{"id":4542,"date":"2020-10-22T09:57:20","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T16:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=4542"},"modified":"2020-10-22T09:57:20","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T16:57:20","slug":"the-future-of-customer-service-hybrid-workforce-or-hybrid-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/the-future-of-customer-service-hybrid-workforce-or-hybrid-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Customer Service \u2013 Hybrid Workforce or Hybrid Employees?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When looking at the customer service sector, if anything can be near certain during these unpredictable times \u2013 it\u2019s that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/is-your-business-ready-for-hybrid-working\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hybrid working<\/a><\/span> is the future for the call center. As a matter of fact, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.frost.com\/growth-opportunities-in-the-professional-headset-market.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frost &amp; Sullivan<\/a><\/span> predicts that 20% of the call center workforce will working from home in the near future. That\u2019s a bold statement for an industry where only 2% of employees were working outside the office prior to COVID-19. However, the regulations introduced by governments globally are having a long-lasting impact and organizations that viewed home working as a temporary issue, now need to move to a more permanent hybrid working approach to ensure the safety of their employees.<\/p>\n<h3>TWO APPROACHES TO CONSIDER<\/h3>\n<p>Many call center employees want to work from home at least some of the time, with a majority of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/kforsyth_callcentre-contactcentre-industryofchoice-activity-6696818543033360384-h7et\">53% reporting that they want a blend of home and office<\/a><\/span> or \u2018hybrid working\u2019. Meanwhile, the majority of businesses will need to ensure they reduce the number of people in the office to maintain social distancing \u2013 this can be resolved by having a hybrid workforce. Which begs the question, what is the best approach to take to achieve having a healthy and happy workforce while also abiding by local regulations. There are two approached to consider \u2013 a hybrid workforce and hybrid employees.<\/p>\n<h4>A HYBRID WORKFORCE<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How it works \u2013 <\/strong>split employees into teams, with one team dedicated to home working, the other dedicated working in the office.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advantages \u2013<\/strong> teams know their location and can make long-term plans and you can provide dedicated solutions for each team\u2019s needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disadvantage \u2013<\/strong> limited flexibility if an employee\u2019s situation or local regulations change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>HYBRID EMPLOYEES<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How it works \u2013<\/strong> customer service reps can choose where they work best \u2013in general or on certain days of the week. They then split their time working in the office and at home.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advantages \u2013 <\/strong>this is employees\u2019 favorite solution \u2013 blending time learning in the office with time at home.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disadvantage \u2013<\/strong> requires a booking or planning system to ensure the number of employees in the workplace at once is not too high.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>WHAT MODEL IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMS?<\/h3>\n<p>After visiting many call centers, it becomes obvious that customer service teams are generally a young workforce, with many of them in their first role on the career ladder. Therefore, we can\u2019t assume they have a dedicated room or space to work from home. Our partners at <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/j4kul1vgvnqfzak62jhqi1e4-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/L085-Leesman-Impact-Code-26.08.20-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leesman<\/a><\/span> surveyed home workers globally and found that approximately 30% of them are not working from a suitable space. As this survey covers entire organizations, it is likely that the proportion of call center employees without a suitable space to work is higher. With their roles being customer facing, it\u2019s especially important that these agents present and maintain a professional image for the company.<\/p>\n<h4>SOME MORE CONSIDERATIONS<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Personality types \u2013<\/strong> sending home employees who are outgoing is going to be challenging for them. They need to be in the office for social interactions with people.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ergonomics \u2013<\/strong> employees must have a space or room to work. This ensures an optimum ergonomic setup and gives them the ability to hide it all away at the end of the day. Working on the kitchen table isn\u2019t a long-term solution!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology \u2013<\/strong> High quality broadband internet is essential. At a push, employees can use mobile devices, but a fully featured softphone will give a better experience. Employees also need to be comfortable with getting technology working themselves as IT support won\u2019t extend to home callouts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Management \u2013<\/strong> Ensure your supervisors are comfortable with remote analysis, coaching, and management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>WHAT DO YOU NEED?<\/h3>\n<p>So, what changes to your audio and video devices do you need to make to ensure hybrid working is a success? And, how do you do this against a backdrop of cost control? As the work environment and technology platform is likely to be uncertain for some time, you need a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/us\/en\/products\/headsets\/call-center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">headset<\/a><\/span> that will work across all the different \u2018phones\u2019 that your employees use. Your existing <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/gb\/en\/products\/headsets\/encorepro\/encorepro-500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poly headset<\/a><\/span> with a Quick Disconnect (QD) is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/why-qd-headsets-are-best-for-a-hybrid-call-center-workforce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the right solution here<\/a><\/span> \u2013 the QD gives you unlimited compatibility to work with any technology platform.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"wp-image-4515 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19.jpg\" alt=\"MDA500 QD Series\" width=\"249\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19-200x192.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19-300x288.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19-400x383.jpg 400w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19-600x575.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19-768x736.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19-800x767.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MDA500_QD_Series_Cords_screen_rgb_22jan19.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 249px) 100vw, 249px\" \/>If your employees are in the office, there\u2019s no urgent need to make changes for hybrid working. If you are still using legacy desk phones, now may be the time to start investigating in cloud options. An audio processor such as the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/gb\/en\/products\/headsets\/audio-processors\/mda\/mda500-qd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MDA524<\/a><\/span> gives you the option to connect to both desk phones and PCs \u2013 future proofing your current headsets for any technology path.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"wp-image-4543 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1.png\" alt=\"Poly DA80\" width=\"209\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1-200x117.png 200w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1-400x234.png 400w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1-600x351.png 600w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1-768x449.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Picture1.png 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If your employees are at home, they are probably using a cloud connected softphone, or even a mobile device if broadband quality isn\u2019t high. Again, your existing Poly headsets with a QD will work here. Using the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/us\/en\/products\/headsets\/da\/da-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DA80<\/a><\/span> to connect to the PC for softphone work, or a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/gb\/en\/products\/headsets\/accessories\/quick-disconnect-cable-to-35mm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">short cable<\/a><\/span> when using a mobile phone.<\/p>\n<h4>DEVICE MANAGEMENT<\/h4>\n<p>Regardless of where your teams are, they need to sound professional. To ensure they are using only approved devices, and that these devices are kept up to date, use <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/us\/en\/products\/services\/cloud\/plantronics-manager-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Plantronics ManagerPro<\/a><\/span> to fully understand the devices on your network. In addition, if your supervisors can\u2019t see their staff, Plantronics ManagerPro gives them insight into employees that will enable them to make targeted interventions if employees performance drops and impacts customer experience.<\/p>\n<h4>KEEP EVERYONE CONNECTED<\/h4>\n<p>Finally, you\u2019ll always need video to keep your team together. The social element of working is important to many call center employees, so if they can\u2019t be together in person, seeing each other on video is the next best thing \u2013 ready for bring your dog to work day?<\/p>\n<h3>CONCLUSION<\/h3>\n<p>Regardless of which approach to hybrid working you take, the way in which we look at call center home working needs to change. Home working isn\u2019t just for managers, nor for the most productive employees, and it shouldn\u2019t be given as a reward. Look at each employee\u2019s situation individually to decide the best location for them to work and <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/why-qd-headsets-are-best-for-a-hybrid-call-center-workforce\">set them up<\/a> for success accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about Poly solutions for the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poly.com\/us\/en\/solutions\/workspace\/customer-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Call Center<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When looking at the customer service sector, if anything can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":4548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[509,546,1724,548],"tags":[1494,200,486,539,1816,8,1753,346,238,1830,1380,1831,1832,122,126,215],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4542"}],"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\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}