Three Technologies That Every Contact Center Should Have

Lately, when we talk about change, we cannot avoid mentioning the pandemic, which has been a great accelerator in the field of technology and communications.

However, this change was already happening before the coronavirus, driven by demand and customer expectations. Today, when users have a problem, they look for a solution that is quick and as simple as possible. How can a call center satisfy customers? Implementing the right technologies to offer excellent customer service.

What Are The Three Technologies That Every Contact Center Should Have?

1) A Combined Solution

A call center that offers a combined solution means that customers can choose different options for query resolution, whether it is speaking with an agent or using chatbots, among others.

The great thing about a combined contact center is that neither option is better than the other; it is simply a matter of meeting customer needs. Sometimes customers just need to check their account balance. Others have very specific questions about their mortgage. In a blended call center, the customer can start with a virtual agent who can collect all the necessary information, use AI to predict what it will take to solve the problem, and determine if a live or virtual agent will be the best solution.

With intelligent virtual agents, contact centers can delegate a large part of their calls to automated information systems. Live agents can spend less time on simple, repetitive tasks and more time solving complex problems.

For instance, with advanced IVRs you can talk to virtual agents as if they were human. This experience not only improves the efficiency of call centers, but also meets customer expectations.

2) An Integrated CRM

Another must-have element of a successful contact center is an integrated CRM. As companies shift to remote or hybrid workforces, having a unified platform is key.

In a modern call center, agents are trained to focus on making customers happy. An integrated CRM allows agents to view all customer information in a single interface. And, in addition, they can do it from the comfort of their own home while telecommuting.

Through CRM integrations, agents answer every call with a 360-degree view of the customer on their screen. They know your account information, transaction history, as well as your sentiment score and channel preferences.

All CRM data helps identify opportunities for cross selling and upselling. Based on predictive analytics, agents can recommend additional products and services that customers are likely to seek in the market. This creates higher success rates when selling to existing users and can increase customer lifetime value by meeting their needs before they even know what they are.

3) A Cloud-Based Software

If a call center wasn’t in the cloud before COVID-19, it certainly is now. It’s hard to imagine how the entire world could transition to a remote workforce without cloud-based services. Thus, companies continue to migrate core systems and workflows to the cloud at a rapid pace.

Cloud-based software facilitates faster connectivity at lower infrastructure cost while keeping data more secure than on-premises data centers. By eliminating the costs of data centers and accompanying security and system upgrades, running applications in the cloud can reduce capital expenses while providing a reliable pricing model that enables high levels of scalability. In fact, according to Nucleus Research, cloud-based solutions achieved an average ROI 1.7x higher than on-premises solutions.

The cloud also enables many of the Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and predictive analytics features that most organizations rely on to create competitive advantage.

In conclusion, the innovations that have taken place before and in response to the pandemic have had a positive impact on call center operations around the world.