Healthy. Comfortable. Technologically advanced. Vibrant.
If you don’t immediately associate these words with a call center, you’re not alone. Call centers typically bring to mind an image of crowded rows of stressed-out employees who are usually receiving calls from people with a problem or placing calls to people that aren’t thrilled to hear from them.
But the nature of the business is changing; telemarketing isn’t what it used to be. Call center agents increasingly serve as the front line of a company’s customer service force, providing technical support and other assistance through telephone, e-mail and live chat (which is why some find the term “call center” a bit limiting nowadays, instead preferring to identify as a “contact center”).
Their service is becoming more sophisticated, so businesses are looking to provide employees with an office environment that better supports success and job satisfaction.
First and foremost, companies are increasingly focused on ergonomics and wellness in their call centers. The nature of customer service is high-pressure and sedentary – a very unhealthy combination. Agents spend an above-average number of hours sitting stationary at a desk.
Read the full post at GS&P Dialogue.
About the Author: Alyson Mandeville, IIDA, EDAC, is an interior designer in GS&P's Tampa office. She provides a variety of services for the firm's Corporate + Urban Design clients including project management, programming and space planning. She is also an active member of the International Facility Management Association's Suncoast Chapter. More on Alyson Mandeville.
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