Gig Work has become increasingly commonplace, with more and more people relying on Gigs to supplement their income or as a full-time job. But despite its popularity, there are still some common misconceptions about Gig Customer Experience. Omni Interactions CEO Chris Carrington, recently sat down with Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, Michael DeSalles to talk through some of the common myths. In this blog, we will recap topics from that conversation.
Myth 1: The Gig Economy Isn’t Right for Customer Service
The Gig Economy can be a great source of customer service. Gig Workers are typically highly skilled professionals with expertise in the areas they’re working in. Additionally, many Gig Workers have more flexibility than traditional employees, which allows them to provide better customer service when needed. If the company is careful to hire qualified individuals, there’s no reason why Gig Workers can’t provide excellent customer service.
“If you think of Uber, it is one of the largest customer service providers in the world. They provide over 6 billion rides a year. And when you think about customer service, Uber is fast, flexible, efficient, safe and secure every time. And really, that translates perfectly into the digital economy and the rest of the gig economy where enterprise customer experience can be provided over the phone, via chat, via email, and done in a tremendous way by accessing great talent across the United States,” said Christopher M. Carrington, CEO of Omni Interactions.
Myth 2: Service Quality is Diminished with Gig Workers
The quality of service provided by Gig Workers can be just as high as that from traditional employees. Companies should make sure to screen their Gig Workers carefully and provide ample training to ensure the highest quality of customer service.
“Millions of calls, emails, and chats are handled by Gig Workers across the country today. Companies like CVS, Walgreens, Intuit, Peloton, Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Carbon Health, StubHub, Zillow, and many more are all using Gig Workers for their customer experience,” said Christopher M. Carrington, CEO of Omni Interactions.
The brands mentioned by Chris are just as sensitive about the quality of their customer experience as anyone else. The real reason Gig Workers are not used more for customer experience is a lack of exposure and understanding of the benefits of Gig CX. The key benefit of Gig CX is access to talent.
“Compared to a hub and spoke model in which you recruit in a 25 to 50-mile radius, with Gig CX you have no physical limitations and can recruit more experienced workers. Just as an example, Omni last year received some 200,000 applicants that wanted to work on our platform. We were able to select only the most experienced agents to serve our clients,” said Christopher M. Carrington, CEO of Omni Interactions.
Using the Gig Model, you can also source talent with specific experience like healthcare processing experience. Retail organizations could even hire brand enthusiasts as Gig Brand Ambassadors to handle customer calls.
Myth 3: Gig Workers Aren’t Treated Well
Gig Workers are treated with the same respect as traditional employees. Companies are increasingly investing in training and development for their Gig Workers to ensure they have the necessary skills to provide excellent customer service. Gig Workers also have the added benefit of working from home and choosing their own hours. A survey found that 78% of all US workers want location flexibility and 95% of all US workers would prefer to have schedule flexibility. Shockingly, 72% of US employees or contractors who don’t have location and schedule flexibility are going to be looking for a new job in 2023.
“We’ve had over 30,000 people work on the Omni platform over the last three to five years. Gig Workers can be treated well as long as the platform brings to bear standards that are important to protect the rights of Gig Workers,” said Christopher M. Carrington, CEO of Omni Interactions.
Omni was one of the first companies to publish a Gig Workers’ Bill of Rights. It reminds the Gig Workers that first and foremost they’re entrepreneurs. They’re their own business representing a client’s brand. They get to work from their home. They get to pick their own schedule. They get access to certifications and education that is free of charge. They can participate in the digital communities that exist on the platform, so they can create not only professional relationships but personal relationships and friendships.
In conclusion, there are many myths about Gig Customer Experience that are simply not true. With proper screening and training, Gig Workers can provide excellent customer service that is just as good as that of traditional employees. Companies should invest in and value their Gig Workers to ensure they provide the best customer experience possible. With the right support, Gig Workers can help companies further enhance their customer service performance.
Strategies for Leveraging the Gig Economy for Better CX
For more information and strategies on leveraging the Gig Economy in your customer experience operations download our Ebook on Gig CX or watch our latest webinar with Frost & Sullivan “Leveraging the Gig Economy for High-Value Customer Experience”.
