As our lives keep getting busier, being able to just pick up a phone to ask a question or order something can be a lifesaver. Our need to accomplish more tasks in less time is part of the reason for steady growth in call center employment and facilities. By 2002, Datamonitor predicts that nearly two million people will be employed in call centers. In the U.S. alone, there are about 70,000 call centers in operation, and that number is expected to reach 78,000 within three years. Call centers often mix traditional and alternative work practices.
Many agents work part-time, flextime, or from home or satellite offices.
Many also work in split shifts, coming in only during peak times of day, or peak seasons of the year. Over the past few years, call centers have been investing heavily in technology. The core of the customers experience however, remains in the friendliness of the agent s voice and his or her ability to get things done. Call center agents need to come across as welcoming, perceptive and empathetic to build trust and brand loyalty. Finding and keeping agents with the job and people skills to build good customer relationships has become the number one issue facing call center managers.