THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT<\/strong><\/h4>\nPoly\u2019s contact center agents were in a good position to make to make the shift to full time remote working as we had already supplied the baseline essentials such as a laptop, keyboard and mouse. \u00a0However, no WFH setup is complete without a high-quality headset and external camera.\u00a0 So naturally, we sent each agent home equipped with an EncorePro HW525<\/a><\/span> headset and Poly EagleEye Mini<\/a><\/span> USB camera.<\/p>\n![\"EagleEye](\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/EagleEyeMini-04-e1596141820500-205x300.png\")
<\/p>\n
Thankfully, many of the intelligent features designed to block out distracting noises in the open office also work great in the home as well.\u00a0 Features such as our a noise-canceling technology which protects against background noise and SoundGuard which safeguards against hearing discomfort and listening fatigue have proven to be valuable to our agents while working remotely. \u00a0The supplement of quality video is a simple addition that users can easily get up and running in seconds and makes a profound difference in the quality of video interactions. The Poly EagleEye Mini provides robust, high definition 1080p video with electronic pan, tilt, and 4x zoom \u2013 allowing those on the video call to feel more connected.<\/p>\n
THE RIGHT WORKSPACE<\/strong><\/h4>\nWorking from home full-time with the whole family under one roof creates a very different dynamic and new constraints. Now, multiple people may be needing a quiet place to work and there are additional demands on the Internet.<\/p>\n
Although we can\u2019t change the physical environment for our staff, we have found the use of virtual backgrounds to block out the personal space invaluable. \u00a0As for how to divvy up bandwidth and gain access to the quiet part of the house, there\u2019s not much we can do about that either. \u00a0Here, we recommend staying in communication about when the home will need to be quiet and try coordinating as much as possible around Internet usage.<\/p>\n
ESTABLISHING & MAINTAINING VIRTUAL TEAM SPIRIT<\/strong><\/h4>\nPeople are used to seeing each other in the office and socializing, holding ad hoc meetings, and having brainstorming sessions.\u00a0 We recognized that these needs had to be sustained at a minimum \u2013 if not increased while teams are 100% remote to keep people from feeling isolated or overwhelmed.\u00a0 We have worked hard to ensure that the team stays connected virtually through the use of video calls on a regular basis and making time for social interactions. Additionally, we created channels on Microsoft Teams focused on social activities such as virtual coffee breaks and water cooler moments.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Blog-two-team-WFH-1024x428.jpeg\")
<\/h3>\nPLANNING FOR WHAT\u2019S NEXT IN THE CONTACT CENTER<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow we are looking at the next phase and planning for people to return to the office.\u00a0 This has given me the opportunity to consider what we\u2019ve learned from this experience and what our business model should be moving forward.\u00a0 It\u2019s provided me the chance to stop, think, and talk to the team about how we can best operate and provide the best service to our customers.<\/p>\n
My goal is to orientate our staff to the most efficient working configuration based on workforce needs.\u00a0 For the business, introducing a hybrid working<\/strong> model provides the opportunity of expanding talent acquisition with a more dispersed workforce. This creates opportunities for people who hadn\u2019t previously considered working in a contact center due to physical restrictions. \u00a0Additionally, we\u2019re able to increase our number of agents with native language skills and improve our customer service.<\/p>\nSo, what is <\/em>next?\u00a0 The way I see it, virtual training is key. \u00a0The on-boarding of new agents, readapting our existing agents to a hybrid working model, as well as creating and sustaining remote teams are all ongoing requirements. \u00a0To do this, managers will need to hone skills focused on objective outcomes. These will support the model and opportunities for existing personnel to virtually mentor and further develop both themselves and others.\u00a0 The key thing to remember is that physical distance no longer matters, and as new HR and company policies are developed to support such a model, contact centers will flourish.\u00a0 And at Poly, we have the proven technology and systems, people process, and technology in place for this to be a reality.<\/p>\nVIDEO\u2019S ESSENTIAL ROLE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION<\/strong><\/h3>\nAll of this is achievable with the use of video \u2013 and, not simply as means of sustaining the business, but as a medium for enhancing it. There is greater accessibility to people through video than physically.\u00a0 I can meet with all of my teams in one day, everyday while the flow of business continues.<\/p>\n
