As Pandemic Recedes, Contact Centers Begin Calling their Agents Back to Office

An increasing number of contact center services providers are asking their staff to return to the office, despite hybrid work models paying off handsomely.

There has been a “50% reduction” in the number of contact centers wanting to keep their workers remote, says LiveVox Holdings, comparing last year’s survey to this year’s.

For the study, the company claims to have interviewed more than 300 contact center executives in North America.

In its survey, 75% of respondents said they are experiencing increased contact volumes on all channels, with 20% reporting a dramatic increase of over 50% compared to last year.

Around 48% said they found no change to agent attrition as a result of the shift, while 30% experienced a combination of high agent turnover, layoffs, or hiring freezes.

However, barely 36% of them reported a positive relationship between working remotely and improved speed to answer for agents.

“…Our report showed that contact centers should focus on improving coaching and monitoring tools to ensure that both agents and their managers are set up for success, regardless of whether or not agents are remote,” stated LiveVox CEO Louis Summe.