“Jenny, I got your number, I need to make you mine….”
It came to me while I was bopping in my seat and singing along in the car to Tommy Tutone’s 1982 hit “867-5309/Jenny,” in what was probably the most embarrassing karaoke session to ever occur in a moving vehicle.
I want to feel the same way about my contact center software solution that the singer feels about Jenny; because I live, eat, and breathe cloud-based contact center solutions. Even if you don’t (yet), it is still important that you find the right contact center solution for your business. You should feel like you have to make it yours.
These popular songs of the past 100 years or so may provide some useful advice on what features and functions to look for when you envision the ultimate contact center solution.
“Rikki, don't lose that number;
You don't wanna call nobody else” from Rikki, Don’t Lose That Number, Steely Dan
If your contact center software doesn’t integrate with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, you might have a big issue. To ensure a smooth interaction with each customer, your contact center agents need to have their contact information on hand. CRM software makes phone numbers and all other contact info easily accessible so that you connect with each customer.
Many contact center software solutions will integrate with a few specific big-name CRM systems like SalesForce, Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM, and Infusionsoft. However, if you use a less mainstream CRM system, you might find yourself out of luck with integrations.
Luckily, there are contact center software solutions that offer custom integrations with any CRM as well as out-of-the-box integrations with the big-name software suites. Be sure to look into custom CRM integrations, especially if you want to have a complete contact center with the tools you need at your fingertips.
“Call me (call me) on the line.
Call me, call me any-anytime.
Call me (call me) my love.
You can call me any day or night.
Call me!” from Call Me, Blondie
Your customers want to be able to access your business at their preference. Make sure that your contact center software solution offers multi-channel capabilities so that your customers can contact you through their preferred channels of communication. Be a contact center, not just a call center.
Whether customers call, chat, text, or email you, you want to be sure that you are available any day or night, anytime.
“Hello, hello, baby, you called?
I can't hear a thing.
I have got no service
In the club, you say? say?
Wha-wha-what did you say, huh?
You're breakin' up on me
Sorry I cannot hear you
I'm kinda busy…” from Telephone, Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
When you invest in the high performance capabilities of a cloud-based contact center solution, make sure that 100% availability or uptime is offered. Outages will disrupt communication between you and your customers, which can be frustrating for customers with urgent inquiries or issues. You want to be accessible to your customers all the time, so make sure your technology supports that.
Make sure that you also select a high-powered carrier for your contact center software so that you'll have great service in the club or anywhere else.
“I'm walkin into spiderwebs,
Leave a message and I'll call you back.
Ooh, it's all your fault.
No matter who calls
I gotta screen my phone calls” from Spiderwebs, No Doubt
Your customers aren’t going to be happy or receptive to your sales team if you continue to call them after they have requested not to be called. Make sure that your contact center software solution checks the numbers in your database against the national Do Not Call (DNC) list. Some software solutions even offer it as an automatic function known as DNC scrubbing, so that your contact center agents don’t have to waste time by manually going through your database. You won't risk calling these customers because the number will be in your system; you'll just be prevented from dialing it. No more time wasted with screened phone calls.
Plus, some advanced DNC scrubbing features will even include options to create your own DNC lists for your contact center and for specific campaigns. A customer might elect not to be contacted about sales promotions, but might want to be contacted about new product releases and updates. Let them tell you their preferences and they won’t feel like your company is mounting a "telephonic invasion". DNC scrubbing is a part of keeping sensitive customer data secure.
“Hey, I just met you
and this is crazy,
but here’s my number,
so call me maybe” from Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen
Your customers can say call me definitely with a click-to-callback feature.
Contact center software routes incoming calls to a queue. In busy times, your contact center might not have enough agents to answer them all because they will be busy on calls. Stay prepared for this turn of events by making sure that your contact center software will offer an automatic callback or a click-to-callback function. This will enable your customers to go about their busy day without waiting on hold forever and your agents to call them back at the earliest convenience.
“I'm at a payphone trying to call home,
All of my change I spent on you.
Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?” from Payphone, Maroon 5
I’m not sure why Maroon 5’s Adam Levine is still trying to dial with a totally outdated payphone, but I feel sorry that he spent the last of his money to do it. If you don’t want to spend the last of your change on contact center software that might become quickly outdated in a market of rapidly evolving communication technologies, then be sure to scout out solutions with flexible payment plans. Don’t lock yourself into a two-year contract if you’re unsure about a serious initial commitment or investment. The right contact center solution will offer you the choice of month-to-month contracts or longer contracts for when you’re ready to fully invest.
Select a contact center software solution that can seamlessly migrate your data, with a month-to-month payment plan.
“Send me a kiss by wire,
Baby, my heart's on fire!
If you refuse me,
Honey, you'll lose me,
Then you'll be left alone;
Oh baby, telephone
And tell me I'm your own” from Hello! Ma Baby, Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard
Make sure that you’re still the contact center that your customers fell in love with. The quality of your customer service should never stop being the key focus of your contact center. Multi-channel communications, 100% uptime, easy CRM access, and advanced features will help your agents to be the best they can be, but it’s up to them to engage your customers. A complete contact center enable your agents to telephone your customers and tell them they're your own. The best contact center agents work hard to meet customer demands with personalized care.
Jenny, Jenny, Who Can I Turn To?
I definitely sang along for this blog.
Not just in my head. My coworkers are giving me funny looks.
If you want to know where to start looking for the right contact center solution, well, you’ve got my number. Or not; it’s on the national DNC list. But you can start here.
Questions or Concerns? Comment below!
