technology required to ensure customer experience must be seamless

– Agents must be technologically savvy

– Traditional training won’t meet the needs of these learners

Opportunities– Make sure there is clear

communication, frequent touch points

– Set up structured performance management process including monitoring, coaching and follow-up

– Leverage new technology in the marketplace to ensure the best customer experience

– Leverage alternative delivery methods like e-Learning

Home Based Agents – Risks and Rewards


WIFM

Take Away Activity


“Bridging the Gap between At-Home Agents and In-House Agents.”

ACCE Conference & ExpoJune 16, 2010

Anne Ivey Slough

Director, Customer Loyalty Practice

[email protected]

919.779.0003

acce icmi presentation

Business

home benefits

flexible home agents

home based agents

traditional agents

home agent model

home agent program

home agent benefits1

home study highlights