Both outbound and workforce optimization (WFO) customers can experience benefits from call center solutions. It doesn’t matter whether agents are on-site or remote, the right answer is going to provide advantages that both improve customer satisfaction and enhance productivity. New call center solutions are lightyears better than their traditional counterparts in very specific ways. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits modern call center software offers.
Workforce Optimization
Today’s call center software inherently supports WFO or workforce management. Forget spreadsheet-based scheduling or hiring call center agents to work straight business hours. Modernized cloud and premise solutions record call volume and analyze wait time. They note the frequency of abandoned calls and the number of agents on the phones at a given time, then they clarify how a company can best optimize its workforce to minimize wait times. Agents can be scheduled with these results in mind, adjusting their shifts or configuring breaks to make sure that people are available to help your customers when they try to connect.
Managing Overflow
In some cases, a call center solution can be configured to transfer calls to a remote call center or cloud solution if all agents are busy or the customer’s wait time has exceeded a set maximum. These remote agents may be less experienced than those who are dedicated to one project, but they can provide basic assistance and transfer the customer as appropriate. Smaller centers, growing companies and those with high call volume volatility tend to see customer satisfaction improve significantly when their call center software manages overflow more effectively.
Graphic Interfaces
Modern call center software also has the advantage of being more graphically pleasing. This benefit is not a matter of aesthetics (although that doesn’t hurt); rather, sleek design with color-coded widgets makes it easier for agents to see, at a glance, where they need to focus their attention at any given moment. The right interface will illustrate when each agent should take breaks or lunch and how many emails are waiting for a response.
Gamification
Gamification comes into play as well when call center software has the power to present agent productivity in a graphics-rich way. Details like average call handling time, the number of calls that required escalation or seeing customer satisfaction scores in real-time can help agents understand their performance relative to other agents. People tend to perform better when they can see how well they are doing. Call center software can be set to award badges for agent accomplishments or present performance in a leaderboard format. If an agent needs improvement, low productivity can be flagged to supervisors for coaching.
Evolving Enterprise Solutions
Many companies are returning to their enterprise roots to access next-level call center software capabilities. Effective scaling and scheduling are a direct result of this new focus. Understanding where to best place company resources is key to being successful, and realizing the impact of current efforts is how any company can improve its productivity.
Call Center Software Benefits
Call center solutions can provide lasting benefits to outbound and WFO (workforce optimization) customers. Whether they are in-cloud or on-premise, modern call centers go beyond answering phones to truly connecting with customers via a variety of platforms. They can support voice channels as well as online chat, email and social media, as well as make scheduling more effective and agents more productive.