If your contact centre is still undecided about moving to the cloud, it may be time to embrace a new mindset. Today’s digitally sophisticated customers demand a frictionless omni-channel experience, and the cloud is the fastest, easiest way to satisfy those expectations.
Why Cloud-based Contact Centers Make Good Business Sense
A cloud-based contact centre platform (also known as contact centre-as-a-service (CCaaS)) could be a game-changer for your organisation. With it, you can:
- Support emerging channels. Easily respond and adapt to your customers’ communication preferences by adding new channels as they emerge and as consumer behaviours change
- Scale on demand. Unlike on-premises systems, with CCaaS you can seamlessly connect to your other cloud-based solutions and quickly scale to support as many agents as you need when call volumes spike. Then, scale down when needed and only pay for what you use
- Support digital transformation. CCaaS solutions provide access to analytics, bots, machine learning and customisable APIs. So, if your organization is on the path to digital transformation, a CCaaS solution will get you there—at your own pace
- Centralise your data. In the cloud, your data is no longer siloed. In terms of improved customer experience, the return on that alone could be worth the switch because it means your agents can access and maintain the context of customer interactions across channels. Throughout the entire customer journey
Modern consumers won’t stand for less than the types of experiences true omni-channel delivers, according to an independent study commissioned by Serenova and conducted by Vanson Bourne of 3,000 consumers in the US and UK. According to the survey, 73% of respondents say it is crucial or very important that brands deliver seamless experiences across channels. Yet, the vast majority (80%) have a less-than-seamless experience when they interact with brands via different channels.
6 Steps for Moving to the Cloud
While a move to the cloud might seem overwhelming, here’s a proven, methodical plan for success:
- Analyse your customers’ behaviours and preferences. Identify your customers’ channel and communication preferences by combining information you have with a fresh survey
- Involve your agents from the start. Socialise the omni-channel plan with agents early and identify which ones are comfortable with digital channels and which require training. In addition to providing training, supply all agents with a playbook to help guide their interactions on every channel based on the distinct characteristics of each
- Roll out new channels one at a time. It’s wise to launch support for digital channels in succession. That way. you align customer preferences with your ability to support them
- Implement the right tools and technologies. In addition to a CCaaS platform, consider tools that can differentiate your customer service. For instance, with a quality management solution that tracks interactions between your agents and customers, your supervisors can monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of the customer experience. You can combine this with a tool that allows you to gamify the agent experience and incentivise agents to improve their performance
- Be selective about what ends up on the agent desktop. Tailor the user interface so each agent has access to only the most necessary tools and information, based on the channels they are covering
- Measure success quickly and continually. Moving to a CCaaS is a major initiative, so monitor and gauge the impact immediately after rollout and continually going forward. In addition to Average Handling Time (AHT) and First Contact Resolution (FCR), track metrics associated directly with the customer experience (think Customer Satisfaction and Net Promoter Score). Watch trends over time to pinpoint opportunities to retrain your agents and streamline processes
What to Look For in a Cloud Contact Centre Solution
As you evaluate your cloud contact centre solution options, vet each vendor for the following:
- Availability: Confirm the service level agreements ensure your customers can always reach you
- Security: Look for multi-layered security that minimises your business risk
- Scalability: Ensure you can dynamically scale to add agents as needed to control costs and prevent customers from spending excessive time on hold
- Innovation via automatic updates: Confirm the vendor handles upgrades and regularly deploys the latest and greatest technology
- Monitoring via real-time reporting: Look for robust reporting so you can monitor agent performance and adjust as needed to keep customer satisfaction high
With growing pressure to improve customer experience, effective contact centre executives are recognising the need to evolve their operations. While consumers use multiple channels—and increasingly more digital ones—to reach the contact centre, far too often their experience interacting with companies feels like a disconnected and frustrating series of interactions.
The cloud presents a new future for contact centres in the age of digital transformation —one that’s flexible, connected and enables quality experiences.
Guest Blog by Leslie Blanke, SVP, Product at Serenova
As SVP of Product, Leslie leads all Product Management, Product Marketing, and Strategic Alliance initiatives for Serenova. With more than 15 years of cross-functional expertise spanning Sales, Marketing, and Product, he has an unyielding focus on organizational alignment, clarity, and collaboration to successfully bring new products to market and accelerate growth. Previously, Leslie served as Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategic Alliances where he oversaw the messaging, positioning, and pricing of Serenova’s cloud platforms and has held various positions at Dell and American Power Conversion prior to joining Serenova. He holds a B.S. in Computer & Information Science from the University of Oregon.
