Virtual Call Centers – A Need for Today: Blog Series [4/7]

How Cloud has Changed the Call Center Environment for Better

In the previous post, we talked about how virtual call centers have turned into a need in today’s call center environment and because of the upsurging demands of the customers, their presence is proving significance.

In the current post, we will discuss the changes that are being seen now in the call center environment because of the cloud technology. What makes it so relevant in the current scenario is the effectiveness of these changes for the contemporary demands.

The agent-customer communication depends on various aspects of the services that are being delivered and are perpetually being sought after by the customers. The overall pattern of the demand and delivery decides how effectively the call center can help out an individual customer.

The customers are spelling out their needs very clearly then it becomes really essential for the service provider and the customer support agents to be always present with a concrete solution to the customer problems.

No need for Infrastructure

You don’t need any official premise to run your call center. Just few equipment and a good internet connection are enough for the agents to carry on the customer support. The ways of the traditional call centers are obsolete now as the arrival of cloud technology has superimposed it with the forward-looking features.

Without the need of the infrastructure, the whole setting up gets a lot easier and one can focus on other mandatory things to have a customer-centric approach in the call center environment. With this property, the setting up cost reduces to a large extent.

Autonomy to Agents

It has always been quoted for the call centers that one has to deal with tremendous pressure on a daily basis because of the customer demands. Customers look for an immediate solution and always expect more than what is being delivered.

For a work environment to be more productive, it has to be hassle free and humane. The traditional call centers have gone against this belief previously and agents have always been under pressure to meet such demands. Cloud brought a fresh breath of relief to the agents.

Cloud hosted call centers work based on a call center software and once installed in the computer or a handheld device it becomes an intelligent interface to communicate with the customers and the agent can easily execute the customer support from anywhere irrespective of his location.

Now with such features, the agents are not bound to one place like before and can handle the customers in more efficient ways.

Expert Opinions

In the situations when the agent is stuck and doesn’t have a convincing answer then, the expert help is always needed to give the customers a convincing answer. The call center software makes it easy for the agents and to connect with other agents, call center manager and an expert whenever their opinion is needed.

The traditional call centers lagged behind in this stake and most of the times the customers were bereft of the best possible solution. Cloud has enabled the agents to deal with the customers efficiently and respond to the customers not as an individual but as a team.

Self Help tools for the Customers

The self-help tools like the IVR systems (Interactive Voice Response) and toll free numbers save the great amount of time for the customers. In contemporary scenario, IVRs have become more intelligent and intuitive and they are well equipped with various features that help the customers to save their time and get to the solution without much delay.

With the help of cloud technology, customer data has become a primary asset in the call center environment. Deductions from such data help to achieve fruitful communication with the customers. Toll free numbers are another tool that has proved beneficial in the area of business communication.

They provide an added channel to the customers where they can reach out to the service provider without any hassle. Cloud technology ensures better call connection and communication.

Call Centers as Social Media Hubs

Another big change that the call centers have seen in recent years is they have become a social media hub. Because of the customer presence in social media, the customer support system has to be there where the customers are.

Many customers speak out candidly and give feedback about the service in the social space. To tap these insights coming from the customers, one cannot afford to miss out on the social media in today’s scenario.

The results are visible as the call centers have started to engage the customers meaningfully now. Social media has become a common platform for the customers and the service provider to share, explore and leverage on the mutual experiences.

This change is for Good

The changes that the call centers have gone through were mandatory to meet the demands of the customers as well as to make a great support system.

Every day there is an add on to the customer data and cloud-hosted call centers are substantially using the insights from the data to understand the customers better and deliver the services in its best ways. The future belongs to the cloud-hosted call centers because of the immense possibility of better customer experience and much-enhanced productivity.

In the next post, we will be discussing “Better Business prospects with Virtual Call Centers”.