10 essential features to look for in a contact centre software

Level: Intermediate

Contact centre software is much more than just inbound and outbound call management software. Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) platforms now have a direct impact on agent productivity and improving the customer experience.

Of course, every business has different needs and objectives, but to make sure we’re choosing the right tool, we can’t ignore these ten features:

1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS

AI within a contact centre software is a very versatile tool that can deal with:

• Qualify intent (like an IVR, but with greater understanding and communication capabilities).
• Provide self-service so customers can get immediate answers to simple questions.
• Assist agents by clarifying doubts about a product/service or proactively providing advice.
• Automate post-call tasks such as summaries and typing.
• Facilitate agent supervision by impartially evaluating agent performance after each conversation.

2. ADVANCED CALL DISTRIBUTION

If we want to prioritise certain types of enquiries over others, we need to implement an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD).

The ACD is a system that routes calls based on rules. From a configuration panel, we can give one queue more weight than another so that, for example, medical emergencies are always given priority.

We can go a step further and define the skills of the agents (languages, knowledge, soft skills…) so that they receive the requests they are best suited to handle.

3. MULTI-CHANNEL MANAGEMENT

If we have multiple touch points with our customers: a contact phone, a web chat, an email address, a WhatsApp number… we need to be able to manage all channels from a single tool.

Not only so that agents can see all conversations in the same tab, but also so that supervisors can measure the customer experience in each channel.

4. INTEGRATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMMES

Voice integrations are the most common and allow us to make or receive calls when we are in other programmes.

For example, if we talk about integration with a CRM, we will not only be able to use all the telephone functions of our contact centre, but we will also be able to automate the display of customer files and the creation/update/deletion of contacts.

5. AUTOMATED DIALLING

Our sales team can also use customer service software to contact leads.

By including an auto-dialler for outbound calls, you can eliminate manual dialling and increase your conversion rate.

Plus, when integrated with CRM, the call history and all associated information is automatically recorded in the customer file.

6. CALL RECORDING

In order to comply with GDPR, it is essential to be able to record all calls and keep a record in case your customers request the recording. Therefore, it is an essential feature to operate your contact centre in accordance with the current regulations.

We need to ensure that we have full control over call recording during a conversation, so that we can stop it if customers disclose their confidential data.

7. MONITORING QUEUES AND AGENTS

In order to make quick and informed decisions, the customer service programme needs to have a dedicated supervisor panel. The more visual it is, the quicker they will be able to see how many agents are busy, how many are free and which queues are overflowing.

It is also very important to have dynamic, real-time information that they can interact with and apply filters to, for example, see how a particular agent is performing or make adjustments on the fly, such as changing the maximum number of calls in a queue.

8. CALL WHISPERING

This feature allows supervisors to listen or speak to an agent during a call without the customer hearing.

Call Whispering can be used to guide agents during training or to intervene in a call that is taking too long.

9. CALL STATISTICS

Just as supervisors need to see real-time information about agents and queues, we also need to monitor call traffic: how many calls are being handled, what is the average length of calls, what is our service level, etc.

This wallboard should also be highly visual, providing a bird’s eye view of all the metrics that impact contact centre performance.

10. COMPATIBILITY WITH ANY DEVICE

The usual scenario is a desktop computer with integrated WebPhone for agents to answer calls from a handset, but the pandemic has taught us that we need scalable and flexible tools.

Whether from a personal laptop or even a mobile phone, the software must adapt to the usability of each device without losing any functions: call transfer, recording, synchronisation of information, etc.

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Discover these and many other features of our contact centre software by requesting a free demo. Our experts are always available on +34 900 670 750 or in the chat below.