SEARCHCRM.COM
This Week
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A newsletter from TechTarget
May 21, 2007
IN THIS ISSUE:
> From the Editor: Remote agents no longer an experiment
> Ask the Experts: Peppers and Rogers -- on the screen or on the go
> Learning Center: Remote call center agents quiz
> More from SearchCRM.com: Learn about QoS, Oracle CRM and CRM
failure
FROM THE EDITOR
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Remote agents no longer an experiment
[by Christine Cignoli]
ccignoli@techtarget.com
If you're reading this in your bathrobe, you may be one of a growing
group of workers who spends at least part of their work week logged
in from home. Anyone who has worked from home knows that it can be a
more relaxed and productive way to get everything checked off the
ubiquitous to-do list. Technology advances now let employees work at
home as easily as working at the office. Telecommuting -- whether
it's working from home full-time or just a few hours a month -- is
becoming common in many industries.
The Los Angeles Times reported last May on a U.S. Chamber of Commerce
report, which found that one in six U.S. employees worked at home at
least once a month. 70% of those telecommuters were employed by a
company, while the other 30% were self-employed. The Chamber of
Commerce's report cited data from the Economic Policy Foundation.
Call centers have caught on to the telecommuting trend too, with
virtual private networks (VPNs) and Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) offering new ways for call centers to stay connected from many
locations. Remote call center agents are no longer just an
experiment.
But, those of us who have worked at home know that there are
pitfalls, too. Communication with co-workers and managers can be
tricky, especially during training periods or when there is an urgent
question. Network security risks increase when employees are
accessing their company's network remotely. In Donna Fluss's latest
column for SearchCRM.com, she offers 14 best practices for managing
remote agents, so you can be aware of potential challenges to
consider.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459635/6276287
Whether you're considering using remote call center agents or already
have expanded your call center's geographical boundaries, the key is
flexibility. Remember that remote agents don't have to be full-time
employees. Not every shift has to be staffed with only on-site agents
or only remote agents. You might choose to hire remote agents to
supplement your physical call center around holidays, or staff your
busiest periods during the week with extra, off-site call center
agents.
For the right agents, working at home can increase job satisfaction.
And a happy agent equals a happy customer.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459636/6276287
Take our brand-new quiz on managing remote agents to find out how
much you know about this call center trend.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459637/6276287
Our top remote call center agent buzzwords will get you up to date on
common terms.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459638/6276287
Also, we recently revamped our popular Call Center Manager Learning
Guide, which still provides comprehensive call center management
advice but is now easier to navigate with more detailed tips and
information.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459639/6276287
Let us know if using remote call center agents has helped your
business, or if you've come up against challenges you didn't expect.
Have a good week,
Christine
ccignoli@techtarget.com
Assistant Editor
ASK THE EXPERT
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Creating Customer Value: A series with Peppers and Rogers
SearchCRM.com welcomes industry leaders Don Peppers and Martha Rogers
to our expert panel. Peppers and Rogers have gained CRM fame with
years of market analysis and consulting as well as their authorship
of several books. Browse these two categories for their expert
advice:
Customer equity: long-term and short-term
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459640/6276287
Building trust with customer strategy
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459641/6276287
Ask Peppers and Rogers a question
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459642/6276287
If you're on the go, listen to Peppers and Rogers's expert advice
instead in this first podcast in the Creating Customer Value audio
series.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459643/6276287
LEARNING CENTER
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Remote call center agent management quiz
Utilizing remote call center agents makes it possible for call
centers to attract high-performing agents from a wider geographical
range and allows staffing flexibility. At the same time, remote call
center agent management comes with its own set of challenges and best
practices. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about
managing remote call center agents.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459644/6276287
SITE HIGHLIGHTS
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CRM Failure: A review of problems and horror stories
Read this chapter download from "CRM Unplugged: Releasing CRM's
Strategic Value," for eye-opening accounts on CRM failure and to find
out what happens when CRM initiatives go awry.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459645/6276287
FEATURED WHITE PAPERS
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Forrester Consulting: The Total Economic Impact of Pivotal's
MarketFirst Solution
Published by: CDC Software
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459646/6276287
Predict Return on Your Natural and Paid Search Marketing Campaigns: A
Calculator for ROI Measurement
Published by: Oneup Web
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459647/6276287
Sales Performance Optimization -- 2007 Survey Results and Analysis
Published by: OneSource Information Services
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459648/6276287
Driving Profitable Sales Growth -- Keys to Sales Effectiveness
Published by: Varicent Software
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459649/6276287
View All White Papers at:
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459650/6276287
MORE FROM SEARCHCRM.COM
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WORD OF THE WEEK: QoS
As technology improves, more businesses may consider using remote
call center agents to staff their call centers. Browse these
buzzwords to get more acquainted with the lingo associated with
remote agents. This week, learn about Quality of Service (QoS) and
why it matters for your call center.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459651/6276287
Browse all top ten buzzwords
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459652/6276287
LEARNING GUIDE: Customer Loyalty
One of the most difficult things about running a business is keeping
your customers happy and loyal. Today, companies must have a careful
mix of loyalty programs, dynamic employees and a sense of service to
succeed in luring customers away from competitors -- and keeping them
year after year. Use this newly updated learning guide to jump-start
a loyalty campaign at your organization or make your current programs
more effective.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459653/6276287
ALL-IN-ONE GUIDE: Oracle CRM
This All-in-One Guide is a collection of resources on all things
related to Oracle, Siebel and PeopleSoft CRM. Whether you're new to
Oracle CRM or a seasoned user, you'll find the latest Oracle CRM
news, tips on evaluating and implementing the technology and Siebel
and PeopleSoft advice.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459654/6276287
SPECIAL REPORT: CRM implementation
CRM implementation is the result of months, or sometimes years, of
decision making. Software as a Service (SaaS), on-demand and open
source options have broadened CRM software options, and a maturing
market makes for smoother implementations. We've collected the most
popular news stories related to CRM implementation to provide a quick
overview.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459655/6276287
FACE-OFF: Siebel CRM software vs. Microsoft CRM software for the
midmarket
Is Siebel's reputation as a CRM leader enough to win over SMBs? Or do
SMBs want CRM software from a vendor that specifically caters to the
small business and midmarket sector, like Microsoft? Two
SearchCRM.com editors duked it out over this hot topic.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459656/6276287
REPORT: 2007 Speech Analytics Market Report
SearchCRM.com has partnered with DMG Consulting LLC, the leading
expert in the emerging contact center speech analytics market, to
bring you the 2007 Speech Analytics Market Report at a special
discounted price. The 2007 Speech Analytics Market Report is the
definitive guide to this emerging market. This year's report, the
second annual edition, provides detailed information about the
market, vendors, competitive landscape, technology, products,
functionality, accuracy, return on investment (ROI), market share,
pricing and implementation best practices.
http://go.techtarget.com/r/1459657/6276287
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CONTACT US:
Sales
For sales inquiries, please contact us at:
mailto:mbolduc@techtarget.com
Editorial
For feedback about any of our articles or to send us your article
ideas, please contact us at:
mailto:kglance@techtarget.com
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