The call center has come a long way from cubicles and landline phones. These days, software connects, records, and manages every aspect of call center operations.
While modern call center software can make your agents’ job easier, that’s not all it can do. Companies are investing in contact center as a service (CCaaS) technology to improve the customer experience.
Contact center software ensures any rep can pick up the baton, no matter which rep a caller last spoke with. Issues are resolved faster, with less time on the phone, and with less stress. Here’s how:
- CRM Integration
Customer relationship management software is the centralized hub for all the customer information your business has. Modern contact center software integrates with popular CRMs, ensuring agents have access to information about every part of the customer’s journey.
Connecting the two provides your agents with all the information they need before they even know they need it. Instead of having to interrupt the call to find relevant information, agents can simply check their screen. The result is a more efficient, streamlined contact center experience.
- Intelligent Routing
No one benefits when a customer service call takes an entire afternoon. Your agents and customers both want the process to be as quick and painless as possible.
Contact center software that pairs callers and reps intelligently can drastically speed up calls. Rather than pinging a customer from one person to another, modern contact center software ensures they are directed to the right people to help them from the first contact.
But this isn’t just about speed. Routing calls to the right agent also allows them to be more effective. Lack of effectiveness is the most common complaint among Americans who experience customer service frustrations. Second only to lack of effectiveness in the survey is lack of speed. Contact center software can address both of these customer pain points.
- Omnichannel Experience
Every customer has multiple touch points, from calls to emails to social media inquiries, with your company. An omnichannel experience connects these touchpoints, ensuring a customer’s Facebook message is considered in their latest call.
To understand why this matters, imagine chatting with a friend on the phone. How would you feel if he or she responds with “Huh?” when you try to continue the conversation later via email?
Use software to connect the dots. Call center technology that supports an omnichannel approach lets customers choose how they want to reach you. An emphasis on the digital experience gives your business new tools for customer delight and customers more choices.
- AI Integration
It may be intimidating at first to imagine leveraging machine learning at your contact center. But with the right contact center software, pre-built integrations make the process easy.
On the agent side of the equation, tools like automated call transcription help your team spend less time on busy work. Freeing up agents’ time is an easy way to reduce long hold times. And on the customer side, features like voice-based chatbots can answer common questions without the caller having to wait to speak with a human being.
- Work-From-Anywhere Freedom
Listening is a vital part of communicating with customers. In a loud, bustling call center, it isn’t always easy for agents to pay attention to what the customer is saying. Modern contact center software can enable them to work from anywhere.
Agents who work from home are likely to face fewer distractions when on the phone with customers. And because they’re at home, they’re also likely to be less stressed. They may not sound as exciting as AI integration, but stress- and distraction-free agent experiences are key. The customer’s own experience reflects the agent’s experience.
- Reliability
There’s nothing more frustrating for customers than a dropped service call. In some cases, it means being put at the back of the line to actually speak to a representative.
Contact center software operates through the internet, not mobile networks or traditional phone lines. Calls made over the internet are rarely dropped. While the customer may be calling in with a traditional phone, the agent’s system is half of the equation.
This also reduces costs, which saves customers money — something every customer can appreciate. The right call center software means reps only need three things to get work done: a computer, a headset, and internet.
- Simplicity
Old-school call center software involved multiple platforms and systems. These days, a single one can do it all. Through either native capabilities or integrations, modern contact center technology covers agents’ bases.
For customers, that means speedier service and less confusion. An agent who has every tool and tidbit of information at his or her fingertips comes across as more competent. Together, the agent and customer can get to the root of issues faster.
Contact center technology is not new, but it has gotten some key updates in recent years. Everything from AI integration to autodialing capabilities contributes to the customer’s experience. And at the end of the day, it also makes for a better agent experience. With the right software, everyone wins.
