Are Virtual Call Centres The Future For Telemarketing?

Virtual Call Centres may change the face of contact centres as we know them. These virtual centres use cloud based computing that delivers common business applications online. Examples of this being Salesforce, Fort Knox, and Amazon. These are accessed through common web browsers and the software and data is stored on servers.

These call centres are “manned” by home based agents running the virtual centre. This business model challenges the traditional model of the physical call centre and keeps the overheads down to a minimum as there is no physical building to support, no expensive telephone or electrical installations, and no commuting for staff to make into the office.

Obvious disadvantages are that the camaraderie and positive team building effect of working in an office environment are lost.  Motivation while working from home can be a lot more difficult indeed.  When a telemarketer makes a series of unsuccessful or unproductive calls, they will often find it much easier to maintain a positive attitude and approach if the person sitting next to them is having some success or can offer some words of encouragement.

So does the future really mean the end of the telemarketing call centre as we know it with staff sitting at home and logging into the virtual office?  Well, in light of  Yahoo’s recent decision to stop their staff working from home, and also Google’s preference for staff to work in the office, virtual call centres becoming the norm may well be a long way off.  However, only time will tell.