How VoIP Improves the Call Center Customer Experience. Presented by:

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1 How VoIP Improves the Call Center Customer Experience Presented by:

2 The right call center phone system plays a critical role in delivering quality customer service, maximizing customer satisfaction and increasing productivity and efficiency. Unlike standard business phones, call center phone systems have to do more than just connect calls. They must provide information that allows supervisors and managers to monitor and analyze call center operations and the performance of individual agents. They must also provide agents with access to customer relationship management (CRM) information to help them serve customers efficiently and generate more sales. Systems based on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology are proving to offer call centers the features, services, call quality and reliability they need to offer a prompt, efficient service to customers while managing resources effectively. 2 How VoIP Improves the Call Center Customer Experience

3 The Call Center Market The US call center business was worth around $18 billion in 2013 and employed more than 100,000 people, according to the research portal, Statista. The ten largest call centers in the country each employ more than 3000 people. Modern call centers, or contact centers as they prefer to be known, offer callers the opportunity to contact them by a range of different channels. The CFI Group reports that , Web self-service, chat and other online communications account for some 30 percent of customer engagements. Research firm Ovum found that 25 percent of consumers surveyed used two or more channels when looking for customer care, while 52 percent used three or four channels. Customer satisfaction is a key driver for the call center market, so businesses must ensure they have the capacity and the systems to minimize call waiting times and ensure callers reach the right contact to deal with their inquiry. VoIP, Meeting the Needs of the Call Center Business Call centers, like other business operations, require highquality phone systems that are reliable, scalable and cost effective. They also require features and functionality specific to their business. These include: Interactive voice response to determine callers needs Intelligent call routing to direct calls to the most appropriate agent Integration with customer relationship management and helpdesk systems Portal to configure the system Dashboard to help supervisors monitor call center and agent performance Call recording for training and compliance Support for remote agents Multichannel capability to support customers contact preferences Systems for Large and Small Call Centers In a small or medium business, the internal call center generally handles functions like technical support, customer service and telesales. The call center may be only a small part of the business. To simplify operations and reduce costs, some VoIP providers offer general business phones with optional call center features, rather than setting up two separate, possibly incompatible systems. Dedicated call center systems are available for call centers that are businesses in their own right. Businesses may also set up virtual call centers, using agents working from home or other locations to provide a service. Look for systems that support remote working. VoIP manufacturers and service providers offer solutions to meet all three scenarios. Solutions for Premise or Cloud- Based Call Centers Call center phone systems must have the capacity to handle high call volumes and minimize waiting times for incoming callers. By using historical data, managers can calculate average and peak traffic requirements. They can then choose one of two VoIP options to meet capacity requirements: Deploy a VoIP system on the premises with spare capacity to meet planned volumes. Choose a cloud-based hosting provider that can scale capacity up or down in line with operational needs According to Statista, 22 percent of US call centers were cloud-based in A premise-based system may provide the right capacity, but this can lead to over-provisioning with under-utilized assets. This option also incurs high start-up costs, with capital expenditure on infrastructure and ongoing system maintenance and management costs. A cloud-based hosted system can be scaled in line with business growth, with extra capacity available on demand to cope with high-volume events like marketing or recall campaigns. Hosted systems require minimal upfront and running costs as the hosting company provides, operates and maintains the infrastructure in the cloud. A hosted system is paid by monthly fees, simplifying budgeting and improving cash flow. Ensuring Call Quality Call quality is essential for a call center. Agents must be able to hear the details of every call and they must be able to provide a clear response to callers, despite the noisy environment of a call center. VoIP service providers offer audio quality at different levels from HD voice up to wideband stereo sound. However, call quality depends on other factors. A high-speed, uncontended broadband connection or dedicated leased line is essential to match the service provider s quality level. A basic, contended broadband connection can lead to quality problems at peak times when access speeds becomes slower. How VoIP Improves the Call Center Customer Experience 3

