When the washing machine throws a hissy fit or the Tinterweb goes to sleep we expect to be able to lift the phone and have someone sort it out. Pronto.
This is the world of 24/7 – the ‘always on’ culture of instant connectivity and solutions on tap.
Want to talk to someone about your overdraft? It wasn’t so long ago that the banks closed their doors at 3pm. Now 3am is as good a time as any to have a chat.
To cater for the needs of shift workers, night owls and early birds, call centres have abandoned the 9-to-5 and stay open around the clock.
Sorting out staffing schedules to keep the phone lines constantly open can take some juggling but increasingly companies are trialing ‘flexible’ solutions that help them deal with fluctuating call levels and that also make for happier staff.
Some call centres have also switched to a system of ‘annualised hours’, which makes it much easier for Sales and Service Advisers to take annual leave or even just get an hour off to visit the dentist. Others have ditched overtime in favour of ‘banked hours’, which can be taken back for odd appointments or when someone needs to get out the office early.
Homeworking is another alternative and some companies have recorded a 20% improvement in staff performance and a 30% improvement in call handling when they allow staff to work from home.
If you break down on the motorway, then your call for help could be answered by one of the AA’s 250 home-based call handling staff. The AA was one of the pioneers of home working, piloting a virtual call centre as early as 1997.
Today it is just one of the flexible work options offered by the AA and the organisation predicts that the numbers of home workers is set to increase.
Part-time hours are also available in many call centres and these have proved essential in helping to retain good employees who have to juggle their working life with other commitments.
Since 2014, all employees who have worked for a company for 26 weeks or more have a right to request a flexible working arrangement. Employers can refuse the request for a number of legitimate reasons, but they must state why and the most enlightened companies have already recognised that offering flexible hours is a great way of holding on to talent.
Aberdeen City Council, for instance, has introduced a new Worksmart initiative that allows staff to choose between fixed, flexible, mobile and home working. Flexi-time, compressed hours, self-rostering, shift swapping and even term-time working are all part of the package.
The results have been increased productivity and increased employee satisfaction – and of course greater customer satisfaction.
Being flexible, it seems, doesn’t only benefit gymnasts: it’s also good news for everyone working in Call and Contact Centres.
Check out the call and contact centre vacancies on offer at s1jobs.com