A call center software makes an agency more than just a center for dialing and receiving calls. The traditional methods demanded a call center to handle one process of a business, namely customer service. With the change in time, a call center is also asked to generate reports, present analytics, and improve the efficiency of the operations.
An agency can use any software based on its budget and requirements. There are cases where companies install in-house built software into the systems of the agency.
Every software works differently and has a variety of functions. Not every software meets all the requirements. However, they do carry a few generic features that help an agency to get started with the business.
5 Key Features
Every business and agency must consider some of the most useful features before installing software.
Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)
A call center has many agents working for it. These agents work in multiple shifts. It becomes difficult to note the log-in and log-out times of every agent. Moreover, it is difficult to determine who is idle for a long time.
In such instances, a call center can avail of call center software analysis benefits. The software marks the idle time of every agent, identifies who is not on call, and routes the incoming call to that agent. This can be set as per the policy of the company.
For example, a company may want to assign a call first to the agent who has been idle for a longer time. A company may also want to assign more calls to the agent who has been performing well recently. This can be entered into the software and action would be taken accordingly.
Computer Technology Integration (CTI)
A mobile device has made everyone’s life easier. It is a device that can be taken anywhere to further the communication with the concerned person.
With Computer Technology Integration, a call center can link the computer to the mobile phone of an agent. This would assist the agent to receive or make calls virtually from anywhere. The parameters can still be set and access can be controlled, but the integration benefits the call center, and the company, as it offers on-the-go convenience.
The software comes in handy when the volumes have risen and off-duty agents are required to take calls for a few hours. They can do it from the comfort of their homes. The same can be said for the agents who are unwell at home but want to work.
Reporting And Analytics
The business of outsourcing deals with the relationship of a company with a third party. Since professionalism does not work solely on trust, a certain set of data is necessary to continue the strategic partnership.
A contact center software automatically generates the required reports. It also delivers the already-designed analytics. The reports along with analytics assist the agency and company to function based on the data. The process of decision-making in the company is driven better as well.
The pointers that the software provides are actionable information. The agency and the company can rely on them to take any action required. The features of a call center software help to address various challenges and identify trends among the customers. Some of the customers may be unsatisfied with the billing process. This would come to notice only when the software would register the issue in that category.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
The Interactive Voice Response is an alternative to a human communicating with the customer. It is an efficient feature that one must consider.
There are various roles that the feature can play. One of the most important roles is to direct a customer to the right department. A customer may dial the helpline number for a variety of reasons ranging from installation to billing. A billing call received by the installation team can frustrate the customer.
It offers consistency to customers in terms of experience. Some of the frequently asked questions are also handled by this feature. A customer may want to know when the bill payment is due. This does not require the personal attention of an agent. It would only waste his or her time. A customer deserves a straightforward answer and this feature can help with that.
Power Dialers
It takes time and effort to dial every number from the system. The feature of Power Dialers is a contact center solution to that problem. An agent does not need to manually dial every number that he or she sees on their screens.
The feature automatically dials the number from the system. This only takes a few seconds. The feature is mostly targeted to be used by an agency that deals with outbound calling facilities. The only drawback that the feature has is that an agent can only attend one call at a time. Some companies require an agent to be on multiple calls simultaneously.
The reduction in the manual work and time adds up to a lot. The entire agency saves hours every day when the saved time of every agent is combined.
Final Words
These were some of the features that every agency providing customer care service must consider. If you are looking to excel in the business without burning out your current team then such services can come to a good rescue.
