Highlights:
- The daily routines of contact center agents are changing, requiring more innovative tools to assist in their tasks.
- The tools used should incorporate features needed to help customers access the right channels to resolve their issues.
- Cloud-based tools can make the job of agents easier while ensuring excellent customer service.
The new year is just around the corner, and with that comes the chance for a fresh start for contact centers looking to improve operations.
Given the seemingly constant evolution of contact center software and technology, it’s no surprise that digital solutions are always emerging to help contact centers handle customer calls more effectively and efficiently.
Ultimately, communication between agents and customers relies on the type of software that contact centers employ. More specifically, the tools and platforms used should have all the features needed to help customers access the appropriate communication channels to resolve their issues.
Your contact center might have a few items on its wishlist for 2022 designed specifically to make the job of your agents easier while keeping customer satisfaction at the forefront. Here are a few contact center solutions to consider for the new year.
Interactive voice response (IVR)
A sudden spike in customer calls can put a huge burden on contact center agents, not to mention place added stress on management to beef up staffing to handle a larger volume of calls. Luckily, there are advanced tools available to help mitigate this issue.
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system can help overwhelmed contact centers handle soaring call volumes without having to rush to hire more agents, or at least help bridge the gap until more agents are hired.
IVRs are automated systems that gather data from customer calls and then direct the call to the appropriate agent or other resource if required. With smart call routing via an IVR system powered by AI, challenges are more easily and quickly resolved, thereby improving the overall customer experience and easing the job of live agents.
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Automatic call distribution (ACD)
Another great tool for the busy contact center is an automatic call distribution (ACD) system. Centers with a high volume of calls will find this system convenient for identifying customer callers, placing them in queue, and directing them to the appropriate team member. Rather than the caller being asked to press a number that coincides with their needs, the ACD software uses data already collected about the caller and routes the call accordingly.
ACD systems have quickly become one of the more handy tools available to contact centers to help better handle large call volumes and improve agent efficiency. Calls are answered as quickly as possible, ensuring customer satisfaction.
Call analytics
Customers expect speed and quality when they call into a contact center with a query, and that’s precisely what contact centers strive to deliver. That’s why it’s important for contact centers to focus on what’s working well while improving what isn’t. But that’s nearly impossible without some type of call analytics process in place.
Real-time analytics and reporting is a crucial factor in gaining valuable insight into contact center metrics. For instance, key metrics such as inquiry types, call volume, average call time, and customer opinions can tell management how things are going and provide the information necessary to make changes accordingly.
Predictive dialers
Many contact centers are adopting predictive dialers, which use artificial intelligence to anticipate which phone number agents will call. Rather than relying on agents to make sure they punch in a customer’s phone number correctly, a predictive dialer will generate the entire number and quickly connect the call.
Customer surveys
One of the most effective ways to gauge how well your contact center handled a call is to encourage customers to complete a short survey following each call. The best contact center solutions have these customer satisfaction surveys built right into their platforms.
Once a call is complete, an automated message is immediately sent to the customer, asking them to score the agent on factors such as competence, communication, and friendliness, among others. Customer satisfaction surveys not only provide valuable insight into how well your center delivers on customer experience, but they also pinpoint areas where improvement is warranted.
Call queue and time estimator
Ideally, customers will be connected to a live agent shortly after dialing into a contact center, but such is often not the case. A call queue can make the wait a little more bearable. Rather than being sent to voicemail, a call queue places the customer into a queue and provides an estimated wait time.
During the wait, customers can listen to up-to-date information about your business or simply listen to music, with intermittent automated messages thanking the customer for their continued patience.
Self-service and AI software
While speaking to a live agent may be required to deal with certain issues, other queries may be resolved with other channels, such as chatbots, social media, live chat, and text, among others. In fact, more and more people prefer to use self-service platforms when dealing with the customer support aspect of a business.
With the implementation of help desk software, contact centers can offer customers a myriad of support channels that best suit each customer’s needs. Plus, these options can help alleviate the workload of agents on the floor, especially when call volumes are heavy.
Having an advanced cloud-based software to help your agents handle customer calls is key for today’s contact center. At RingCentral, we offer an innovative all-in-one cloud-based solution that incorporates all essential aspects of control center operations, including telephone, team messaging, and video conferencing.
Speak with a representative from RingCentral today to request your free demo and optimize your control center for the new year.
Originally published Feb 15, 2022, updated Aug 15, 2024
