Lets take every characteristic of b2b lead generation services and do a side by side comparison between a call center and home based agents:
Technical
In terms of technology, call centers are able to create internet and power redundancy to prevent down time. In medium to large size call centers there is onsite IT personal to assist with timely resolution of all issues. Considering economies of scale, call centers can also purchase better software and have onsite hardware replacement to create efficiency.
Meanwhile, Home based agents will go experience down time for any of the above mentioned issues. As for Idea2Result services, clients are not responsible for payment for any hours agents have experienced down time. Technical issues are inevitable such as internet, power and desktop failures but expect only five to fifteen percent total in campaign time. Most outbound campaigns can accommodate down time, since there is no reliance on the agent. For inbound campaigns, we are able to create back up network between agents to ensure every call is answered.
Note: Continued improvements in technology are certainly shrinking the gap between call centers and telemarketing service. With hosted dialers, Voice Over IP (VoIP) calling and great improvements in hardware and software of personal computers, home based agents are narrowing the gap in technology.
Management
Call centers are clear and distinct organization with training and onsite management. With medium to large size call centers, there are layers of management from team lead to quality managers and of course relationship managers. The benefit of such structure is the ability to deliver consistent service across numbers of clients and large campaigns.
Home based agents in a telemarketing service offer a direct resource to the client. Motivation and communication happens directly and offers unprecedented flexibility. Home based model is not for inexperienced, in fact, 3 years is the absolute minimum mark. Idea2Result seeks agents with 5-8 years experience, trained and tested by US Fortune 500 call centers. Ownership of the work, direct accountability to the client are huge benefits of the home based environment.
Note: Call center management creates value but also demands additional costs. When working with agent directly, clients are able to pay more to have elite agents fully motivated to stay with the campaign long-term.
Clearly for a large airline or a major corporate to switch to home based agent model would be an undertaking. However, with 10 agent campaigns or less, clients are now able to receive most bang for the buck and build direct relationships with agents, KEY TO SUCCESS!
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