This is just the beginning of a new way of working, and not only in contact centers.\u00a0 For now, video is our great enabler. \u00a0And, once we are back in the office, people will have become more comfortable with video calls and see the great convenience they afford. \u00a0I see this bleeding into all areas of interaction and video will be the key for our customer interactions in the future.\u00a0 In Poly contact centers, we use video conferencing internally all the time \u00ad\u2013 it\u2019s second nature to us.\u00a0 Over the last few months we\u2019ve had more video interactions directly with customers helping them resolve technical issues and showing them how to set up their equipment. In fact, I\u2019m proud to report that our Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) has improved during the lockdown period.<\/p>\n
I believe that flexibility will be central to the success for contact centers moving forward with blended working being the working model of choice.\u00a0 Companies that offer this will benefit from a more diverse and widespread workforce and agents will benefit from this positive working environment.\u00a0 Furthermore, contact centers will be more resilient with this robust, flexible working model in times of emergency \u2013 reducing risk and exposure and being well positioned to provide uninterrupted support to customers.\u00a0 A blended workforce in the contact center provides the flexibility to be successful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In March 2020, we closed the doors of our Poly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":4330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[509,524,548,517],"tags":[3,1461,200,131,1590,145,1712,238,43,1557,122,232,126,215,127],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n
Thankfully, many of the intelligent features designed to block out distracting noises in the open office also work great in the home as well.\u00a0 Features such as our a noise-canceling technology which protects against background noise and SoundGuard which safeguards against hearing discomfort and listening fatigue have proven to be valuable to our agents while working remotely. \u00a0The supplement of quality video is a simple addition that users can easily get up and running in seconds and makes a profound difference in the quality of video interactions. The Poly EagleEye Mini provides robust, high definition 1080p video with electronic pan, tilt, and 4x zoom \u2013 allowing those on the video call to feel more connected.<\/p>\n
THE RIGHT WORKSPACE<\/strong><\/h4>\nWorking from home full-time with the whole family under one roof creates a very different dynamic and new constraints. Now, multiple people may be needing a quiet place to work and there are additional demands on the Internet.<\/p>\n
Although we can\u2019t change the physical environment for our staff, we have found the use of virtual backgrounds to block out the personal space invaluable. \u00a0As for how to divvy up bandwidth and gain access to the quiet part of the house, there\u2019s not much we can do about that either. \u00a0Here, we recommend staying in communication about when the home will need to be quiet and try coordinating as much as possible around Internet usage.<\/p>\n
ESTABLISHING & MAINTAINING VIRTUAL TEAM SPIRIT<\/strong><\/h4>\nPeople are used to seeing each other in the office and socializing, holding ad hoc meetings, and having brainstorming sessions.\u00a0 We recognized that these needs had to be sustained at a minimum \u2013 if not increased while teams are 100% remote to keep people from feeling isolated or overwhelmed.\u00a0 We have worked hard to ensure that the team stays connected virtually through the use of video calls on a regular basis and making time for social interactions. Additionally, we created channels on Microsoft Teams focused on social activities such as virtual coffee breaks and water cooler moments.<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\nPLANNING FOR WHAT\u2019S NEXT IN THE CONTACT CENTER<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow we are looking at the next phase and planning for people to return to the office.\u00a0 This has given me the opportunity to consider what we\u2019ve learned from this experience and what our business model should be moving forward.\u00a0 It\u2019s provided me the chance to stop, think, and talk to the team about how we can best operate and provide the best service to our customers.<\/p>\n
My goal is to orientate our staff to the most efficient working configuration based on workforce needs.\u00a0 For the business, introducing a hybrid working<\/strong> model provides the opportunity of expanding talent acquisition with a more dispersed workforce. This creates opportunities for people who hadn\u2019t previously considered working in a contact center due to physical restrictions. \u00a0Additionally, we\u2019re able to increase our number of agents with native language skills and improve our customer service.<\/p>\nSo, what is <\/em>next?\u00a0 The way I see it, virtual training is key. \u00a0The on-boarding of new agents, readapting our existing agents to a hybrid working model, as well as creating and sustaining remote teams are all ongoing requirements. \u00a0To do this, managers will need to hone skills focused on objective outcomes. These will support the model and opportunities for existing personnel to virtually mentor and further develop both themselves and others.\u00a0 The key thing to remember is that physical distance no longer matters, and as new HR and company policies are developed to support such a model, contact centers will flourish.\u00a0 And at Poly, we have the proven technology and systems, people process, and technology in place for this to be a reality.<\/p>\nVIDEO\u2019S ESSENTIAL ROLE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION<\/strong><\/h3>\nAll of this is achievable with the use of video \u2013 and, not simply as means of sustaining the business, but as a medium for enhancing it. There is greater accessibility to people through video than physically.\u00a0 I can meet with all of my teams in one day, everyday while the flow of business continues.<\/p>\n
