What Do You Really Need to Launch a Call Center?

Are you looking to launch a call center in the new year? If so, you are in the same position as many business owners. Creating a contact center can be an appealing business move since it has the potential to majorly impact your company’s growth.

However, satisfying more customers and closing more sales comes with a price. Whether that means training a whole new staff or procuring an entirely new array of equipment, there are so many reasons to remain prudent when you’re planning to launch a call center.

What do you actually need to get your new center off the ground? Is the latest technology really necessary? How much experience should your staff have - and how should you bring new team members up to speed? Let’s examine the most important elements in launching a new call center or expanding your business further in the new year. You may just learn that you’re better prepared than you ever imagined!

Understanding the Role of Your Layout

When you’re planning to launch a call center, one of the most important and first things to consider is your layout. Knowing where things will be in your center can help you determine what you will need and what you will and won’t have room for.

What are some important components in planning your call center layout? These tips will help you make the best possible blueprint:

1. Do you have plans for adequate lighting? Is there already proper lighting in your new center’s facility, or will you need to supplement it? With such detail-oriented work, your agents need lighting that keeps things in focus without being distracting or too hard on the eyes. This is a detail that is often overlooked during planning.
2. Where are the vents and other HVAC elements in your new location? This not only determines where employees are most likely to be comfortable sitting, but it also lets you know where it is and isn’t safe to set up larger or more delicate technology.
3. Furniture should strike a balance between functional and comfortable. You don’t want agents falling asleep on the job, but you also don’t want them to fall victim to the headaches, sore necks, and backaches that are common in office settings. Invest in ergonomic furnishings that encourage productivity and collaboration where applicable.
4. Consider noise-canceling technology if your call center is very large, very busy, or your layout will be very open in concept. If you want to avoid investing in this technology when you launch a call center, consider rethinking your layout to minimize noise and distraction.
5. Place employees in a way that allows both privacy and communication when either is needed.
6. Don’t forget your break room! Contact centers are a stressful environment; your agents will thank you for a clean, comfortable room that is a pleasure to visit.

Necessities to Launch a Call Center

Now that you understand how to make a solid plan for your center, what materials do you actually need? There are plenty of non-necessities that you will encounter on your quest to purchase what you need. Here are some tried-and-true tools that will help your new center succeed:

• A stable local area network - or LAN - is important to keeping communications coming in steadily. Ensure that your provider has what you need to support the number of calls you are expecting - plus more!
• Call distribution and management are also important in making the flow of incoming calls something that your employees can handle. These days, most successful centers use automatic call distribution technology to keep calls moving through the center and manage them effectively. Look into an inbound call management solution and automatic call distribution for your new location.
• On the other hand, if you are operating an outbound center, you will need a dialing solution. Automated dialers often get a bad name because of a misunderstanding of the laws regarding how centers can and cannot contact consumers. However, they aren’t just legal - they are the most practical way to streamline your agents’ daily operations and help them to make better use of their time. Look for a solution that is capable of making the number of calls your center will require.
• Consider disposable headphones or earpiece covers as a way to improve hygiene conditions. Being in such close proximity to others can amplify the spread of illness, so help keep your employees healthy - and coming to work- with everything you offer, including their technology!

In addition to these more tangible items, it is important to focus on software to make sure that your center is up and operational as quickly as possible.

Artificial intelligence applications such as interactive/intelligent voice response technology offer your agents a break from handling smaller tasks. They also offer more self-service options to callers, which is an important part of being successful as a call center in the modern day. While it is possible to run a contact center without AI applications, it isn’t advisable in the modern market.

A call recording solution is another important factor in success. Your agents need to be monitored for a variety of reasons. These include keeping them accountable for the work that they do, offering them constructive criticism when necessary, and giving them feedback for improvement. Many call monitoring solutions also offer features such as call barging and whisper coaching, which allow management team members to help less experienced agents to improve their performance on the spot.

When you’re ready to launch a call center, begin by talking to the experts in call center software and solutions at ChaseData. We have what you need to get your center off the ground and functioning at the level of excellence you’re hoping for faster. Give us a call today to learn more!