Most customers prefer phone support to digital communication tools like emails, chatbots, and social media, etc. With phone support, you can create a bond with your customers and also build trust. Customers will feel confident in your service knowing that they are talking with a real human. However, phone support can be very difficult and costly to manage especially if you do not use the right software. This is why you need to invest in the right call center software.
Top Call Center Software
Call center software can be grouped into four categories: VoIP, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Help Desk, and Gamification. Each of these categories has its respective benefits and features.
For instance, CRM software provides a dynamic information database that could be used to record or track data about customers’ service requests, account activities, web behavior, and social mention.
Help Desk software makes service management automation easy. Support agents can process a large volume of requests with Help Desk while maintaining the best quality.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software allows companies to manage communication over the internet. This is considered to be a more reliable, efficient and cost-effective method. VoIP could be used with PBX (private branch exchange) to provide a more efficient result. You can even use open-source software tools like WebRTC to make and receive calls from any device.
Features to Consider in a Call Center Software
There are various features to consider in call center software, depending on its purpose and the requirement of your team. By looking out for some of these features, you may be able to get a call center software that cuts across your needs.
Call Routing
Also known as an automatic call distributor (ACD), call routing is a way to direct voice calls to a queue or to the right person depending on the caller’s requirements. Calls can be routed to a specific queue based on several conditions such as time of day, caller’s language preference, call volume, request from a specific department, etc. You may either offer automatic routing or enable routing only when the customer has selected a specific option or department. No matter the routing option you choose, it is important to understand call routing and the necessary configuration to make to get it working.
Omnichannel and CRM Integration
Your call center software should be able to integrate with other communication channels you use to connect with your customers. For instance, if you also connect with your customers through live chat, email or social media, the software should easily integrate with these channels. This offers a lot of benefits to customers. For instance, customers do not have to summarize their previous discussions with the customer service team when contacting the customer support a second time. As a result, customer friction is dramatically reduced, resulting in a better result in the front line.
Reporting
Reporting helps business managers to keep tabs on the activities of their team. It’s very important in the management of call center software as well as in other aspects of management. With proper reporting, managers can monitor vital metrics like agent efficiency, call volume, and call trends. This helps managers to determine lags in support services and the necessary gaps to be filled.
Making and Managing Outbound Calls
Many call center software tools allow easy inbound customer services, calls, and support, but outbound calls are equally important. For instance, if you want to offer a proactive customer support service, you might consider making outbound calls. Outgoing calls might also be necessary for your sales team to contact potential customers or to follow up with an existing lead.
In conclusion, choosing a call center software is an important decision for most businesses. It is important to consider a lot of important factors as well as the cost of the software before choosing one.