This is just the beginning of a new way of working, and not only in contact centers.\u00a0 For now, video is our great enabler. \u00a0And, once we are back in the office, people will have become more comfortable with video calls and see the great convenience they afford. \u00a0I see this bleeding into all areas of interaction and video will be the key for our customer interactions in the future.\u00a0 In Poly contact centers, we use video conferencing internally all the time \u00ad\u2013 it\u2019s second nature to us.\u00a0 Over the last few months we\u2019ve had more video interactions directly with customers helping them resolve technical issues and showing them how to set up their equipment. In fact, I\u2019m proud to report that our Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) has improved during the lockdown period.<\/p>\n
I believe that flexibility will be central to the success for contact centers moving forward with blended working being the working model of choice.\u00a0 Companies that offer this will benefit from a more diverse and widespread workforce and agents will benefit from this positive working environment.\u00a0 Furthermore, contact centers will be more resilient with this robust, flexible working model in times of emergency \u2013 reducing risk and exposure and being well positioned to provide uninterrupted support to customers.\u00a0 A blended workforce in the contact center provides the flexibility to be successful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In March 2020, we closed the doors of our Poly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":4330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[509,524,548,517],"tags":[3,1461,200,131,1590,145,1712,238,43,1557,122,232,126,215,127],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
People are used to seeing each other in the office and socializing, holding ad hoc meetings, and having brainstorming sessions.\u00a0 We recognized that these needs had to be sustained at a minimum \u2013 if not increased while teams are 100% remote to keep people from feeling isolated or overwhelmed.\u00a0 We have worked hard to ensure that the team stays connected virtually through the use of video calls on a regular basis and making time for social interactions. Additionally, we created channels on Microsoft Teams focused on social activities such as virtual coffee breaks and water cooler moments.<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\nPLANNING FOR WHAT\u2019S NEXT IN THE CONTACT CENTER<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow we are looking at the next phase and planning for people to return to the office.\u00a0 This has given me the opportunity to consider what we\u2019ve learned from this experience and what our business model should be moving forward.\u00a0 It\u2019s provided me the chance to stop, think, and talk to the team about how we can best operate and provide the best service to our customers.<\/p>\n
My goal is to orientate our staff to the most efficient working configuration based on workforce needs.\u00a0 For the business, introducing a hybrid working<\/strong> model provides the opportunity of expanding talent acquisition with a more dispersed workforce. This creates opportunities for people who hadn\u2019t previously considered working in a contact center due to physical restrictions. \u00a0Additionally, we\u2019re able to increase our number of agents with native language skills and improve our customer service.<\/p>\nSo, what is <\/em>next?\u00a0 The way I see it, virtual training is key. \u00a0The on-boarding of new agents, readapting our existing agents to a hybrid working model, as well as creating and sustaining remote teams are all ongoing requirements. \u00a0To do this, managers will need to hone skills focused on objective outcomes. These will support the model and opportunities for existing personnel to virtually mentor and further develop both themselves and others.\u00a0 The key thing to remember is that physical distance no longer matters, and as new HR and company policies are developed to support such a model, contact centers will flourish.\u00a0 And at Poly, we have the proven technology and systems, people process, and technology in place for this to be a reality.<\/p>\nVIDEO\u2019S ESSENTIAL ROLE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION<\/strong><\/h3>\nAll of this is achievable with the use of video \u2013 and, not simply as means of sustaining the business, but as a medium for enhancing it. There is greater accessibility to people through video than physically.\u00a0 I can meet with all of my teams in one day, everyday while the flow of business continues.<\/p>\n
