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https://redcircle.com/shows/sccs-podcast-the-art-and-science-of-call-center-success-with
Employee adjustments WFH in the call center space. INSIDE BS SHOW expert guest Richard Blank.
Dave Lorenzo: You know, you, you're an inspirational person. You really care. I, you know, we can tell just from the short period of time, we've spoken that you really care about the folks that work with you. Does it make it harder for you to kind of pump them up? Because I know that myself working from home, like today, if today's a perfect example, My interaction with you today is probably the fourth or fifth time.
Dave Lorenzo: I've talked to another person because today here in my home office, it's just me and the dogs. My, my wife had something to do all day. My kids are in school. So, you know, I finish up with you. I'll talk to the dogs. They don't talk back. I may talk to one other person until everybody comes home. Yeah. And I'll tell you, Richard, it's not, it's not as fulfilling as talking to other people.
Dave Lorenzo: During the course of the day. So for you, is it, is it more difficult to keep their training at a high level? Because now I would imagine that it's asynchronous, right? You're listening to them in recordings, you're making notes and then maybe you do a zoom with them and you say, Hey, you know, Joe, I was listening to this recording on the phone.
Dave Lorenzo: Let's play it together. You play it. You know, here's what I would've said here. And it's not real time anymore. Is it more difficult for you? Because I, I would imagine many of them are still working from home. And then are you gonna bring 'em back in so that you can have that collegial environment again?
Richard Blank: Excellent question. I'll give you the quick pros and cons and legally what we had to do when COVID hit. We were allowed to have 50% of our people in the. I sent about 70% home to give myself a 20% buffer in the office for onboarding, PCI compliance, or if someone has a redundancy, electricity or, or hardware problem, they can jump onto a station.
Richard Blank: It's just me. I'm a coach. I'm not sensitive, but I love my people. And I love walking the rose and I felt like that was my special sauce. And that was taken away from me from COVID. But let's talk about the pros they're in a much better. They're closer to their family. They're saving tons of money. As long as their work environment is professional they're.
Richard Blank: As I say before, they're much more relaxed on the phone. Their metrics are, are incredible. It's just a comradery of having lunch with people. And just missing them, but no, we've increased our, our channels of communication, but this is the one thing I really got this, you have an excellent background, you see my, um, Cola and my candy machine, but you get to see how a lot of people are living and you get to see what's in their background.
Richard Blank: So the one thing I would've never gotten from here is some of their interests and what makes them proud. So I might lose it physically standing next to somebody, but I think I've gained three. The sort of knowledge about what makes somebody tick. So on a rainy Wednesday, I can motivate them or I can compliment their, their stuffed bunny rabbit in the corner and tease 'em for a minute.
Richard Blank: And, um, that might break the ice too, but no, check this out. The fact that I take the time with the suit to zoom, call them and to maybe discuss a five minute call with them. That's something that you almost get more points. By showing that extra effort, then you would just standing next to 'em and smiling while they're on the phone with Mrs. Jones. So I think I get a lot more mileage out of it. I think they're a lot more appreciative. I think the lack of communication that we have, cuz it's so sparse, when you do have a chance to speak with somebody's more enriching. And so maybe as a boss or maybe as a leader mentor or possibly in these tough moments, Dave, as a friend.
Richard Blank: we all were able to get through COVID together. I got a lot of friends where their business went out of business. Yeah.
Dave Lorenzo: Oh me too.
Richard Blank: And the fact that I'm still standing and you're still standing, you know, right on man. Yeah. Right on.
Dave Lorenzo: No, I appreciate that. Yeah. I, I appreciate it. I.