By: Justin Browning, MVP, Contact Center Operations, Velera

At Velera, the Contact Center is a significant part of how we support our clients and their members, providing always-on, personalized assistance with lending, member services, card services and fraud detection. Guided by the principle of "Tech as the Foundation, People as the Difference," we recognize that our people are our greatest asset, and we work hard to attract highly skilled professionals who show up to work every day ready to showcase the credit union difference. 

Recognizing the ways of working are shifting 

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated shift in the workplace clearly demonstrated the value of remote work, especially in the contact center industry. We began a partial work-from-home program in 2020, and as of November 2024, all Velera contact center agents work from home. All onboarding, training, IT support and other functions are successfully provided remotely in a virtual environment.

Remote work offers tangible benefits for both contact center agents and clients. It sets off a domino effect, alleviating local and personal challenges, improving employee satisfaction and retention, and culminating in a dedicated and loyal support team that positively impacts member experiences. 

Here’s what we’ve learned during this transformative time in our company’s history.

• Remote work expands the talent pool: If you offer the opportunity for agents to work from home, you can hire and retain better talent, drawing from a larger pool of skilled professionals rather than limiting your search to an area within driving distance of your facility.
   
• A wider geographical footprint means uninterrupted service: With agents located in different time zones, you can provide uninterrupted contact center service regardless of external factors, such as weather conditions, for reliable business continuity.
   
• Work from home is better for employees: Stressors that previously impacted productivity and well-being — such as unreliable transportation — are reduced, resulting in improved work-life balance.
   
• Remote work improves retention: Improved work-life balance and flexibility lead to higher morale, engagement and motivation, improving agent satisfaction and retention.
   
• Happy agents grow with the company: When agents are satisfied with their work, they want to engage more with the company, improve their knowledge and work together toward common goals — leading to longer tenure and overall better service to meet member needs.

Creating a secure environment from anywhere

Remote work doesn’t come without its challenges, but today’s desktop and software controls — accelerated in part by the workplace changes of the pandemic — provide a framework for keeping data safe. At Velera, we use industry-leading best practices for securing remote workers. We’ve also put into place a full lineup of controls and would recommend a mix of security software, agent monitoring and expert support, such as: 

• Multi-factor authentication
• Agent Virtual Desktop
• Endpoint security 
• Data encryption 
• Security policy management solution
• Agent monitoring
• Support from attack experts
• Ongoing security patching across devices
• Optional monitoring by clients 

Engagement creates improved experiences

For Velera, our fully remote work model has improved work-life balance and flexibility, contributing to higher morale, engagement and motivation — and significantly improving agent satisfaction. Preliminary results are promising: 

• Employee survey conducted over the summer of 2024 found employee satisfaction scores of 9.57 out of 10 as it relates to their happiness working from home. 
   
• We’ve also observed a significant reduction in attrition. From May to December 2024, we experienced a 32% drop in turnover; agents with long-term work-from-home status now show an average tenure of nearly four years. 

Ultimately, well-trained, happier, less stressed agents make a positive impact on client service. Wait times are reduced and more issues are resolved on the first call, leading to more satisfied members, which reflects directly on their credit unions.

As the contact center industry evolves, we’re excited to help shape the future of member experience, providing a seamless blend of technology and human connection that serves as an extension of our credit unions. People truly make the difference — and when you create a workplace model that fits the lives of your workforce, service quality soars. 

Justin Browning is the Managing Vice President for Velera’s Contact Center, overseeing the operations. He started with Velera in 2002 and has 25 years of experience in the financial contact center space, having held positions in Workforce Management and Quality Assurance for large financial contact centers. He also holds an MBA in business management.