Cloud computing has transformed the contact centre industry. As with many other businesses, cloud computing has seen businesses benefit from increased flexibility, lower capital expenditure and reduced operational costs. It has enabled providers to move from large facilities with hundreds of desks and a mass of IT professionals in tow, to software systems that allow staff to work from anywhere.
The shift to cloud based call centre software presents a variety of opportunities for businesses that aim to shift from an onsite premise solution with improved communications, access to data analytics and social tools that are all handy benefits.
As with many call centres turnover is often high and when employees move into a different role it is sometimes difficult to preserve the knowledge of that individual to benefit users in the future. This can impact on future business resulting in callers spending excessive time in queues struggling with multiple menu options and sometimes for even the simplest of requests.
The application of social and collaborative tools internally by operators, or by the users themselves, can facilitate the discovery of the right expert or knowledge resource to help resolve a problem without the assistance of an operator.
In centres with high staff turnover or where the headcount is growing rapidly, the collaborative and social aspects of cloud based software address this with improved retention of knowledge.
They provide a quicker on-boarding process for new staff along with a much easier learning progression thanks to its intuitive web based interfaces. The easier adoption process also allows companies to bring in non-call centre staff during times of peak demand or crisis.
Adding to the benefits of cloud based contact software is how it lends itself to big data analytics; many of the online tools include their own analytic software while others offer APIs – Application Program Interfaces – to plug other packages into. They can be used for enabling applications for both external users and employees.
Coupled with that is the trend of most services now plugging into social media services through APIs and inbuilt services, allowing customer service officers to plug into external networks such as user forums, Twitter and Facebook to find answers to questions and identify high risk callers.
For most businesses the cloud is the way call centres are going to be provided in future as both capital and operational costs fall in the online model. For many businesses making the right choice of provider it would seem is likely to prove an excellent investment.
For more information or if you would like some free expert advice about “cloud computing” and how it can benefit your business, please contact us on 0345 389 2310, alternatively you can download our telephone systems buyers guide as useful reference material or even run a quick quote to obtain a budget cost for a new telephone system in less than 60 seconds by clicking here.
