Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

John Joseph of Envox Worldwide offers suggestions on how to train virtual call center agents, who work at home:

If you go virtual, your organization must make a corporate commitment to modify hiring and training practices accordingly. At-home agents require additional skills.

First, the agents have to have the knowledge and mindset to work independently.  Tools such as instant messaging can allow agents to confer with their colleagues, but at-home agents must be able to get by with less interaction with other agents. 

Next, they must have the ability to be mentally “at work” and focus on work despite the distractions of being physically at-home. 

Finally, they have to have the technical know-how to address any minor technical problems that occur because there won’t be an IT person within arm’s reach. 

Ongoing training is required – Organizations and remote employees have to dedicate more time to training to ensure that the employees can truly represent the corporate goals, vision, and culture. Ongoing training will ensure that the agent feels part of the team and that they perform according to corporate guidelines.