The Role of Self-Service IVR

Posted by Rachel Brink on Sep 5, 2014 9:06:00 AM

In a recent study, an astounding 67% of customers have stated a preference for self-service as opposed to speaking to a live representative (ZenDesk).  Previously viewed as a burden imposed on consumers, the self-service arena has today become an essential part of the average consumer experience.  And as one considers each major industry, the rapid adoption of self-service solutions is readily apparent everywhere.  Grocery stores have self-check out lines, airlines offer Kiosks (have yet to figure out how to apply it to Homeland Security lines, though), restaurants use self-service reservations – the list goes on. Each of these initiatives involves one person, and one person only: the customer. 

The importance of self-service in the contact center space is no exception. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technologies are leading the charge, providing customers the ability to quickly and easily access any information by selecting options from a simple menu. What was at first an effort for contact centers to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs, has since become an industry standard.   And with 69% of customers equating a good customer experience to how quickly an inquiry is resolved, the need to adopt the latest technology facilitating their ability to do so has never been more important.

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Topics: call center, call center software features, multichannel contact center, contact center, call center software, cloud based call center, cloud customer support, B2C, best business practices, IVR technology, customer satisfaction

Is Your Contact Center Truly Redundant?

Posted by Guillaume Seynhaeve on Mar 24, 2014 1:30:00 AM

Over the weekend, the weather finally changed, with temperatures in the high 60’s on Saturday.  It’s not something I generally get excited about, but after this year’s brutal winter I took advantage of the break from the cold to go on a long run with friends.  It was on this run that someone asked me, “How is it that my home phone never goes down but that a number for one of Ashburn’s biggest data centers can, and recently did, with only a busy tone for those trying to get through?” 

Knowing what I do for a living, he went on to explain that one of the employees at the data center had been fired and chosen to turn off the switches before walking out, which brought the whole center to a standstill.  In fact, not only was he able to bring down all of the managed hosted services, but the VOIP-based PBX system was also shutoff, which prevented the entire support staff from making or receiving calls.   To make matters worse, every client who tried to call customer support heard nothing but a busy tone.  Doesn’t help when one of those clients is the state government.

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Topics: fully redundant software, contact center software, call center, call center scalability, 360 view, call center software features, call center software, cloud based call center, technical support, cloud customer service, redundant systems, customer support, scalability, fault tolerance, service delivery, IVR technology, VOIP

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

SaaS Contact Center Software, the quick and dirty!

Posted by David Rastatter on Dec 9, 2013 12:00:00 PM

So what is software-as-a-service (SaaS)?

After being immersed in the contact center arena for quite some time, I have found that people are still having trouble grasping what software-as-a-service really is. Software-as-a-service, also known as SaaS, is an on demand software. The software is hosted in the cloud and a web browser acts as the medium for the customer to access it.

Think of it like renting an apartment, as opposed to owning one. Your landlord or property management company handles all of the maintenance headaches such as plumbing issues, broken air conditioning units, and changing light bulbs, while you enjoy the benefits of living in the apartment. SaaS can be seen as the same thing. It allows the customer to enjoy the product without worrying about the behind the scenes maintenance including updates and fixes. The customer uses the software, but its ‘skeleton’ remains unseen.

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Topics: cloud based solution, call center software features, call center software, customer support, software, SaaS

What Customers Have Come to Expect

Posted by Rachel Brink on Oct 25, 2013 1:15:00 AM

In recent years, I feel as though my customer service expectations have risen tremendously. I am not completely sure why this is the case, but I know it has something to do with the technological advancements that our society has made. So many companies used to be able to get away with poor customer service because it was difficult for their customers to research them before hand, and harder for them to make the switch to a different company. Now, marketing is a two-way street; customers can post reviews on Facebook, Angie’s List, blogs and twitter regarding their experiences with companies. These customers can now project their opinions to thousands of people, if not more, and speak either highly or poorly of the companies with which they are doing business. Also, switching companies is now a matter of a quick and easy phone call. Companies can no longer get away with cutting any corners, and it has become a priority for many to re-vamp their customer service departments to ensure that they will not be brought down by negative reviews.

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Topics: customer service, inbound, call center, contact channels, call center software features, technical support, cloud customer support, software support, cloud customer service, customer support

Taking a Chance on Cloud Technology

Posted by Rachel Brink on Sep 30, 2013 12:43:00 PM

We as humans are all hesitant to adopt new things from time to time; we like to steer away from the unknown and stick with what we are used to. It is just human nature. While this may be a more comforting way for people to go about their day-to-day lives, there are so many missed opportunities that could arise. A couple examples come to mind of how this mind-set has led to disaster for different companies and individuals.

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Topics: cloud security, cloud based, call center, cloud based solution, call center scalability, call center software features, CRM, crm software, call center software, B2B marketing, technology, cloud call center, software

Disaster-Proof Your Cloud Contact Center to Weather any Storm!

Posted by Madeleine Coe on Sep 19, 2013 2:45:00 PM

If you’re not accessible to your customers at all times, especially in the case of a 24/7 contact center, you lose out on business. It's also frustrating to customers that want to get in contact with you and can’t because of maintenance outages for service upgrades, or server failure. If you want to run a successful contact center, you need a software solution with 100% uptime.

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Topics: cloud security, VTAG, fully redundant software, call center software features, grid computing, no centralized server, data recovery, fault tolerance

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