Although people used phone calls to promote products in the early 1900s, the first call centers originated in the 1950s. By the 1970s, call centers were a popular tool used to promote goods and services to customers and provide service to customers.
Technology has evolved since the first call centers were launched. Today, more people use smartphones than landlines, and changes in technology have revolutionized the way contact centers operate. There are several compelling reasons to upgrade your contact center from a legacy call center, including the benefits outlined below.
What’s a legacy call center system?
A legacy call center is a contact center using old technology such as landlines. While landlines were once cutting-edge technology allowing people to communicate with others, today’s businesses benefit from the portability of mobile phones. The phones in legacy call centers can’t connect to other devices, such as computers and printers.
What are the benefits of upgrading your call center?
Today’s call centers are cloud-based call centers designed to ensure a superior customer experience. One of the benefits of cloud-based call centers is portability. Call center staff can connect to contact center software from their home or a business center, enabling them to provide optimal customer service from any location. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this type of software enabled customer service representatives to work from home and maintain a safe social distance from coworkers while offering excellent customer service.
Due to the portability of cloud-based call centers, businesses save money with contemporary call center software because their contact center can be located anywhere in the world. Businesses can establish contact centers in areas with affordable rent prices instead of expensive cities.
Contact centers also save businesses money because they increase efficiency and prevent overlap. Features, such as predictive dialers, enable your sales team to place calls without making mistakes when dialing. Predictive dialers automatically pull numbers for the staff person to call, so they don’t have to search for numbers. The system software allows staff members to add notes, recording attempts to contact clients.
Modern call center software also ensures superior customer support. Customers can use multiple communication methods to contact your customer service representatives. Whether consumers want to address their needs via email or live chat, modern contact center software enables consumers to choose the communication channel they prefer. Call center software also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to process incoming communications efficiently and identify the right agent to serve each callers’ needs. Customers won’t spend as much time waiting for assistance and can be sure that they connect to agents who can address their needs. Call center software also connects to social media, enabling agents to address customer complaints or issues raised through direct messages on social media channels.
Sophisticated call center software allows supervisors to receive critical data about call center staff and operations. They can monitor how long calls typically take and identify staff who take longer than usual to complete tasks. The system can record customer interactions, enabling supervisors to address complaints about staff members. Supervisors may also identify ways to optimize response times and improve customer satisfaction levels.
What are the different types of call centers?
Outbound call centers focus on placing calls to current or potential clients. It’s common for sales staff to use outbound call center technology to pursue new clients. An example of an outbound call center is a telemarketing center, where agents spend their day placing phone calls and promoting products.
Outbound call centers may also follow up with clients. For example, a healthcare organization may place calls to patients to check on their condition and ensure their recovery’s progressing as expected.
Inbound call centers are contact centers that concentrate on answering incoming queries. These call centers are ideal for businesses that want to provide customer support for clients. For example, if a customer buys a new computer and needs help setting it up, they may call the company’s contact center to have a staff member walk them through the process. Inbound call centers also facilities that schedule appointments, such as doctors and hairdressers.
Upgrading your legacy call center is crucial to compete in today’s business environment. Modern call center software saves staff time and saves businesses money. Companies with modern call center software also benefit by increasing their communication channels, enabling consumers to select suitable communication methods to address their needs. The AI systems reduce the amount of time customers spend waiting for support, increasing customer satisfaction rates.
