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A cloud call center service is basically the new modern version of a traditional phone system. Instead of relying on complex hardware systems, this service makes use of the internet to efficiently handle communication needs. For example, think of it as a subscription based system where the employees can access their calls and manage their work from anywhere and everywhere even if they are not at the office.
Table of Contents
What exactly is a cloud call center service?
A cloud call center is a virtual communications platform hosted and managed entirely by a third-party. You get access to call recordings, routing and other reporting tools over the internet using Contact center as a service or CCaas. This makes the third-party vendor a call center service provider.
Difference between Cloud Call center and Cloud Contact center
A cloud call center is voice based and handles both inbound call center services and outbound call center services. While a cloud contact center is omnichannel. It handles all calls along with other channels like social media messages,email, chats etc.. it handles everything within one unified platform.
What is VoIP and CCaaS
VoIP or voice over internet protocol is basically the foundation in cloud telephony services. It converts the voice you send to data packets over the internet, which makes it possible to make communication to and fro without depending on complex hardware systems and wires. But CCaaS is more of a business model. Instead of buying hardwares and softwares yourself, here you can buy the service based on a subscription or pay per use system, so that you do not have to worry about security or maintenance which gets taken care of with the fees you pay.
How does Cloud Call Center services work?
A virtual call center service works by intelligently organizing the call traffic and ensuring every call is directed properly over the internet.
In the old times, every call was handled by a PBX system with complex hardwires. But the risk of missed calls was insane. Manual work was tiring and people had to be constantly overworked. But with the cloud service, all these hardwares were replaced by remote and secure data centers managed by the service provider. With this the cost effectiveness increased as you no longer needed to buy hardware systems. Also the work efficiency increased, as employees could access everything related to the calls from anywhere or even from their home.
When the customer makes a call, the call automatically enters the service platform which gets received by the provider’s cloud server. The call gets greeted by the IVR system which acts like a virtual receptionist directed by the inbound call center service. The call then gets analyzed by the automatic call distribution feature which analyzes the caller details, urgency and matches it with the employees equipped with the specific skill. The ACD then connects the call to the best possible agent. This is the key to a faster call center service.
Features of a modern Cloud Call Center
Modern call center services have powerful software tools that boost agent productivity and customer satisfaction.
- Interactive voice response (IVR) – by handling simple requests, this feature helps to boost agent productivity. It also collects basic details of the customer before redirecting to the available agent.
- Automatic call distribution (ACD) – this feature organises the calls and routes it based on skill based routing rules to the best possible agent. This helps to improve customer satisfaction.
- CRM integration – this feature collects all the data from available sources and places it in a central place. The software seamlessly connects with your existing CRM platform. So when a call is received, the agent gets to see a pop up of the customer history and handle the call better.
- Auto dialer/ predictive dialer – for outbound call center services, this feature helps to automatically dial the next number to contact so that it eliminates the manual work for agents.
- Real -time analytics – with the help of a dashboard, the managers get to see metrics and adjust their employees accordingly to handle peak call volumes.
Benefits for business with a Cloud Call center
Shifting to a cloud call center is a great step ahead for accelerating growth in businesses. With the help of cloud services, the one time upfront expenditure spent on hardware and maintenance can be significantly reduced. You get to estimate and plan accordingly to the operational expense. You get to choose a subscription model which boosts pay as you go or pay per use. This boosts the cost efficiency factor, which is essential for every business.
Also with cloud services, you get to scale according to growth. If you need to add extra employees suddenly, you can easily scale the service and eliminate it when needed. Also with cloud services, business owners can easily employ people to work from home which also reduces their operational costs and employees get flexibility too.
The utmost advantage of opting for a cloud service is enhanced customer experience. When the customer calls in need, if the business can efficiently handle the service without confusion, this gradually helps to increase customer trust and experience. In turn, this helps to enhance brand image and visibility.
Steps to successfully go cloud
- Understand your specific needs – define the needs and goals of the business. Identify what all features you are looking for, instead of just buying what comes first to sight.
- Audit your current environment – you need to tally your existing crm platform and other softwares for easy integration to the service.
- Choose the right pricing model – identify the cost ranges of different service providers and check or hidden fees.
- Complete agent training – give proper training to customers to use the system efficiently and make them understand how much of a help is this for them.
- Monitor KPIs from the first day – take note of the key metrics like service level and first call resolution rates. Analyze the success of migration in every step.
Conclusion
The new age workplace environment calls for work life balance. Not everyone is interested in manual labor even for tasks that can be easily automated. Also every business owner who is scaling towards growth takes notes of these features and boosts their upward growth. So depending on old systems is no longer the way to success. So, cloud services are the way to go.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Is switching to cloud service expensive?
No, it actually lowers your business expenditure costs as it eliminates expensive hardware.
2. Are the calls secure in the cloud?
Service providers abide by the rules and compliance that makes sure it is secure.
3. Can I use my existing number in the cloud?
Yes, you can port the existing number to use in the cloud service.