By Michelle Tredway, Operations Manager
When I first started working in the telemarketing services industry, I got up every morning, drove 20 miles to an office, and made $5 an hour. My teammates were very competitive, and we enjoyed being in the same room listening to each other’s presentations and trying to outsell each other. I’m a competitive person and have always thrived in competitive situations. The dynamics of a call center helped fuel my competitive spirit.
Times have changed, my friends. I no longer go into an office anymore, well, a brick-and-mortar office that is. I work from home, and it is fantastic. Let me tell you why.
Home-based telemarketing services benefit employers and employees by:
Reducing Expenses
By moving employees to a home-based model, employers can keep their technology and consumable costs down. Employees use their own desk, chair, computer, internet, phone, etc. Businesses won’t have to lease office space or at least as big of a space and keep up with all of the other expenses that go along with maintaining an office.
We know the saying “time is money.” The benefit of not spending time commuting, paying for gas, and other car maintenance is great for employees working from home.
Location
By moving to a home-based model, companies can hire talent anywhere and not be limited by geography. Quality Contact Solutions has employees throughout the United States. Removing the limitation of hiring within a particular radius opens the door to seeking and hiring the position’s best talent. This is especially beneficial when multilingual support is needed.
Employees appreciate that more businesses have moved to an at-home model because it isn’t limiting and provides the opportunity to work from anywhere.
Flexibility
Companies can keep costs down even further by offering flexible and part-time hours, which is very attractive to the modern worker. Hours can be increased or decreased hours to a client’s needs and employee availability. Working from home indeed contributes to a better work-life balance. A motivated team of employees means better results!
Productivity
The primary key to driving productivity is the ability to trust the team you have in place, even when they work outside of the office. When an employee can skip the commute, extra coffee breaks, chit-chats with their cubical partner, and any other distractions, they will naturally be more focused on their work.
Employee Retention
According to an article about the remote workforce, 72% of employers say remote work has a high impact on employee retention, and 90% of employees feel flexible work arrangements increase employee morale.
3 Best Practices for Home-Based Telemarketing Services Employers & Employees
1. Remove Distractions
Create a separate office space, either dedicated room or area as you would working in a brick-and-mortar office. The office space should be free from clutter, noise, and in an area that will enable you to do your best work with minimal disruption.
2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Over communication is critical to be successful in a home-based working environment. Employers and managers need to be clear in their expectations and readily available for their team. Employees need to be responsive and proactively communicate keeping managers and team members in the loop. Consider using tools like Slack, Skype, or Teams.
3. Schedule Breaks
It’s easy to get sucked into the workday and lose track of time. Schedule regular breaks to help maintain a healthy balance of working from home. If your position allows, consider walking around your home while on a team meeting or call. Stand up and stretch at your desk every hour to help refresh your body and refocus your mind.
There are many benefits of home-based telemarketing services. Working from home isn’t a trend. It’s the future state of work.
Michelle Tredway is an Operations Manager for Quality Contact Solutions. Michelle has over 29 years of experience in both inbound and outbound call centers. Throughout her career Michelle has had roles in operations, implementation, and workforce management. She ensures her clients receive world-class service by coaching and leading her team with a hands-on approach. Michelle is passionate about winning and is driven to succeed. You can reach Michelle at michelle.tredway@qualitycontactsolutions.com.