Ever faced the challenge of providing great customer service while running a call center? This problem can be associated with outdated call center software.
Today, for businesses to survive in the competitive market, they need to invest in several things rather than just focusing on providing good customer service. They should incorporate some of the latest trends to build customer loyalty and retain them. One such trend is choosing the best call center software. The right contact center software helps streamline operations and call management procedures.
Hence, in this article, we will talk about seven factors you should consider when choosing call center software for your business:
What is call center software?
Call center software is a technology that helps you to manage large call volumes efficiently. It has many advanced features that enable organizations to manage incoming and outgoing communication across various channels. This includes phone calls, emails, live chats, SMS, social media, and more. Call center software for the customer support team helps to track and resolve customer issues more efficiently, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
The role of technology in call center
Understanding call center technology plays a vital role in daily operations. Knowledge of using this technology can help one work smarter and better handle workflow. While talking about the role of technology in call centers it helps automate repetitive tasks, streamline overall business operations, and improve call management.
A call center’s technology includes tools used for communication or calling, such as automatic call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR), call recording, and call analytics.
With call routing, you can redirect calls to the most suitable agent based on the issues and their skills. Also, the IVR can handle basic inquiries, which helps free agents for complex issues. Technologies like chatbots using AI can help you answer simple questions whenever you need them.
Also, call recording and analytics aid in making a data-driven decision. It helps you to monitor call quality, identify areas for improvement and learn how to record a phone call. This streamlines workflows and maximizes the productivity of the agents,
Overall, call center technology helps handle more interactions with shorter resolution times. With this, call centers can keep their customers happy and satisfied.
7 factors to consider when choosing a call center software
Here are seven factors you should consider when choosing a call center software:
1. Call center software type
Call center software is divided into four main types. This includes:
- On-premise software: It is installed and used within a company’s premises. This type of software requires physical servers and IT infrastructure to be maintained and managed by organization IT teams.
- Hosted software: This software is also known as” hosted PBX”. It is hosted and maintained by a third-party provider.
- Cloud-based software: Cloud-based call center software works similarly to the hosted PBX, but it utilizes cloud infrastructure provided by other companies, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure.
- Browser-based software: This type of software can be accessed through a web browser. You don’t have to download or install it. It can be hosted either on-premise, in the cloud, or by a third-party provider.
These call center software programs vary in how and where they are deployed. Choose one that meets your needs.
2. Evaluate business goals and requirements.
Every business has its own needs and requirements. Hence, while selecting a call center software, you should consider factors like
- Expected call volume,
- Desired features and functionalities
- Budget constraint
- Future scalability needs
The software selection process should be aligned with your business goals. This will ensure long-term growth for your business.
3. Features of call center software
Once you have evaluated business goals and requirements, it’s time to list the essential features of your software. Also, if they do not have the essential features that your business needs, you can request them to customize it. Many software packages offer the following features:
- Automatic Screen Pop
- Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)
- Call Queues
- Call Control
- Call Recording
- Call Monitoring
- Call Barging
- Conference Calling
- Click-to-call
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
- Predictive Dialer
- Power Dialer
- Real-time Reporting
- Skills-based Routing
- Voicemail
- Voicemail Transcription
4. Multiple channels of communication
You should choose software that supports multiple communication channels. Multiple communication channels allow you to engage with your customers through different mediums, such as live chats, emails, phone calls, or SMS. They also help ensure a consistent and personalized experience across all mediums, which ultimately enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty toward your brand.
5. Improved customer service
Every call center tries to fulfill its commitment to delivering exceptional customer service. So, it’s essential that you choose a call center software that is easy for your agents to use to provide personalized support to customers. Features of contact center software like intelligent call routing, IVR, call routing, auto-attendant, etc, help agents resolve customer inquiries quickly and efficiently.
6. Integration with business system
Another factor to consider is the integration capability. You should select call center software that integrates with your business tools, such as CRM, helpdesk, billing, and other essential software.
A seamless integration with existing business systems and applications helps you maximize the value of your software. Using this integration, your agents can handle voice calls, emails, chats, and social media messages from one interface.
Besides this,call center software integration with other software also facilitates streamlined data sharing and workflow automation. Moreover, it gives your agent a unified view of customer interactions and enhances data visibility.
7. Flexibility and scalability
You should also look for call center software’s flexibility and scalability capacity. As your business grows, you will need to add features. So, while selecting a software solution, you can ask questions like: Can I make a phone call from computer? Can your system handle a large call volume during peak hours? Can I add, customize, and remove features? And so on.
The answer to these questions will help you determine whether the software is flexible and scalable.
In addition, you should check if the software allows you to work from anywhere. Nowadays, call center solutions are more flexible than we have ever imagined. With cloud-based and browser-based call center software, your teams can work more efficiently from anywhere with an internet connection and devices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the right software can be stressful. However knowing the key factors while selecting a call center software can help you easily navigate the process. Consider features, future scalability, business goals and requirements, integration capability, and others to select the software that meets your business needs.
Moreover, you should also take time to evaluate the available options. By selecting the right software, you can elevate your customer service and simplify your business operations.
FAQS
- What are the three important elements of a call center?
The three important elements of a call center are
- Skilled human resources
- Technology
- Location and infrastructure
- What makes a good call center?
There are many things that make a good call center, such as
- Excellent customer service
- Clear and effective communication
- Emphasis on continuous improvement.
- Trained and knowledgeable staff.
- What are the key factors that make a call center agent successful?
Some of the key factors that make a call center agent successful are:
- Empathy and emotional intelligence
- adaptability and resilience
- Positive attitude and professionalism
- Continuous learning and improvement
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Author bio:
Dinesh Silwal is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of KrispCall. For the past few years, he has been advancing and innovating in the cloud telephony industry, using AI to enhance and improve telephony solutions, and driving KrispCall to the forefront of the field.
