As a small or medium-sized business, you may think of a call or contact centre technology as complicated and expensive and not within your grasp. Until recently, this was the case. Businesses with large IT budgets and resources are already reaping the benefits of features that improve their customer service. However, smaller businesses often do not take advantage of these solutions as they see them as costly and resource intensive. But now they can.
The cloud has transformed the way we use technology, and the good news is that this applies to contact centre solutions too. Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) is a model that allows companies to access the software via the Internet without needing to buy and manage on-premises hardware.
An SME business can now operate contact centre technology to handle customers more effectively through, for example;
- interactive voice response (IVR) to direct incoming calls to specialists in the group (e.g. technology, bookings, customer service, billing etc)
- compiling statistics of usage and availability of staff
- using the contact details of customers to re-contact them
- adopting a range of contact options, meaning customers can reach out to an SME in the way that is most convenient for them
What is the difference between a Call Centre and a Contact Centre?
Customers call you by phone in a call centre, whereas contact centre solutions mean that they can also contact you through different customer service channels; email, text, chat, social media. A call centre purely focuses on incoming and outgoing calls. Contact centre agents handle customer interaction through multiple forms of digital communications. Ultimately your unique business needs will determine what communication channels should to be included in your CCaaS solution.
What are the benefits of cloud Contact Centre solutions?
Customers don’t care how big a business is, they care about the quality of service they receive when they reach you.
Cloud Contact centre solutions are attractive to SMEs for these reasons;
- They have low upfront costs
- They are quickly deployed, giving you the latest technology and capabilities without the need for specialist IT resources to implement them
- Improved scalability and flexibility. The current business climate is unpredictable CCaaS makes it easy for you to quickly scale up to cope with sudden demand
- Cloud technology means that your agents can access contacts remotely, working from home or in the office
- Built-in business continuity and disaster recovery, as the cloud-based solution is location independent
- Detailed analytics, performance reporting and call recording makes management and employee training so much easier
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology can handle repetitive customer enquiries with self-service options, for example checking opening hours or tracking a delivery
- IVRs can also be designed to route calls to the most qualified member of staff for more efficient call resolution. No time is wasted transferring calls.
- Reduced ongoing costs and reduced capital outlay. On-site hardware is expensive. Not only is it costly to deploy and manage, but it also quickly becomes outdated.
- Always up-to-date and enabled for new features and upgrades
- Customers can contact you how they want to and when they want to, leading to increased communication and customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Customer demands have changed dramatically in recent years. Convenience, personalisation, and a swift response are expected when it comes to customer service. SMEs who rely on out-of-date technology with limited features will struggle to meet these needs. By investing in a CCaaS solution you can achieve a real competitive advantage. Not only will you provide efficient customer service across multiple channels, using advanced features, but you’ll also streamline your IT by having all communications on one platform.
The best cloud contact centre solutions will offer a range of features, automatic upgrades, security and call recording features, scalability, and fast deployment to help you cope with increased demand.
Learn more about Firstcom’s cloud-based contact centre solutions click below.
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