Accommodation of different departments. Your call center will function effectively if you properly plan your call center deployment. Even if primary costs might be slightly higher thoughtful planning will result in productivity of your employees, which subsequently increase grow your sales. Your call center agents should be able to easily access all the departments in order to deliver excellent customer service and support. If they are to contact any other department on a regular basis, it should be worked out from the very beginning.
It might happen so that it will be impossible to physically bring your departments closer, then some kind of networking might be required to take employees and systems together. Modern technologies can offer a wide range of solutions to adress such issues.
You are to decide what kind of support systems you may need in the nearest future.
Will your team require any diner room or cafeteria? Most of long term plans have to be made in advance. Your planning will determine the number of conference rooms and all your departments.
No one else but the company owner can answer all the questions and then coordinate long term planning. And it’s vitally important to have such questions answered before any significant changes are applied to the general architecture plan and design.
Call Center Renovation. Most of the business owners do not actually start from building a center of their own but rather from renting and renovating existing property. Thoughtful planning matters the most at this stage of your call center development.
Proper Lighting. The best option to choose is indirect lighting, however, many of small business owners cannot afford it. Florescent tubes or parabolic lenses might be your best choice. The main idea behind proper lighting is creating a natural illumination, close to sunlight effect. It takes time and effort but good lighting has incredible influence on the working atmosphere and thus it is definitely well-worth investment.
Call center will benefit from a good lighting of the working space since eyesight is one of the main concerns of employees and they will obviously choose comfortable working conditions if there is a choice.
Noise Level. Most of the call center emnployees complain because of high noise level. Your employees suffer from uncomfortable conditions and your callers will have full impression of calling to crowded room. There’s hardly something more unprofessional than a call center that makes complete picture of a crowded call center.
Acoustic wall panel or, even better, white noise machines can diffuse noise and create proper working atmosphere both for your agents and callers. Never save a cent on sound-absorbing foam or tiles. Every dollar you spend on noise absorbing walls and other soft surfaces, or proper carpeting, will make all the sounds quieter and your call center will quickly return every penny. Using plants will also improve the air and absorb load sound, however using only plants is not enough.
Many call centers prefer using foam tiling similar to those that are used at recording studios. Although such tiling will make office seem smaller. The manufacturers of the workstation units that your call center is likely to use have ready-made solutions for acoustical absorption, they can surely offer you to build in some sound isolation right into the wall coverings.
Thoughtful approach to professional headsets can also keep volume level down. There are no small details when it comes to reducing the noise level.
Professional Seating. Full-time call center agents spend six-eight hours a day at their seats. The furniture you choose and especially chairs you choose will have a great impact on how comfortable your employees feel during their shifts in the office. Properly chosen chair will affect blood circulation and pressure on the spine. So comfortable chair makes these eight hours easier on your employees.
The best chairs are those with height-adjustable armrests and split backs: they not only relieve pressure on the spinal column but help to avoid headaches, spine aches, etc. To buy a perfect chair you should also consider moveable seat and, ideally, even adjustable back angle. Again every single penny spent on proper chairs is worth oit as it will demosntrate your employees that you do care about their comfort.
You do not have to spend thousands on expensive chairs, but don’t expect much from the cheapest furniture as well. Saving on the comfort of your employees results in daily loses.