Observations on Virtual Observer

-- Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

It can either be good or bad news – depending on whether you’re a call center manager or an agent. While the former will welcome the launch of Virtual Observer (VO), a nanny camera of sorts from Coordinated Systems, the latter will certainly treat the product with a jaundiced eye. Come on, let’s face it – would you work well if you knew that someone was monitoring your every move? Call center agents who lived for those moments when their supervisors took bathroom breaks will rue this solution that “gives supervisors and managers the ability to reach out and interact with agents instantaneously as well as control desktops.”

There’s been enough and more said about the poor service provided by contact centers, so managers will justify the use of VO as a tool to enhance productivity and help improve agent performance. The VO Live options also allow them access to any number of agents’ desktops, to monitor and guide them as they provide service. They can also add comments and notes within interactions and also generate reports of agent performance that are automatically mailed to the concerned executives.

It’s a robust solution, I’m sure – but will it improve agent productivity and performance? Maybe, for those who work well under constant supervision; but for those who are stifled by the eagle eye that’s monitoring them without pause, it’s only going to add to the stress of dealing with irate customers.