ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the environmental factors associated with contact centres, including the benefits of a good working environment and some other vitally important details. Research has proven that underestimating the effects of working in poorly designed areas can be disastrous. At best, personnel under perform. At worst, personnel move on to somewhere more appealing, somewhere that makes them feel good even as they walk into the room. A contact centre might hold statistical proof that it is doing well but, if a visitor's first impression is of a poorly lit, obviously cramped and poorly maintained environment, this impression will last. The environment is not only about choosing new paint, new desks or new lighting. It is about fluidity. It encompasses every aspect of a business. From a recruitment and retention perspective, the contact centre working environment is vital to a company's return on investment in their staff.
