COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 22, 2021) – When entrepreneur Jack Sands and his team set out in 2000 to build a deliberately different kind of call center, he didn’t anticipate a global pandemic 20 years later, or how relevant his business model would become in a COVID-19 world. Yet, in this tough economic climate, Sands’ business model is thriving and the demand for his services is expanding.
Sands’ company, VForce, is a boutique-style, customer-centric call center that employs work-from-home agents across the country. It all began with Sands’ desire to work from home and utilize cloud-based technologies to build something really special.
“When we started back in 2000, we were just a small team of highly motivated entrepreneurs who set out to build a call center that wasn’t bound by the geographic constraints of brick-and-mortar, plagued with high turnover rates or overwhelmed by outdated, tired systems and software,” said Sands. “We hired customer-friendly people who could work from home, creating flexibility for their lives and a national pool of talent for us.”
To find talent, VForce partnered with the National Telecommuting Institute (NTI). NTI provides opportunities for Americans with physical disabilities who are not only qualified and professional agents, but who genuinely want to work and need an at-home job. More than 90% of VForce’s workforce comes from NTI.
“For us, this partnership has been a win in so many ways,” says Sands. “I was blown away by the caliber of people we hired. Our productivity and results significantly improved and our clients saw an increase in ROI. Just as importantly, we were able to support our communities by providing at-home jobs to individuals personally impacted or displaced from their jobs due to a disability.”
The success of VForce’s virtual model grew even more after the company joined forces with AAA Ohio Auto Club around 2008.
“We started supporting AAA clubs from across the country, providing membership renewal calling and eventually roadside assistance call support,” said Sands. “Our growth quickly soared, and for about 12 years we have developed strong relationships with AAA and have built and executed innovated solutions with them.”
As the world changes, VForce’s business model remains strong. While many companies are just jumping on the virtual business model bandwagon, it’s something VForce has been doing for more than two decades, and does well. Sands sees the new business climate as an opportunity to take VForce to a whole new level, and looks forward to building upon the success of the past 21 years.
More information on VForce can be found at VForceAgents.com.
###