The way we work is constantly evolving. Whether it’s the technology companies use to outpace the competition or new practices for inspiring employee loyalty, there’s always something new that a business can focus on to take the next step in its growth. Virtual call centers are one example of technology that could have an outsized impact on the future of work. This article will cover the ins and outs of virtual call centers and why they matter while also highlighting some of the other pieces of technology that could change how we work in the future.

What is virtual call center?

Let’s start with the basics. A virtual call center is a cloud-based customer support team that answers customers’ questions over the telephone. Virtual call centers can exist within external offices in other countries, or they can be entirely remote, existing as a group of work-from-home customer service representatives.

The key concept is that instead of having an office space that’s full of customer service agents answering phones, those workers exist outside of your business address – either through a remote outsourcing company or teams that are entirely remote.

The pros and cons of virtual call centers

Now that we know a bit about what virtual call centers are, let’s take a closer look at why companies are using them more and more. In this section, we’ll highlight some of the main advantages that virtual call centers have over traditional customer service teams without neglecting a few potential negatives as well.

Pro: Save money

First, virtual call centers can help you save money as a business owner. They offer several distinct ways to save over traditional call centers.

First, virtual teams can exist anywhere. You can partner with an outsourcing company in The Caribbean, The Philippines, or anywhere else on the planet. This is advantageous because it allows you to take advantage of workforces with lower prices.

For example, instead of paying a fair wage to U.S. workers, you could pay a fair wage to workers in The Philippines, who may be comfortable taking a lower rate. This cost-saving tactic alone could save you tens of thousands of dollars annually when it’s applied across your entire call center team.

Virtual call centers also save you money by reducing the amount of equipment and office space you need to purchase. When your call team is virtual, you don’t need to worry about renting space in your office building for them. And if you partner with a remote team, they will typically already have all of the phones, computers, and other basic technology necessary to provide great service to your customers.

The net result is that when you choose a virtual call center over a traditional one, you can save money on labor costs, rent, and equipment. That can add up to massive savings – especially if you have a large customer service team.

Pro: Improved flexibility

Virtual call centers also bring much greater flexibility to your company – especially if you decide to go through an outsourcing partner instead of hiring employees directly for your team.

When you use an outsourced virtual call center, you can scale up or down the number of people you have answering phones very quickly. There are no long-term employment contracts to consider when you need to contract and very little friction stands in your way when you wish to expand.

This can be invaluable if you run a seasonal business, as it may allow you to cut costs further when times are slow without putting your peak business seasons at risk. It also gives you more optionality with moving office spaces when it makes sense to do so.

Pro: Hire from a wider pool of candidates

Another major benefit of virtual call centers is that they allow you to hire from a much broader pool of candidates. This is true regardless of whether you decide to go through an outsourcing partner or not.

The reason is that cloud-based technology enables your employees to provide customer support no matter where they are. This gives you the freedom to find the best (or lowest-cost) team members possible, regardless of your current office’s geographic limitations.

Con: Less hands-on control

One of the potential downsides of using a virtual call center is the loss of control you may experience. When you don’t have the team in-house, it becomes more difficult to manage individual employees on a daily basis. This can make it more challenging to help lackluster performers improve.

However, even outsourced virtual call centers still give you total control over overarching strategic decisions. And you’ll be able to suggest changes whenever you want. You just won’t be there on a daily basis to implement those changes, which is why, if you’re going to choose an outsourcing partner, it will be important to find one that meets your exact needs.

Con: Security difficulties

Another thing to keep in mind with virtual call centers is the potential for security challenges. If your customer service agents have to ask your company’s confidential systems and records, you want to make sure they aren’t inadvertently putting those systems and records at risk.

That’s why, if you’re going to develop a virtual call center, security should be at the top of your mind throughout the process. Otherwise, a single breach could end up erasing the majority of your savings from swapping to a virtual call center format.

How virtual call centers may impact the future of work

So that covers the main positive and negative factors you should keep in mind when deciding on a virtual call center. Now let’s take a closer look at how these could influence the future of work.

Reduce office space requirements

Virtual call centers are a major part of the work-from-home revolution. Technology has made it possible to deliver quality service without being in the same place. This means that future companies may have dramatically reduced office space requirements as compared to current-day businesses.

Change how we live and work

Virtual call centers and other work-from-home options are already having a significant influence on how we live and work. People are able to live anywhere they want while still working for major companies. That could have profound impacts on population demographics in the future.

Necessary to keep up with the competition?

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that we may reach a point in the future at which you almost need a virtual call center to keep up with the competition. These can save you such a significant sum of money that your expenses may begin to outpace the competition if you fail to adapt.

Other technologies that could impact the future of work

Virtual call centers have the potential to seriously change how we work in the future. But they’re by no means the only technology with the potential to do that. Here are a few more worth keeping an eye on.

AI

Artificial intelligence is the most-talked about innovation in the last several years. It has the potential to radically alter practically every job and could result in profound changes to the way we organize our economies.

Online collaboration platforms

Online collaboration platforms are also having a major impact on the future of work. Platforms like Slack, Monday.com, and Asana are making it easier for remote teams to collaborate. This, in turn, makes working from home easier and more common, just like virtual call centers do.

Advanced analytics

We’re also seeing significant advancements in analytics. Many of these are powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence. As these tools become better at evaluating the past and predicting the future, companies that use them well could start to significantly outpace their competitors.

Should your business start thinking about a virtual call center?

Is your company interested in the cost-saving and flexibility-enhancing benefits of virtual call centers? If so, now could be the perfect time to start building for the new future of work.

The Cattalyst is here to help you do it. We’re outsourcing experts who can help you figure out whether a virtual call center is right for you and then match you with several providers to help you find the ideal fit.

Whether this is your first time thinking about virtual call centers or you’re ready to take the leap, we can provide you with expert-level analysis and guidance to ensure you get as much value out of your new call center as possible.

So why wait? You can take the first step by reaching out to us for a free consultation today. We hope to hear from you soon!