How to choose a contact center system so as not to regret it?

What functionalities should contact center software have? Solutions for business are developing at an incredible pace. Clients are seeking new functionalities that will increase sales and improve customer service. Therefore, the functions provided by contact center software, which until a few years ago were a indicator of innovation, are now available in almost all solutions on the market. Turns out that a good choice of software for your business requires constant tracking of available solutions and thus becomes a big challenge. So what are the criteria to follow when choosing a contact center system? What features to look for? What to look for in the offer? Here are 8 questions you have to ask yourself before you choose the contact center system.

Do I need a call or contact center?

Think about your main channel of communication with clients. If you assume that you will only call clients by phone, you can limit yourself to a call center system. However, if you plan to reach your customers also via e.g. e-mail, chat or social media, you should implement a contact center system, which enables two-way communication with the customer via many other channels than just the telephone.

Even if you now claim that the call center is enough for you, check if the selected system has the ability to expand to a contact center. You never know how much and how quickly your organization will develop.

Does the system have an omnichannel function?

Omnichannel, or multi-channel customer service, is the answer to the dizzying growth of Internet communication. The modern contact center system enables tracking the client’s points of contact with the company’s product and flexible contact with the client in order to adapt to the communication channels chosen by him/her.

When choosing a contact center system, find out whether it supports various channels: voice, chat, video, SMS, social media, fax. Does it allow for multi-channel conferences, remote control the client’s desktop, tracking the client’s activity on the website and whether it has tools for mobile use.

Is it an all-in-one system?

Efficient operation of marketing, sales and service processes requires quick access to data, effective analysis and effective communication. Therefore, when implementing a modern contact center, look for all-in-one solutions.

Check if the system offers a built-in CRM system with contact identification and conversation history, if it allows for acquisition and registration of leads on all communication channels and if it allows for managing requests.

Also make sure that the chosen contact center system easily integrates with applications and software you already use (e.g. other CRM or ERP systems).

Should I choose a contact center in the cloud service?

No infrastructure maintenance costs, immediate activation, flexibility to adapt functions, remote operation, easy integration – all these are advantages of contact center systems in the cloud service. No wonder that this solution is becoming almost a standard in contact center services.

But what is worth checking out when choosing a cloud service? First of all, the level of security of personal data storage. Encrypted connections, double login and authorization control system are mandatory solutions for the contact center provided in the cloud service.

Does the system use AI elements?

The interest in process automation in business in recent years has resulted in a very rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. As a result, they were also used in customer service solutions. Proper use of these technologies allows to reduce costs in the company and shorten the time of customer service.

Therefore, it is worth knowing to what extent the contact center platform we have chosen uses AI functionality. These include text-to-speech (TTS), automatic speech recognition (ASR), self-service processes bots, bots responsible for the acquisition and raising the profile of leads.

Does the system allow to automate business processes?

The employee’s time is very valuable. Check if your planned contact center system allows you to automate routine activities:

To what extent can you automate the distribution of calls and incoming messages to the right consultants?
Can you automatically run campaigns on multiple communication channels?
Can you conduct automatic surveys using e-mail, SMS and telephone?
Can you automate voice, e-mail and SMS notifications and report the receipt/reading of information?
Is it possible to automate selected tasks performed by consultants during a conversation?
To what extent does the system allow for building self-service processes?

Is the system flexible?

Good contact center software develops together with your organization. You can easily expand them with new features you shall need. At the same time, make sure that the contact center system is easily adapted to the specifics of your company and the industry in which you operate.

A modernly designed contact center system will allow you to adjust the number of workstations and organize them in an optimal layout. You can apply contact center solutions in various areas of your organization – marketing, sales, debt collection or customer service.

It is also recommended that the contact center system supports the multilingualism of the interface.

Does the contact center system provider provide support?

Before you choose a contact center system, find out what the whole process of system implementation and maintenance looks like. Does the supplier carry out a business analysis to get the best out of your needs? Does the supplier provide support for the system also after implementation? Would you able to easily contact the supplier in case of issues and additional questions related to the functioning of the software?

Finally, the quality of customer service in a company implementing contact center systems should prove the quality of the software itself.

In what areas do you need the contact center system?

Modern contact center systems are very complex applications. They offer many functionalities and can improve the work of many areas in the company. Therefore, consider what kind of modifications you want to achieve by using an advanced contact center system. This way you will know which software components you need most. The contact center system will help you develop the following areas in your organization:

Marketing

You can utilize the functions of the contact center system to make the marketing department more efficient in collecting, selecting and raising the profile of leads. The system’s capabilities such as webtracking, Invitation Link, Unified Communication or call ordering allow you to track the activity of your contacts and make a conversation with them through their favorite channel of communication and at a convenient time for them. On the other hand, call queuing, task prioritization or call scripts facilitate the work of marketing consultants, increasing their efficiency. Discover modern marketing tools offered by Conpeek

Sales

The sales support system makes it easier for consultants to take advantage of every sales opportunity. Multimedia meetings with clients, simultaneous telephone, SMS and e-mail campaigns or a callback service are facilities that increase the effectiveness and reach of sales operations.

Customer service

If you want to provide customers with 24/7 support for their enquiries, the Conpeek customer service system meets this expectation. Communication SDK in WW/Android/iOS technologies, IVR and IVRS service as well as company knowledge base are functionalities that enable remote customer service, as well as use self-service mechanisms that accelerate the resolution of requests.

Debt collection

The Conpeek debt collection software supports the debt collection process in companies through video and teleconferences, call scripts and integration with payment systems. Automation of debt collection also reduces its costs.

Back-office

If you want to improve communication between teams in the company and ensure fast information flow, the contact center system should offer VPBX, Meet-Me Conference and Ad-Hoc Conference functions, as well as integration with an external CRM system. In addition, client feedback and reporting functions will help to assess the performance of individual support teams on an ongoing basis. Find out more about the Conpeek back office system

Does the system ensure data security?

Make sure that the contact center software you select uses call encryption to ensure data security. Also check that the system provides an appropriate level of security when logging in to the application and that you can flexibly define the levels of authorization for different groups of employees to ensure the protection of information.

Remember that the contact center system must comply with the general data protection regulation.

Does the system have an intuitive interface?

Make sure that your consultants’ work in the contact center system will be effective. The difficult to use contact center system causes distraction and makes the employees unable to act quickly and efficiently. This leads to a situation where the entire team becomes less efficient. So make sure that the consultants’ experience of using the contact center system is as good as possible. A comfortable, intuitive consultant’s panel will certainly translate into good customer service.

In conclusion:

To sum up, the selection of contact center software should be preceded by a detailed analysis and comparison of available functions. Taking into account the dynamics of changes, it is also worth noting the directions of development of the considered software. If we add the knowledge and commitment of the supplier to the assessment, we can be sure that we are making the right choice.