What will work look like post-pandemic?

After nearly a year of “lock-down” and with vaccines arriving, companies are starting to consider what a return to the office will look like. Or, in many cases, if it will happen at all. What will work look like post-pandemic?   

Salesforce recently announced that they will be giving their employees three options for their work. One includes the “flex” option that up to 72% of employees in a Fall 2020 JLL survey prefer. Salesforce and many other companies are also exploring flexible scheduling with employees working the hours that work for them. 

While 2020’s shift to remote work was mostly a haphazard affair; the shift back to the office should be a gradual process. Companies assess what their needs for space are and how to manage to bring people back to the office safely.  No matter if your company is going back to the office or if they are embracing the “work from anywhere” now is an excellent time to reassess your company’s communication needs.  

Building a flexible call center.

Taking calls from anywhere is critical, especially with work post-pandemic.  Cloud-based contact center solutions such as Amazon Connect offer highly customizable omnichannel solutions that scale for businesses of any size. Employees no longer need a desktop phone. A computer, an internet connection, and a headset are all they need to be taking calls from anywhere. Additionally, your employees can also handle chat messages from your website through the same tool.  This means that if your employees are working from home, in the office, or both they can be taking calls on the same number and responding to chats seamlessly. 

AnswerConnect and Amazon Connect.

We have been using Amazon Connect for over three years.  The call quality and reliability are equal to or even better than landlines or an in-office VoIP solution.   In our experience, your employees will need a noise-canceling headset and an adequate internet connection.  We have found that the typical home internet connection is sufficient.  If you can stream video, you can take crystal clear calls through Amazon Connect.

Connect is designed to be easy to use.  Designing call flows, including IVR options, is done through a graphic interface. The reporting tools are good and constantly improving. The browser-based dialer is easy to use or Connect integrates with other software such as Salesforce.  Amazon provides a 15-minute tutorial to get you up and running with a basic call set-up.

Extend your call center with a live answering service.

The one thing even the best phone system can’t do is provide a human touch.  While IVRs have greatly improved over the past few years, studies show that people generally still prefer to speak to a live agent.  With flexible work schedules becoming more normal, the need for contract live answering is growing. Even in the office, there are times where distractions make it hard to take a phone call.  And at home, there are these same issues plus the occasional barking dog, lawnmower, or doorbell.  There are times where employees are not in a great position to take calls during normal business hours, now and in work post-pandemic  Instead of relying on an IVR or voicemail, you can engage our live answering service to assist you.

Our agents become a seamless part of your call handling solution.  You can create call flows within your virtual contact center. This allows you to forward calls to our live agents after a given amount of time. 

We are happy to help you set up your remote call center and serve as your backup when your own employees are unable to take your calls. Give us a call today at 800-700-8888.