4 Choice of phones also influences quality. VoIP headsets with features like noise-cancelling technology, HD sound or higher and dynamic EQ help agents provide clear voice quality on every call. Routing Incoming Calls In a small call center, incoming calls may be handled by any agent who is free. But, as call center requirements get more complex, a call routing system that directs calls to the most appropriate agent is essential. A center may handle a wide range of products, for example. It might offer telephone ordering, technical support or account enquiries in the same facility. Or, it may wish to offer the equivalent of a local service to customers calling from different parts of the country. A VoIP call routing system can channel calls to specific agents based on a set of business rules or the caller s preference. Callers can select an option for the service they want from an interactive voice response (IVR) system. The system can direct calls to a local agent based on the calling line ID. The system can identify special campaign numbers to route calls to the most appropriate product specialist. Research firm JD Power & Associates found that IVR accounts for an average of 27 percent of the total call experience. However, consumers they surveyed felt that only 7 percent of call centers offered an IVR solution that delivered a better experience than their live agent experience. In a general call center with high call volumes, the system may be set to route the call to the first available agent, with automated messages to callers giving them likely waiting times or position in a queue. To handle incoming calls when the center is closed, VoIPbased systems incorporate auto attendant systems and voic facilities to capture callers details for callbacks during normal business hours. Alternatively, calls can be routed to remote agents who provide cover outside normal hours. Supporting Agents Whether they are handling incoming or outgoing calls, agents need information on the people they are contacting. VoIP phones for call centers integrate with CRM systems so that agents can quickly bring up callers details, purchasing history, service issues, product preferences and other essential information. This enables them to provide a personal service to the caller and take any opportunity to offer other relevant products and services during the call. However, one factor that can impact both personal service and productivity is identity verification. According to ContactBabel, 59 percent of calls require identity verification, but only 3 percent of these are handled entirely through automated processes. As a result, US call centers spend $12.4 billion annually verifying caller identity. Agents working on technical support can integrate their phones with helpdesk systems like Zendesk, which provides facilities such as customer records, system information and self-service. Agents should also be able to transfer calls easily if they need expert advice or want to pass a call to another agent better suited to handle the customer s needs. Successful transfers can reduce the need to call customers back, improving productivity and increasing customer satisfaction. Instant Messaging is another useful VoIP tool for agents. They can ask for information from a colleague while the caller is on the line and successfully resolve the call first time. Supervisors can provide support by monitoring or recording calls and prompting agents if necessary. They can also use a facility called barging-in to intervene in a call if an agent is having difficulties or dealing with an abusive customer. Managing Operations Call center supervisors need two essential tools to manage operations: A portal to configure the system. Software to collect operational data for analysis and action. 4 How VoIP Improves the Call Center Customer Experience

5 VoIP systems incorporate call center portals that allow supervisors to allocate identities and numbers to agents, and specify the services and features each agent can use. Supervisors also use the portal to set business rules for routing incoming calls and prioritizing certain types of calls. VoIP call center systems integrate with systems that gather data for analysis against important metrics. The data is available from the portal in the form of reports and typically includes: Number of incoming calls Average time to pick up calls Average queue waiting times Time spent on calls by agent Number of transfers Number of callbacks This data helps supervisors to allocate resources more effectively and manage the performance of individual agents. By comparing waiting times and numbers of calls at different times of the day, they can reallocate agents to ensure availability at peak times. By analyzing aspects of agent performance, such as time to deal with calls, numbers of transfers, barge-ins and callbacks, supervisors can identify training needs and improve overall call center performance. Research firm Frost & Sullivan notes that 60 percent of all repeat calls are process or training driven. Business processes are not in place to meet the customer s need, and agents have not been given the training required to meet the customer expectations that have been set by other parts of the business. Call recording is another essential feature. It provides useful information for training or performance reviews and, in certain industries, it may be mandatory to meet regulatory requirements. Virtual Call Centers Businesses that don t have their own call centers or want to establish specialist or overflow facilities can set up virtual call centers using VoIP technology. In a virtual call center, agents work from home or other locations. They may work permanently or when needed by clients. The National Association of Call Centers reported that more than half of US contact centers had a proportion of their agents working from a home office in And, more than 70 percent of those currently supporting homebased agents plan to increase their numbers. Virtual agents can use the same facilities as a physical call center by accessing the VoIP service from a high-speed Internet connection or through connections provided by SIP trunking. Supervisors in a central location control and monitor the service carried out by remote agents and can use call routing processes to allocate calls by category of call, time of day or other factors. Call Center or Contact Center? Increasingly, call centers are offering customers a wider choice of contact channels to meet individual preferences. As well as voice, customers can now choose to contact a center by , chat or Instant Messaging. They can also hold collaborative calls with agents by video. Twenty-one percent of online shoppers in the US prefer live chat, according to BoldChat. This is similar to the 23 percent of consumers who favor the telephone and ahead of social media, on just 2 percent. The firm reports that remains the most popular method for 54 percent of online shoppers. Call centers that want to offer broader contact center services can use the multimedia capability of SIP trunking and advanced features of VoIP software to meet their customers demands. VoIP provides agents with a single inbox so they can access all forms of communication quickly and easily. How VoIP Improves the Call Center Customer Experience 5

6 The Right Call Center Phone System for Your Business As the guide shows, service providers and system manufacturers offer a wide range of solutions for different types of call or contact center. Before looking at specific solutions, decide how you will use the phone system. Will agents handle only incoming or outgoing calls or both? Does the system have to integrate with other systems like CRM or monitoring systems? You also need to consider the features that will make the biggest contribution to efficiency, productivity and quality of customer service. info@thevoipreport.com