We can't train someone to be smart and friendly. We feel it skews the hiring decision when you meet the people. Doing it this way assures us we're hiring specifically skilled employees ready to do a job. Once employed, Alpine Access agents are required to provide an availability schedule at least 30 days in advance and are given significant autonomy in creating their individual schedules. An agent can work one hour in the morning, another two hours in the afternoon and two hours in the evening.
Some agents work just two days a week, if that is the extent of their availability.
Most agents are assigned to handle calls for a specific company, although there is some crossover depending on each agent's abilities and availability. This scheduling technique is most important in keeping employees happy and turnover low, Rockwood says. Lori Fentem, president of Synergy Solutions, says the company was able to send a tenured startup team and made an easy transition with the former Harris employees, since both companies specialize in outbound teleservices and many of Phoenix-based Synergy's clients are in New York and New Jersey. We knew we wanted to have a presence in the East, and with this site, we had the opportunity to hire a proven workforce with the experience, education and work ethic consistent with our company, Fentem, says. In addition, it was a turnkey operation where we could bring in our own equipment and be up and running in record time.