Choosing the right contact centre solution can feel like a big task. There are many factors to consider, such as the needs of your customers and agents, and meeting management objectives and securing market competitiveness. However, knowing what to look for does not have to be complicated.
Start by noting your requirements
The first step when evaluating contact centre software is understanding your company’s specific needs. How many agents does the solution need to support? Do you need a platform that scales as your business grows? What features and tools would you like to add to your contact centre?
By taking the time to understand your requirements and evaluate your goals, you can find a solution that meets your needs, enabling you to improve customer satisfaction and drive growth for your organisation. It will also help you compare solutions based on cost, features, scalability, integration, etc.
Select an easy-to-deploy contact centre solution
You cannot afford to select a contact centre solution that requires a lengthy and complex implementation process. Instead, you need a solution that your provider can tailor to your business and deploy within weeks, not months.
An easy-to-deploy solution also ensures you do not have to spend much time and resources training employees to use the new system. Once implemented across your contact centre, it should be quick and easy for your agents to log in and begin leveraging the solution.
Check the solution has the integrations you need
Integrations allow you to connect various systems and data sources for a complete view of the customer journey. Without them, you will be relying on manual processes and siloed data, which can lead to inefficiencies and errors.
Part of easy deployment is about having effective integrations with your current CRM and ERP solutions so that your agents can access existing data through one platform and you do not have to manually upload contact centre data into your back office systems.
When you are evaluating contact centre solutions, be sure to ask about their integration capabilities. What systems does the solution integrate with? How easy is it to set up integrations? What kind of support is available for integrations?
Ensure it has the tools for meeting customer expectations
Here, think about the level of customer experience you deliver now and how you want to improve. What tools do agents need to elevate CX?
As the customer service landscape continues to evolve, it is more important than ever for contact centre software to have the tools that support agents in delivering excellent customer service. Look for a contact centre solution that allows agents to access customer information and resolve issues effectively on one platform.
Find a provider with good response times
The last thing you want is to experience extended periods of disruption from a problem with the software, so finding a provider who can resolve any issues rapidly is essential. Ideally, you will want a local provider with deep knowledge of the platform who can guide your team to a resolution or escalate the issue to someone who can solve it.
Include reporting capabilities to monitor your contact centre
Monitoring and reporting on your contact centre solution are essential to ensure its effectiveness. Reporting capabilities are a necessity for any contact centre solution. You will need to find a solution that includes the type of data you need to collect and the level of detail required, as well as intuitive report design tools.
While contact centres generally share similar ways to measure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – such as first call resolution rate, the number of contacts answered, abandoned calls, etc. – each KPI needs to be accurate and display the data in a way that makes sense. By taking the time to consider your reporting needs, you can select a solution that provides you with the business insights you need to monitor and improve your operations.
Pick a solution with omnichannel capabilities
An omnichannel solution allows your agents to communicate with customers through multiple channels, including voice, chat, SMS, email, and social media. Omnichannel solutions provide a consistent experience for customers regardless of the channel they are using and provide them with the best possible experience no matter how they contact you. Such solutions have become necessary as more customers expect flexible options for contacting you on their terms.
Elevate your contact centre with Premier Contact Point
Our cloud contact centre solution and customer experience solution delivers solutions that support your customers and agents. We provide contact centre training, affordable & innovative features, such as visual IVR, CRM integration, self-service options and omnichannel queueing.
You can get in touch with us to book a demo of our cloud contact centre solution.
