If you’re the owner of a small business, you might think you have no need for a call center solution. After all, call center software is for big businesses with complex needs, right? That may be so — but it doesn’t mean you can’t also reap the benefits of integrating call center software into your business. After all, anything that improves the customer service experience is good for business. So, let’s find out what call center software can do for you.
Choosing the Right Call Center Software
Choosing the right call center solution for your business is much like any other business decision — you decide on your needs, you form a plan, and then carry out that plan. But where do you begin? Here’s a checklist of items to get you started.
i. Understand Your Needs
A good way to know whether or not you need contact center software is to know what needs your business in particular has. For example, what’s the size of your team? What are your most typical and important customer service demands? What’s your budget for call center software, in terms of both money and time? How do you want to use the software — inbound, outbound, omnichannel? Do you need video call features or international calling capabilities? These are all essential questions to ask before you go any further.
ii. Decide on a Type
Next, you should know that there are multiple types of contact center solutions, each with their own advantages and drawbacks. Here’s a quick rundown on each of them:
On-Premise
First, there’s on-premise (sometimes referred to as “on-prem”) call center software. This is the most traditional means of hosting software. It means the software is installed and hosted at your place of business. On the upside, this gives you complete control over every aspect of the hardware and software. The not-so-up side is that it requires a lot of investment in the infrastructure and maintenance of the software. It also doesn’t scale as well as other solutions.
Cloud-Based
Cloud-based software is the opposite of on-premises hosting. As you might infer from the title, cloud software is managed by a third-party provider, which means they handle the hardware and maintenance. If there are issues, the cloud provider handles them. You get your own customer service, which is great in case something happens. But at the same time, you’re trusting your data to a server in the cloud — basically, someone else’s computer. Be sure you’re comfortable with that before you commit.
Hybrid
Because both on-prem and cloud solutions have their advantages, many businesses opt for a hybrid solution, where the data is kept on in-house services and the support application itself is hosted in the cloud. This is well-suited to companies that have highly sensitive customer information that they need to keep secure — this is the kind
Virtual Call Center
A virtual call center is one where the call center isn’t in-house, but rather call center agents are dispersed, possibly internationally, but the software is still centralized. This can have some advantages, such as eliminating the need for physical offices, but it may introduce some time zone headaches and other issues.
iii. List Must-Have Features
Once you decide on a type, it’s time to assemble your wish list of features. Some examples include:
- Interactive voice response (so your customers can speak their queries and preferences instead of hitting buttons)
- Automated call distribution (reduces hold time and makes customers happier)
- Call monitoring and recording
- AI features
- Integration with your company phone system
- Omnichannel support (text/sms, email, etc.)
- CRM integration
iv. Other Considerations
After you have a list of features in hand, there are some other considerations to think about. Obviously, budget is a major concern, and will vary widely depending on the size of your team. But you should also consider the time factor — is the software easy to set up? Easy to learn? Will it require extensive training? Most importantly, is it something your team can use and even enjoy over a period of years?
You should also consider scalability—a good software solution should be able to handle increased call volume as the business grows to avoid costly replacement and retraining. You should also look into after-sales technical support since downtime and mishaps are inevitable, and you want the speediest, most effective response.
Final Words
There are many call center options, and finding the right fit for your business might take some time and research. The good news is that many contact center solutions offer free trial periods, so you can try them out before you fully commit to anything. This is a good opportunity to get feedback from your call center team on the software so you don’t go all-in on a system that doesn’t work for them.
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