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At 5CA, we’ve over a thousand customer support agents working from home all over the world. We provide customer support in any language, at any time and over any channel. We’re developing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-backed tools to empower users and assist our agents. We’re data-driven too: continuously analysing vast amounts of information to improve our operations and we pass vital user experience intel to our clients to help them make better products and experiences.

The most common response I get when I tell people I work in Workforce Management (WFM), often coupled with a very confused facial expression, is “Hmmm, is that in HR…?” Given that labor costs can account for up to as much as 70% of total business costs, such as employee wages, benefits, payroll, and other related taxes, it always surprises me that Workforce Management is still not a widely recognized industry.

In today’s business world, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who does not agree that Customer Experience is an essential aspect when building and maintaining a profitable business. The reports support this statement. For example, a recent PWC publication shows that one in three consumers (32%) say they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. The same report states that “speed, convenience, helpful employees and friendly service matter most, each hitting over 70% in importance to consumers”.

As more and more companies embrace the work-from-home revolution, it is becoming evident that telecommuting is a big part of the future of the workplace. At 5CA, we embarked on this journey 5 years ago and haven’t looked back.

Consumer support over any channel, in any language, at any time: 5CA’s successful contact center as a service is possible because we use technology to make planet Earth our talent pool. It makes for a great story; expert service in any skill or language, an enticing work experience, and a sustainable business. It also presents an intriguing challenge: How do we balance flexibility, productivity, and security?

We’ve probably all heard of quality assessment (QA) before, where a quality specialist goes over agent interactions and checks to see if there are any possible areas of improvement or development. But what if we turn that top-down model on its head and instead embrace a collaborative approach, empowering them to be co-assessors? What if we ask them to self-reflect on their own performance, rather than only respond to the feedback of a third party?

The most successful companies make listening and understanding their customers a vital part of their business strategy. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the reality is different. In a time where customer preferences are evolving faster than ever, ignoring these might turn out to be quite costly.

A few years ago, after over twenty years working in the Customer Service Industry, I crazily returned to university and completed my master’s degree in HRM, where my final thesis focused on linking staff engagement to brand loyalty.

How often have you contacted customer service and received a generalistic, completely useless response? Even though you clearly described the problem, included the troubleshooting steps you already took and even indicated potential causes for the problem you are facing?