3CLogic's Contact Center Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged enterprise organizations to reimagine how they manage operations and deliver customer service. As companies shifted from an on-site operation to a distributed work model, organizations that had not already migrated to the cloud were forced to accelerate their transition. This proved especially true for customer support departments and call center teams that were still tethered to legacy and on-premise technologies. 

After dealing with outdated systems that no longer meet current customer expectations and business demands, 62% of today’s customer service centers have plans to move to the cloud within the next 18 months. However, migrating to the cloud is not as simple as flipping a switch, especially if an enterprise has already invested in an on-premise telephony infrastructure. Whether an enterprise is simply in need of basic functionality or is ready to take the leap to a fully hosted cloud contact center platform, here are a few deployment options to consider:

As remote work becomes the new norm due to COVID-19, it has only served to exacerbate the inefficiency that comes with non-integrated systems and on-premise technologies. According to a recent survey, only 10% of employees are able to establish a complete view of the relationship between their company and customer without toggling between several different platforms. Not surprisingly, many CIOs are turning to a few key providers to streamline operations to improve employee productivity and the overall customer experience. Among those at the top of the list? Microsoft.

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.