Podcast: Whether Wildfires or Hurricanes, Businesses Should Always be Ready

Drawing from 20+ years of experience in call center outsourcing, April Wiita, Working Solutions vice president of Program Success, offers advice on The Big Bid Theory’s podcast: “Heroes and Help for the Next Disaster. It’s Coming.”

Interviewed by host Bill Culhane, April shares her experiences running on-demand contact center operations during natural disasters, including hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

With a virtual network across the United States and in Canada, April describes how a distributed agent workforce stays out of harm’s way, anticipating dangers and shifting resources as major storms unfold.

She points out that brick-and-mortar call centers, especially those along the coasts, are often in a hurricane’s path and must be evacuated. Being virtual ensures nonstop service when customers affected by storms need it most.

The podcast also features former U.S. Marines, Ryan Nichols and David Rebollar, who volunteered to rescue residents and animals during Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. In a related broadcast, the two appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, recounting their public service.