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[V116]Virtual Call Center Jobs

by Warren Wong, War

The face of call centers is changing and as a result many call center owners are changing as well. Today the call center industry is moving towards a more advanced look and more and more people are beginning to start what is called a virtual call center. These call centers work in the same way as normal call centers, calls and made and received at the call center and handled by the employees that have been hired. The number and types of virtual call center jobs are the same as they always were. However the employees are now just able to work at a faster rate and the calls are handled more efficiently and effectively.

There are a number of advantages to having a virtual call center over the more traditional type of call center. The biggest advantage is that of reduced costs. This is something that business owners are always looking to do without sacrificing the employees and other sectors of the company, and with a virtual call center they don't have to make any sacrifices. The biggest cut in costs comes when the system is installed and up because the operating costs of the coordination and administration associated with the day to day running of the business is eliminated or is made more effective.

The efficiency of the business is greatly increased through the use of a virtual call center. Research has indicated that people employed by virtual call centers work more efficiently because they have less worries on their mind. They are now able to work from home and not have to worry about travelling to and from work. They are able to start work on time and sometimes they can begin ahead of time. It has also been found that these people have reported less job stress. They can work efficiently because they can focus on the task at hand rather than worry about other things that are happening around the office. In addition to having happy employees, virtual call centers can increase efficiency now because they are able to stagger employees throughout the various time zones so that there are people virtually working around the world.

Clients and customers hate the dreaded call from a call center agent that is pushy and very impolite. However, they would be willing to talk to customer service agents who are friendly and polite. Virtual call centers allow employers to hire the best of best in the area of call center agents. This means that highly trained professionals that are willing and able to meet the needs of their customers. For example, virtual call centers let employers hire people who are specialized in working in particular areas, people are then more familiar with their clientele.

Finally, virtual call centers allow business to effectively maximize emergency preparedness. Traditionally call centers have all customer service agents in the one place which means that when something goes wrong everything is located in the same place and it can cause more problems. However, if agents are spread out then if something goes wrong in one location then there agents in other areas that can handle the problem and the company does not need to be shut down and business continues to run normally. Agents are geographically dispersed so that if agents are unable to work in a particular area then other can make up for this.

In an effort to save money on overhead costs, but still maintain quality customer service, many companies are hiring virtual customer service agents. These agents may work directly for the company or they may work for companies that specialize in providing other companies with trained customer service representatives. If you're interested in working from home, companies like Alpine Access, LiveOps, and Convergys are just some of the growing number of customer service companies that are hiring.

Alpine Access

Alpine Access helps organizations that are in need of customer service representatives. If you have a college degree and customer service experience, you may want to apply for a virtual position with this company. Because they receive up to 1,000 applications each week, make sure you send a professional resume that highlights your customer service experience. On average, the company hires 2% of those who apply for work-from-home positions.

If you don't have customer service experience, but have worked in business administration or data entry, you should still apply. In addition to completing a competency test, you will also have to complete a voice audition and a phone interview. Starting salary is $9.00 with plenty of room for advancement. Typical shifts are Monday through Friday from 6am-6pm with weekend shifts available as well. Most employees work between 20-30 hours a week.

Paid training is available. Depending on your level of customer service experience and the types of equipment you will have to use in order to complete job tasks, training can last a few days or a few weeks.

LiveOps

For those who have experience in telemarketing or customer service, LiveOps is a great company to work for. LiveOps caters to companies who sell goods and services over the phone or online and who need agents to take orders, call customers, and answer questions and complaints. In order to qualify for a position, you must pass a criminal background check and a series of tests designed to determine your customer service abilities.

One of the best perks about this company is that you can set your own hours. While you have to commit to a set number of half hour shifts, you can choose to complete them at your leisure. Typical salary range is $7-$20.00 per hour. Agents may receive incentives such as bonuses from contracted companies for convincing customers to buy more or upgrade while placing an order.

If you enjoy setting your own hours, competing for bonuses, and working for a company that has about 16,000 work-from-home agents, LiveOps may be for you.

Convergys

Convergys is another company that hires work-from-home customer service agents to handle a variety of tasks that include billing, customer service, employee care, and management consulting. If hired, you will have to work a dedicated schedule that includes paid training that can take up to 80 hours. Training is completed online or via email or phone.

This company pays about $7.25 and agents are paid about .20 per minute. All the three companies mentioned, this one pays the lowest.

As you can see, virtual call center jobs are becoming more popular as companies try to find ways to save money in overhead costs. Instead of paying rent for office space, heating and cooling costs, and equipment costs, they are turning to virtual employees to maintain quality customer service from the comfort of home.

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Both Warren Wong & Melissa Brewer are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Warren Wong has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pregnancy Problems, Pregnancy Week by Week and Pregnancy Problems. For more information on and. Warren Wong's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.

Melissa Brewer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Advertising Guide, Telemarketing and Work From Home. Melissa Brewer is the author of the Little White Ebook of Homeshoring Jobs, available at. She has worked as a freelance writer for the past 9 years a. Melissa Brewer's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.