July 31, 2015
A recent notable blog post highlights the various tools available to successful companies in the contact center services industry. Whether they choose to handle inbound phone and video support or simply carry out outbound marketing campaigns, there is something for every business looking to optimize its operations.
The blog post provided courtesy of inContact, a provider of cloud-based contact center software headquartered in Salt Lake City. Written by Gerald Sinclair, WFO Practice Manager at Uptivity, an
The article notes that automated call distributors (ACDs) and dialers, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and workforce optimization (WFO) tools are the three main categories of products available from inContact.
Everything starts with dialers. This is the most direct connection call center agents have with customers, aside from the actual process of speaking (voice and video) or typing (instant messages, texting, and social media). Dialers can be useful for businesses of all sizes, and they can help automate sales calls and marketing campaigns targeting extensive lists of recipients. InContact rightly notes that “all additional solutions should complement the use of the ACD.”
This brings us to CRM. If dialers are the backbone of the organization, CRM software is the veins that flow through that backbone. This type of product—whether hosted or on-premise—captures the customer journey across every channel an organization offers. InContact says a proper CRM platform can improve the way agents interact with customers because it allows agents to see more than just basic information about clients. The best software can display the entire customer journey across voice, video, and text, and it records the dates of every interaction customers have with their brands.
Finally, there is WFO, or workforce optimization. Users can break this category down into workforce management software, which can forecast call volume and align it with key performance indicators; call recording and screen recording software that allow calls to be reviewed at a later date; and quality management software, which tracks agents’ compliance with company guidelines and protocols. Managers can use both call recording software and quality management software to ensure their businesses are operating in accordance with predetermined goals.
All in all, these products can deliver a trifecta of efficiency and productivity within a call center. Managers who know how to use them properly can boost their companies’ bottom lines and ensure better scheduling for their employees. InContact provides a few more details about some “honorable mentions”—the secondary features of certain WFO tools—and is worth reading in addition to the analysis presented in this blog. You can read the full article HERE.