[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hose who buy your products and services expect you to be able to satisfy their query in a timely and professional manner. For companies that make or receive a high volume of calls or have a large consumer base, call centers are the answer. If you run a call center, the success of your business is totally dependent upon your center’s ability to provide excellent customer service.
There are nearly 7,000 call centers in America alone — that makes for some pretty stiff competition. In today’s technology-based business world, the right tools can help you level the playing field with any caliber competition. Continue reading to learn what call center software is and how it can take your business to the next level.
What is call center software?
In the current day and age, most business-related issues can be addressed with some form of technology or another. Oftentimes, when people think of technology being applied to business, they think that service will become less personal and more mechanized. With call center software, nothing could be further from the truth.
Call center software is a type of customer relationship management (CRM) software. Such software enhances the customer experience and increases your company’s bottom line. CRM is the biggest titan in the software market because companies have realized the potential of this software to help them have a better understanding of their patrons. Even you can integrate your phone calls with CRM software so your team can have data-backed, context-rich conversation on every call.
In spite of the fact that the internet has made many services all but obsolete, the phone is still the favored option for consumers needing support. Even though Google may have many answers, people still value the ability to communicate with a human who can walk and talk them through a problem.
Call center software puts the answers at the fingertips of those who work your call lines. This software has the ability to redirect calls to the right personnel, record calls for quality assurance, and even apply analytics to calls so that you can have tangible data that details call quality. It can even be used for web callbacks to customers who opt to have your company call them after visiting your website.
Do you have to have a call center to apply call center software?
Today’s economy is known by many as the sharing economy. This new economy has given rise to a new independent streak in the workforce.
People are using their personal vehicles for taxis. They’re renting out their own homes to strangers for the weekend or even weeks at a time. They’re delivering groceries and restaurant food to customers who buy these things online and don’t want to leave home to pick them up. There are even car-sharing apps that allow people to rent their car out to others. CRM allows small businesses to tap into this sharing economy, as well.
How, you ask? The answer is the virtual call center. Opening a call center for your business is very expensive. You have to have your brick-and-mortar structure built, equipment bought and installed, and agents hired and trained to assist your customers.
Call centers have a high turnover rate, meaning you would spend a lot of time and resources hiring and training newbies.
A virtual call center allows you to hire people to handle your company’s calls from the comfort of their own home — if you so choose. All of your customers’ data is stored on remote servers, and your remote workers can access the data of the person they are talking to over the internet. All they need is a broadband internet connection. Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) — or internet calling — is inexpensive and in some cases, free. That means that your high volume of calls will show up little —if any — in terms of your overhead costs.
Use call center software to improve your call center operation. If you’re a small business or startup owner, spring for your own inexpensive virtual call center. Such an investment will surely pay for itself in the long run.
