Executive Insights: 2010
As thought leaders in the home-based customer service industry, Alpine Access executives write a monthly column on industry trends and ideas for TMCnet as well as contributing to other publications such as Contact Professional.
July 20, 2010
Go Green with the Help of Home-Based Agents
As the country continues to struggle with the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the damage has again elevated the importance of finding ways to operate businesses in an eco-friendly, socially responsible manner. As individuals, we are concerned with preserving the environment. Yet as business leaders we must also consider the revenue and profitability impact of implementing “green” policies. Read full article.
July 12, 2010
Achieving Business Continuity During Natural Disasters with Virtual Contact Centers
As I write this, Hurricane Alex has already made landfall on Mexico’s Gulf Coast with winds of 105 mph. While Alex was the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, it will not be the last. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is an 85 percent chance that this year’s hurricane season will have above-average storm activity. Read full article.
July 2010
Employee versus Contractor - Part II: How Employment Status Impacts Agents
While industry fit is a key difference between the two employment models, the agent’s perspective is also a factor deserving consideration when selecting a virtual contact center partner. There are pros and cons to the experiences agents have as either independent contractors or employees. Understanding the motivations behind a person’s decision to choose one model over the other can help ensure you have the best agents to meet your needs. Read full article.
June 23, 2010
Top Five Ways At-Home Workers Have Changed Over the Past Decade
Today, a majority of Fortune 500 companies from a wide range of industries are pursuing at-home solutions. From initial sales and support, to retention and collections, they are turning to virtual contact centers to support the needs of their entire customer lifecycle. Read full article.
June 11, 2010
Locate and Hire Agents in Days, not Months
Staffing is an ongoing, extremely costly problem for most contact centers. The industry has historically had a difficult time attracting a steady supply of qualified workers and, once hired, these agents are hard to retain. In fact, according to industry researchers, the average contact center spends approximately $2,000 to recruit and hire one new agent, a costly proposition considering many centers have annual attrition of 50 percent to 100 percent or more. Read full article.
June 2010
Employee versus Contractor - The Debate Escalates
Virtual contact centers have historically been split when it comes to the classification of their agents. While some companies, like Alpine Access, have always hired agents as employees, other centers use independent contractors to handle their call volumes. The employment status of agents may not seem like an important distinction for companies looking to outsource their customer care operations. However, the type of model used by virtual centers directly impacts the services they provide and qualifications of their agents. Read full article.
May 2010
A Means to an End: The Role of Technology in the Growth of Virtual Call Centers
Advancements in technology have profoundly changed business processes across the world by eliminating barriers to collaboration and communication. From instant messaging to online classrooms, the age of technology has made it possible to streamline operations and improve results for all types of companies. Yet, nowhere is the transforming power of technology more pronounced than in the historic rise and ensuing growth of the virtual call center industry. Read full article.
April 2010
Look Who's Working from Home
This year, the virtual contact center industry turns 12. Like a child, it has grown and matured at an amazing rate. In fact, the model has been adopted by so many types of businesses over the past decade that home shoring companies have had to adapt and reinvent themselves just to keep up with the demand. Read full article.
April 19, 2010
Avoiding Disaster Before it Strikes
It has been a bad winter and now, with the end of the El Niño cycle, hurricane prognosticators are warning of an above-average hurricane season. Read full article.
March, 2010
Snowstorms Strand People, not Customer Calls
Last month several harsh winter storms brought heavy snowfall to the Eastern United States. With record-setting levels of snow, it took a toll on the country as transportation was brought to an almost complete halt. Read full article.
February, 2010
The Need for Speed: Scalability of Virtual Contact Centers Delivers Fast Launches, Quality Service
January, 2010
Home Shore vs. Off Shore - Who Will Clinch the Title for Best Outsourcing Solution?
For the past decade, U.S.-based call centers have battled against the perception that outsourcing customer service to offshore facilities was the best business decision. Following the 2001 recession, the odds were definitely in favor of offshore as businesses flocked to the find lowest-cost solution. Read full article.