Demand for flexible, scalable, and innovative contact center solutions is rising. In a world of constant innovation, evolving customer expectations, and changing workplaces, companies rely on the cloud and CCaaS to ensure business continuity and growth.
Indeed, migrating to the cloud for contact center technology provides companies with a unique opportunity to unlock new levels of agility and flexibility in their CX strategy. It can provide companies with a much-needed edge in delivering exceptional service and even lead to new opportunities for sales and increased revenue.
As such, it is perhaps no surprise that revered CX analyst Sheila McGee-Smith pinpointed the acceleration of CCaaS deployments as her number-one prediction for 2023.
Unfortunately, taking the leap into the cloud is no stroll in the park. There are many cautions to keep top of mind – many of those relating to how the transition will impact the agent experience.
According to Gartner, 45 percent of contact center agents are avoiding adopting new technologies, preventing companies from taking advantage of the benefits CCaaS can offer.
With this in mind, business leaders must take the right steps to facilitate adoption.
1. Look for Features That Enhance Employee Experience
Today’s customer experience agents are overwhelmed by rising call volumes, increasingly complex technologies, and a vast selection of different software tools and apps.
Companies must demonstrate how the right CCaaS platform – with tight integrations – will benefit employees and encourage them to use new solutions.
As Ben Booth, CEO of MaxContact, says:
“Integrations to third-party solutions can significantly cut down on work and repetitive tasks for staff, making their workday more enjoyable and improving their overall experience.”
Yet, rather than just highlighting the advantages of a CCaaS platform for customer experience, business leaders should outline the key benefits to employee experience, such as:
- Saved Time: Tools which boost workplace efficiencies, such as automated dialers, self-service solutions, and all-in-one unified inboxes for customer queries, save employees time. This means they’re less likely to feel stressed, rushed and overwhelmed at work.
- Improved Productivity: Highlight how the chosen CCaaS platform will help employees accomplish their professional and personal goals. Tools like all-in-one omnichannel contact center platforms will ensure employees can access all the resources needed to serve customers in one place, making them less likely to struggle with complex processes.
- Reduced Complexity: Demonstrate how the right CCaaS system will eliminate bottlenecks and common friction points for employees. For instance, an integration-friendly CCaaS platform can reduce the number of daily apps and tools team members use.
- Less Stress – Thanks to better integrations, contact centers can build better workflows, which may include desktop automation. By building these flows and showcasing how they save agents time, contact centers can achieve better buy-in.
2. Prioritize Ease of Use
Simplicity is critical to delivering an excellent employee experience. While staff members may be willing to undergo training to take advantage of tools that provide measurable benefits, most will seek a solution that’s easy to adopt and leverage. The more streamlined, accessible, and convenient the CCaaS platform is, the more agents will likely use it.
Consider testing the functionality of each CCaaS platform with a group of early adopters before rolling the technology out for the rest of the time.
Thankfully, many vendors make such testing simple. Booth adds:
“Many contact center software providers provide proof of concepts so you’re able to test out the software before committing to a long-term contract, to make sure the platform is a good fit for your team.”
Determine whether the tool is easy to navigate, intuitive, and user-friendly. Ask whether employees from all sectors, including those working on different devices or in a mobile environment, can access the same simplicity.
Think about how different user groups may access the software and determine whether the solution can be customized to suit different needs. For instance, the CCaaS dashboard used by a supervisor or manager may need to feature various components of a solution used by an agent.
3. Consider Flexibility and Scalability
Today’s leading CCaaS platforms allow companies to combine communication tools and systems for connecting customers into a convenient, omnichannel environment. One of these platforms’ most significant benefits is that they’re often inherently flexible. However, business leaders need to ensure that their solutions can scale according to the needs of their employees.
A highly scalable and flexible platform will allow companies to upgrade and transform their CCaaS solution over time based on feedback from staff members and consumers. For instance, after rolling out a new tool, a business might discover that integrating additional tools into the contact center, such as a CRM or service desk, helps to save staff members extra time.
“Customisation is always key,” adds Booth. “There is no one size fits all.”
“A customer service department wants and needs a different interface to an outbound sales team. Having the ability to tailor solutions ensures there are no square peg round hole scenarios.”
Finally, choosing a platform that can integrate with UCaaS and internal collaboration tools can help to streamline workflows and synchronize teams across the business, leading to better productivity and more inclusive company culture.
4. Think About Security and Compliance
As contact centers evolve, companies rapidly face a more comprehensive range of security and compliance issues. This is particularly true among companies with hybrid and remote workforces that need to ensure employees connecting from anywhere in the world can remain protected.
Indeed, as Booth reveals:
“There was a significant increase in data breaches in the last two years, with many companies cutting back on security due to rising costs. Yet, security is key. This should be non-negotiable for software vendors who process your data.”
Moreover, according to one report, many organizations’ top barrier to CCaaS migration is a fear of data loss and impending breaches. Examining the security and compliance capabilities of a CCaaS solution helps protect companies from falling victim to dangerous attacks. It can also be an excellent way to give employees peace of mind that their data will remain protected.
Highlight how a CCaaS solution’s new technology will help keep the business, employees, and customers safe and secure. Demonstrate the importance of compliance to help staff members understand the dangers of using outside tools. This can help to accelerate adoption and provide staff with the information they need to make the correct choices.
5. Take Training and Onboarding Seriously
While an easy-to-use and intuitive CCaaS solution will reduce excessive training, many employees will still need assistance adhering to new technology. When implementing new technology, any business must have the right strategy for onboarding new staff and training professionals.
Make sure team members have step-by-step guidance on how to use new solutions in the workplace, and ensure they know whom to turn to if they need additional support. Sometimes, setting up a team of CCaaS champions consisting of employees who have already adopted and embraced the new technologies is beneficial.
These individuals can guide newly onboarded staff members and provide feedback about how the technology can be optimized and improved going forward.
Remember to Collect Feedback
Finally, listening to employee feedback is one of the best ways to improve adoption in any business environment. Collecting crucial metrics about adoption and engagement and asking staff to share their thoughts and feelings about the new platform can provide business leaders with insights into where the barriers to adoption lie.
The CCaaS vendor should work with you to ensure the new technology is adopted across your team – this should be a key consideration when looking into contact center providers.
MaxContact is one such contact center provider. To lift the lid on its CCaaS platform, visit: www.maxcontact.com
