VoIP has emerged as an effective alternative to on-premise phone systems. Instead of traditional phone lines, VoIP phone systems operate on an internet connection, rather than depending on an on-site infrastructure. VoIP phone systems are hosted off-site in the cloud and can be monitored and managed remotely by a phone service provider
As company cultures shift to embrace more flexibility, cloud-based communication has emerged as a critical component of modern-day businesses. Call centers are no exception, as VoIP has allowed call centers to streamline their operations. If you are looking to enhance your call center's functionality, consider these five benefits of switching to a VoIP phone system.
For call center supervisors, driving efficiency depends on being able to assess and manage agent performance. Most VoIP phone systems come with an intuitive interface that allows supervisors real-time monitoring capabilities and the ability to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Agents can also utilize their dashboards to track their assigned call queues and review their call resolution statistics. Increased visibility allows agents and supervisors to uncover call activity insights and drive efficiency by reviewing real-time statistics.
VoIP phone systems also provide supervisors with additional monitoring tools to support agents. Call recording allows supervisors to review customer interactions, and the barge-in feature will enable them to join any active call. These features encourage effective oversight and provide valuable statistical insights to improve customer interactions and agent performance.
Cloud-based phone systems support advanced call flow features that improve customer experience and response time, but not all call routing and queuing flows are created equal. Call queuing has long been a staple of call centers, from automated greetings to hold music. VoIP phone systems go beyond traditional routing and queuing, with tools that improve the performance of a modern call center.
VoIP call center services include queue prioritization, which allows calls to be prioritized based on their time in the queue. Conditional routing redirects stranded calls and calls that have waited too long to reduce any customer service pain points. Outbound calling features like autodial and predictive dialing solutions reduce the time between calls and allow for a higher call volume. These automated features enable call center agents more time to focus on ensuring customer satisfaction.
VoIP phone system's in-bound call customization expands beyond auto-attendants and on-hold music. Using Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) is typical for inbound call centers, and helps direct calls based on each DNIS' dedicated purpose. If a call center handles calls for multiple products or services, the corporate phone system that receives the call analyzes the DNIS to determine what product they are calling about. With VoIP’s advanced customization features, audio greetings and announcements can be customized for each DNIS, meaning callers hear messages relevant to the purpose of their call.
For agents, VoIP provides customized Whisper Announcements, which prepares them for their next incoming call. Whisper announcements can also be assigned based on dialed numbers (DNIS) or based on the ACD system algorithm. Whisper announcements allow an administrator to provide agents with specific instructions about an incoming call before being connected to the caller. Agents can then begin phone calls with the information provided by custom whisper announcements.
Making changes to your on-premise phone system often includes fees associated with removing, adding, or updating hardware. More-so, any hardware maintenance to on-premise phone systems results in considerable downtime. For call centers, that downtime is especially disruptive to their ability to provide customer support.
Business operations do not face any interruption with a VoIP phone system update or change. Once deployed, VoIP can be scaled to address any changes to call volumes or customer service needs without any operational downtime. Whether your call center operates out of multiple locations, or your agents work remotely, VoIP phone systems enable agents to take calls anywhere. This flexibility allows for a more dynamic workforce and support for call centers of all sizes.
SumnerOne has a team of experts ready to get your call center up and running with Managed Voice Services. If you have any questions about the process, we are happy to help.
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