This is just the beginning of a new way of working, and not only in contact centers.\u00a0 For now, video is our great enabler. \u00a0And, once we are back in the office, people will have become more comfortable with video calls and see the great convenience they afford. \u00a0I see this bleeding into all areas of interaction and video will be the key for our customer interactions in the future.\u00a0 In Poly contact centers, we use video conferencing internally all the time \u00ad\u2013 it\u2019s second nature to us.\u00a0 Over the last few months we\u2019ve had more video interactions directly with customers helping them resolve technical issues and showing them how to set up their equipment. In fact, I\u2019m proud to report that our Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) has improved during the lockdown period.<\/p>\n
I believe that flexibility will be central to the success for contact centers moving forward with blended working being the working model of choice.\u00a0 Companies that offer this will benefit from a more diverse and widespread workforce and agents will benefit from this positive working environment.\u00a0 Furthermore, contact centers will be more resilient with this robust, flexible working model in times of emergency \u2013 reducing risk and exposure and being well positioned to provide uninterrupted support to customers.\u00a0 A blended workforce in the contact center provides the flexibility to be successful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In March 2020, we closed the doors of our Poly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":4330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[509,524,548,517],"tags":[3,1461,200,131,1590,145,1712,238,43,1557,122,232,126,215,127],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Now we are looking at the next phase and planning for people to return to the office.\u00a0 This has given me the opportunity to consider what we\u2019ve learned from this experience and what our business model should be moving forward.\u00a0 It\u2019s provided me the chance to stop, think, and talk to the team about how we can best operate and provide the best service to our customers.<\/p>\n
My goal is to orientate our staff to the most efficient working configuration based on workforce needs.\u00a0 For the business, introducing a hybrid working<\/strong> model provides the opportunity of expanding talent acquisition with a more dispersed workforce. This creates opportunities for people who hadn\u2019t previously considered working in a contact center due to physical restrictions. \u00a0Additionally, we\u2019re able to increase our number of agents with native language skills and improve our customer service.<\/p>\n So, what is <\/em>next?\u00a0 The way I see it, virtual training is key. \u00a0The on-boarding of new agents, readapting our existing agents to a hybrid working model, as well as creating and sustaining remote teams are all ongoing requirements. \u00a0To do this, managers will need to hone skills focused on objective outcomes. These will support the model and opportunities for existing personnel to virtually mentor and further develop both themselves and others.\u00a0 The key thing to remember is that physical distance no longer matters, and as new HR and company policies are developed to support such a model, contact centers will flourish.\u00a0 And at Poly, we have the proven technology and systems, people process, and technology in place for this to be a reality.<\/p>\n All of this is achievable with the use of video \u2013 and, not simply as means of sustaining the business, but as a medium for enhancing it. There is greater accessibility to people through video than physically.\u00a0 I can meet with all of my teams in one day, everyday while the flow of business continues.<\/p>\n This is just the beginning of a new way of working, and not only in contact centers.\u00a0 For now, video is our great enabler. \u00a0And, once we are back in the office, people will have become more comfortable with video calls and see the great convenience they afford. \u00a0I see this bleeding into all areas of interaction and video will be the key for our customer interactions in the future.\u00a0 In Poly contact centers, we use video conferencing internally all the time \u00ad\u2013 it\u2019s second nature to us.\u00a0 Over the last few months we\u2019ve had more video interactions directly with customers helping them resolve technical issues and showing them how to set up their equipment. In fact, I\u2019m proud to report that our Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) has improved during the lockdown period.<\/p>\n I believe that flexibility will be central to the success for contact centers moving forward with blended working being the working model of choice.\u00a0 Companies that offer this will benefit from a more diverse and widespread workforce and agents will benefit from this positive working environment.\u00a0 Furthermore, contact centers will be more resilient with this robust, flexible working model in times of emergency \u2013 reducing risk and exposure and being well positioned to provide uninterrupted support to customers.\u00a0 A blended workforce in the contact center provides the flexibility to be successful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In March 2020, we closed the doors of our Poly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":4330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[509,524,548,517],"tags":[3,1461,200,131,1590,145,1712,238,43,1557,122,232,126,215,127],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}VIDEO\u2019S ESSENTIAL ROLE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n