Why Make The Switch?
When serving contact centers, sometimes old tech habits die hard. It might not be clear why investing in one solution that combines UC & contact center functionality all-in-one is a better investment than a hosted PBX phone system. As a service provider, you might have to convince call center operators that it’s time to swap out. What is their point of view, and how should you turn the conversation your way?
Contact center business models are all based on efficiency and producing positive results – whether it’s gaining new customers or supporting existing ones. Integral to the success of a contact center is a proper design. Classic call center designs center around the tried, tested, and true business telephone system of the private branch exchange (PBX). PBX systems are great for handling incoming and outgoing office calls, and provide a smooth and easy one-to-one channel for managing customers or prospects. There are even mapping extensions that can route calls to other departments or direct calls to a mobile device. Most contemporary PBX setups offer conferencing and video support too.
If PBX systems can do the job then what’s the big deal?
The issue is meeting your business goals. Do you want to meet them, or blow them out of the water? As a contact center in an ever-evolving consumer landscape, you’ve now got mobility, video, and cloud integrations to think about. While PBX systems will serve you just fine, aren’t you looking for maximum efficiency and performance? Is “just fine” good enough? It’s time for a digital communication solution where you can integrate Unified Communications (UC), Contact Center (CC), Video Conferencing (VC), and other collaboration applications. The result is high efficiency, lesser hardware and maintenance costs, and exceptional customer experience. You need a real, digital communication plan, not just a phone system.
What do you mean by digital communication plan?
Information and communication technology is converging into ICT – digital media, telecommunications and computer technologies all together. When you think about your contact center software, think about the idea that it can – and should – integrate with your general communication and video system as a single process as a unified platform. That way your VC, UC, and CC operations support each other as one streamlined system. PBX systems can serve customers, but they’ll never enhance your way of doing work. Sticking to a PBX solution means missing out on a whole other world of contact center success.
But it seems so complicated! There is so much to install!
It might seem overwhelming, but let’s consider what hardware is truly being installed. With a PBX system you’ll need cabinets, wires, cables, phone sets, consoles, and switchboards. That’s a lot of upfront cost, setup, and installation. With contact center software setup you’ll just need a computer and headset for each person.In addition, opting for a service provider that leverages an as-a-Service model can take all the hassle of migrating to a new system, installing hardware, and managing the infrastructure out of your hands so you can focus on what you do best – growing your business.
But what about the associated costs over the long term? Isn’t PBX far less expensive?
Maybe. PBX systems will save you on phone bills, but there are also monthly service and maintenance fees you’ll have to swallow. A unified platform keeps maintenance expenses low, and is easier to scale. More importantly, with contact center software you can eliminate a lot of hardware and, far more importantly, save money by being more productive.
What do you mean?
Well, with a contact center software solution you’ll be able to manage more calls with less staff, and maybe even be able to eliminate some staffing costs because of increased efficiencies.
How is that?
Well, for starters, automated dialing means your agents can eliminate mundane tasks like manual dialing, waiting for busy tones, and making calls that go to voicemail. Fast tracking your calls with software means making more calls in less time.
So maybe some of those bells and whistles are worth the hype?
Definitely. Intelligent routing, voicemail transcriptions, message authentication, list management, agent scripting, contact databases, data importing, even local language management – they all help you run a smoother, more efficient operation. Take analytics for instance. With real time dashboards and live data built into your platform you can have your finger on the pulse of all kinds of metrics like call volume, call trends, and agent efficiency. With a simple PBX system it’s difficult to identify issues and know how your team is performing. By switching, you can optimize internal resources by empowering call center supervisors and agents with the tools they need to identify problem areas and derive solutions quickly. And because the setup is cloud-based you can make changes and additions instantly across your entire system. It’s the best way to stay on top of your current effectiveness and plan for the future.
Sounds helpful. Where can I learn more?
Check out our eBook Contact Centers: The Next Generation to learn about how unified communications platforms quickly enable emerging technology trends, contact center market growth, why contact centers need cloud-based UC, CC and VC solutions – all in one golden triad.
