Call centers have evolved now to become the hub of any company’s customer management. The aim of every call center is to ensure customer satisfaction and fulfillment of organizational objectives. These principles are fine but they need a strong technological backup to achieve its goals. There are some very essential elements of technology that are needed to ensure a smooth and successful functioning of a call center. Below, I will be discussing the top 7 of these technologies.
1) Automatic Call Dialers
This tool is the heart of any call center operation. It is significant for both inbound and outbound call center processes. The automatic call dialer or distributor manages customer interactions by processing the call flow. For example, in an inbound call center, the automatic call distributor will take the call flow and distribute it evenly among the available agents. In outbound, the automatic call dialer will take customer data and initiate calls to them automatically as the name suggests.
2) CRM
A CRM is an application that call centers use for proper management of all customer data and documentation of all interactions that an agent has with a particular customer. This helps agents track the history of a customer and add new notes to document each conversation so that the next agent to interact with that customer will have their complete record.
3) IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
IVR comes in handy when there is certain basic information that the customer can get without communicating with an agent. It gives callers certain options to choose from and relays the message accordingly. IVR can also be used to route calls of customers to the concerned department in a company that has several agents taking calls for different issues.
4) Call recording software
In order to maintain a quality check on the calls attended by or made by the agents, call recording software is needed. The recorded calls are then audited by the quality auditors and appropriate feedback is given to the agents regarding the positive and negative points of each call. This helps maintain the quality of your calling process. Call recording also comes in handy in cases of a customer dispute or escalations as it serves as evidence.
5) Vocal Biometrics
Vocal biometrics or voice biometrics are an essential tool in call centers that handle banking and finance related processes. To avoid scams and frauds, this technology can be used to make sure that the customer who is putting in a request with the agent for any fund transfer is the authorized person on the account. The wider adoption of vocal biometrics will go a long way in reducing financial frauds.
6) Workforce Management Tool
This is the tool that helps call center managers predict the volume of calls or chats that the call center may face on a day. This tool also gives estimates as to the number of agents required per shift to handle this call flow accordingly. The WFM software can also be integrated with other tools to help a smooth transition from one shift to another.
7) Call Back System
A call back system allows a caller to simply choose a time for a call back from the agent using the IVR system. This way the caller does not have to wait on hold for several minutes and an agent will call them back when there is availability. This leads to better customer satisfaction.
So, if you provide call center services and have a call center or a captive unit, ask yourself if your center has these technologies employed or not. If not, their adoption can lead to better customer satisfaction, smooth work flow processing, and a more streamlined operation.
Sahib Ahluwalia
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- 7 Essential Technologies for Call Center Operations - August 6, 2017
