On-Premise vs Cloud Contact Center Solutions

Posted by Guillaume Seynhaeve on Aug 8, 2014 10:10:00 AM

Today technology is at the center of any discussion regarding competitive advantage, sustainability, and growth. As it specifically relates to the contact center space, the ability to deliver and communicate with customers using the latest channels has never been more important.  And yet, despite the emphasis on offering the latest in customer communications, the vast majority of businesses are still basing their service delivery on old, inflexible, and costly premise-based solutions. Which begs the very obvious question, why? 

For one, while there is no denying that smartphones and the age of social media are quickly transforming the communication landscape, the tried and tested concept of calling-in is still not dead. In fact, 73% of customers still prefer to speak to a representative, which is far greater than those choosing to use Twitter to communicate at 22% (Forrester). And this shouldn’t come as a surprise when you consider the generational breakdown of today’s customers, from Baby Boomers (79 Million), to Generation X (52 Million), to Generation Y (75 Million), to Generation Z (Still growing); with every one listing the phone as a primary means of contact except for the last. So, yes, premise-based solutions are surviving by virtue of those generations, but the trend is quickly moving towards email, social, media, and web, so keeping to the old way of things may not be the wisest of strategies. At the very least, it will not support any long-term competitive advantage your company may otherwise have. 

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Topics: cloud based contact center, cloud based, call center, cloud based solution, contact center solution, cloud based call center, best business practices, employee retention, SaaS, customer satisfaction, first call resolution, On-Premise

Contact Center Flexibility: A Must Have

Posted by Guillaume Seynhaeve on Jul 18, 2014 11:02:00 AM

Consider the following:  If someone had told you ten years ago that 140 characters would change the world and the way we do business, what would you have said? 

Trends come and go, that’s not news. However, assessing the lifespan of each one and its long-term relevance in the business community is definitely a challenge.  Case in point, Google is still the leader in search engines since its birth in 1998, but when was the last time you saw a laser disc?

If we consider Henry Ford’s famous quote,“ You can have any color, as long as its in black”, there certainly was a time when companies set the standard and consumers were the willing recipients of whatever businesses disseminated.  However, today the environment has drastically reversed, with customers clearly dictating what, where, and when without much care or consideration as to the how. As a result, businesses are clamoring to keep up with the changing standards and trends set by the very consumers they wish to please; a tall older unless you have a crystal ball. 

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Topics: cloud based contact center, contact center, contact center solution, cloud based call center, remote agents, best business practices

CEO Thoughts: Hate maintenance windows? So do we.

Posted by Guillaume Seynhaeve on Mar 3, 2014 10:45:00 AM

I am working with a mortgage broker to refinance my home. The mortgage broker uses a number of tools to communicate with his clients and seems to be pretty tech savvy. I found out that he uses Salesforce.com because he invited me to communicate with him using Chatter.

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Topics: cloud based contact center, outbound, crm integration, cloud based solution, 360 view, call center software features, blended contact center software, contact center, contact center solution, call center software, cloud customer support, cloud customer service, small business solution, cloud call center, customer support, best business practices, scalability, SaaS, VOIP

Amar's Alley: The Battle Between Contact Centers and Answering Machines

Posted by Guillaume Seynhaeve on Feb 24, 2014 9:40:00 AM

“Hi! you have reached blah blah blah, please leave your name and number and I will get back to you." Familiar? It should be….these words likely echo in your ears at some point everyday! Correction…this probably happens to you on almost every call! 

Allow me to provide you with an outside perspective from a member of the “old guard” (let’s just leave my age at that), who always jumps to answer a call, regardless of what’s going on and even if the number is unknown.  In my younger days, we would run across the office floor, or down the flight of stairs at home to pick-up the phone, because we were taught that if a device rings, it's for a reason.  Today, I am intrigued by how often I come across that same old message, “Hi! You have reached (blah blah blah blah), please leave your name…"

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Topics: cloud based contact center, call center, crm integration, custom crm integration, 360 view, call center software features, contact center solution, call center software, cloud call center, customer support, best business practices, call blast, employee retention, scalability

The Best Contact Center Solution (According to My iPod)

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Aug 6, 2013 2:00:00 PM

“Jenny, I got your number, I need to make you mine….”

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Topics: call center, crm integration, contact center solution, call center software, cloud based call center, cloud customer service, technology, software, increased call volume

12 Rules of Small Business Warfare

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Jul 30, 2013 2:00:00 PM

No matter what your business does, or what industry you are in, you are going to have competitors. To be the best, you have to have the best product. But, when you see your competitors succeeding publicly, competitors who maybe have better (1) funding, (2) marketing campaigns, or (3) a competitive advantage (such as an additional service offering, product feature, etc); it’s hard not to go on the offensive. Just remember to keep in mind these rules of combat so that your business succeeds while playing fair. Your contact center is going to be your main line of defense. 

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Topics: customer service, call center scalability, contact center solution, small business solution

Everything You Need to Know About Outbound Dialing

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Jul 25, 2013 2:00:00 PM

Any contact center needs a dialing system, whether it be a traditional phone line or even a newfangled CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) or VoIP-based application which runs through your computer. Vocal communication has come a long way in the past few years with all these technological advances.

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Topics: contact center software, outbound, call center scalability, contact center solution, call center software, predictive dialer, call blast

9 Call Blast Applications to Wow Your Customers

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Jul 2, 2013 2:00:00 PM

Every year on the Fourth of July, folks gather to see the fireworks displays from lakefronts and backyards. They breathe in the humidity of a hot summer night, gazing up at the sky in wonderment. Across the sky, smoke and colored lights burst with thunderous booms. In the background, a marching band plays John Phillip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever, and the people ooh and ah over the glittering sparks of color exploding in the air above them. 

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Topics: contact center software, call center, contact center solution, call blast, voip crm integrated contact center

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