At-Home Call Center Agent Checklist

Before a newly hired at-home call center agent starts their job, you must make sure that they have the proper tools and space to work optimally. Below is a sample checklist to help give ideas about what to include in your own new at-home agent starter kit.

1. Do you have a reliable computer that meets our basic system requirements?

• Does your processor have at least 1.8GHz?
• Do you have at least 1536MB (1.5GB) installed memory?
• Is your monitor 17 inches or larger?
• Does your monitor have a resolution of at least 1024 x 768?
• Does it have a video card? Is it at least 32MB?
• Does it have a sound card (required)?
• Does it have a USB port?

2. Do you have a reliable high-speed internet connection?

• Do you have Cable, DSL or ISDN? Dial-up, satellite and some wireless connections do not provide the necessary speed rates.
• How much bandwidth?
• Does your internet meet the following requirements?
  • Download speed: 2.0 Mbps minimum
  • Upload speed: 300 kbps minimum
  • Quality of service: 80%
  • Jitter: 20 ms

3. Do you have a router? What is the brand of your router?

• Recommended brands: Linksys, Netgear and D-link
• Are you using a wireless router? Did you encrypt the Wireless connection using a WEP or WPA key?

4. Do you have the latest version of Google Chrome (mandatory)?

• If not, update it.

5. Do you have a headset with microphone that plus into your computer?

• What brand is it?

6. Do you have a web camera?

• Recommended brand: Logitech Quickcam Communications STX
• Recommended resolution: 640x 480 VGA full-screen resolution

7. Do you have a dedicated office space that is quiet and distraction-free?

• Can this room shield noise from a TV, radio, pet, train, lawnmowers, traffic, etc.?

8. Can you work in that office space for extended periods of time without interruption from family members, pets, personal phone calls, etc.?

• Have you set in place childcare or care for other dependents during the time you are working?

9. Is your office space comfortable and ergonomic?

• Is your desk chair comfortable enough to sit in for long periods of time?
• Do you have enough natural and artificial lighting?

10. Do you have sufficient computer experience?

• Are you competent with using a word processor (like MS Word), email, a web browser and can you learn to use new software?