6 More Reasons to Go Virtual

Call centers are going virtual for great reasons. Let us give you 6 more.

First, Some Background

NTI is a not-for-profit organization. We receive funds from the federal and the state governments to train and employ Americans with physical disabilities to work as virtual call center agents. So we can offer you both tax incentives and reduced costs that other agent providers can't.

At no charge.

The federal and the state governments fund NTI to assist employers in hiring the 1.2 million Americans with disabilities who turn for help to their state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies every year. Most of these people have good work histories, but an injury or a medical condition has knocked them out of their old jobs. Some need to find jobs that let them work from home.

6 Things NTI Can Do For You:

1. Recruit, screen, and equip home agents at no cost to you. We work with state VR agencies and other disability organizations to identify candidates who meet the requirements you've already set for hiring agents. State VR agencies -- not you -- also cover the cost of home computers, headsets, second phone lines, and broadband Internet access for teleworkers with disabilities.
2. Reduce the administrative and expense burdens of hiring out-of-state workers. Go national when you go virtual. NTI extends your recruiting reach across the entire country. We're registered as an employer in 48 states, so if you don't want the hassle of registering as an employer in multiple states, we can take that off your hands. And we charge only the payroll administration cost back to your call center.
3. Improve agent retention by connecting you to a motivated, qualified workforce that NEEDS home-based jobs. Many call center job applicants want the convenience of working from home. For applicants with disabilities, though, working from home for your call center may be their only opportunity to work. These underutilized, but capable, workers value their jobs and stay for the long haul, reducing your turnover and costs.
4. Help you obtain additional tax credits. NTI will guide you through the paperwork that can earn you a tax credit of up to $2,444 for every new hire with a disability. (The value of the credits varies depending upon your tax situation.)
5. Help you plan your transition. In the last 10 years we've helped dozens of call centers go virtual. We can let you in on simple, but critical, tips to reduce your costs and smooth your transition. For example, we recently showed one client how to save money by having home agents purchase flat-rate long distance plans. Having the agents log into the call center switch for their shift using their flat-rate plan was much cheaper than transferring those calls to agents outside of their local calling area.

NTI can help you on your way while avoiding common missteps. Just as importantly, it can show you how hiring workers with disabilities maintains your call center's quality standards while it lowers your cost per agent: A good deal for a good deed.

Email our Executive Director, M.J. Willard to discuss how we can virtually change the way you manage your call center.