Contact centers are moving technology into the cloud – but is it for you?
It’s a new era and on-premise contact center products are rapidly becoming obsolete. As connective technology evolves, more and more businesses are discovering the advantages of leveraging cloud contact center solutions. Notwithstanding, old habits die hard, and your organization might still wonder whether a shift to the cloud is the best course of action.
To help you make an educated decision, we have gathered a list of seven benefits of upgrading to a Cloud PBX system.
1. Reduced Costs
Cloud contact centers offer a cost-saving alternative to brick and mortar solutions. This is because traditional infrastructures are often subject to large licensing and maintenance fees. Furthermore, on-site systems often require routine checks and frequent updates. Cloud-based solutions, on the other hand, are subscription-based. Beside being much more affordable, their monthly or annual subscription fees often cover system maintenance and upgrades.
2. Simplified agent tasks and streamlined operations
Through the magic of Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), it is now possible to consolidate several programs and applications into a single cloud contact center solution. This in turn promotes faster client ID authentication and an overall better customer experience. Furthermore, merging information from multiple data sources into one can agilize and streamline agent workflows, which inevitably has a great impact on employee happiness, bringing us to the next point.
3. Increased Agent Productivity
The link between employee happiness and productivity is no longer a secret. In a study conducted at the University of Warwick, happy workers exhibited around 12% higher levels of productivity. Simplifying agent operations and placing them in a position to succeed is a key driver of happiness. By giving agents instant access to historical customer interaction data, cloud contact centers help create a personalized, stress-free environment, enable better time management, improve productivity, and ultimately drive a positive impact on company ROI.
4. Boosted versatility and speed
Unlike on-premise technology, cloud-based solutions are fairly easy to install and do not require extended amounts of training to use. This means that the services are ready to be employed soon after installation. Moreover, service vendors will be there to guide you through the early stages until all company members are on the same page and ready to work autonomously.
5. Improved Scalability and Flexibility
Scalability is becoming an increasingly important element of every company’s infrastructure. Growing organizations will meet greater inbound-call volumes, often needing to increase their number of agents on short notice. Conversely, off-peak seasons will usually require companies to downsize and employ fewer agents. Cloud-based solutions offer you the flexibility to add and remove agent seats as you see fit.
6. Optimized Functionality for a Remote and Distributed Workforce
If there’s one lesson we have all learned by now, is that remote work isn’t going anywhere. For this reason, successful companies are now investing in solutions that cater to the needs of a distributed workforce. A cloud-based VoIP service means agents can access the system from anywhere, while administrators can easily manage their remote teams. Another added perk, location-independence translates into a broader talent pool, allowing you to onboard the best, local talent from anywhere around the world.
7. Improved Security
With increased connectivity comes increased threats and vulnerability to privacy breaches. As many companies struggle to maintain their operational security, the specialized expertise of cloud-service providers can ensure data integrity and security. Furthermore – when in adherence with reliable security standards – data is stored and managed more safely within the cloud.
Conclusion
As communication across platforms increases and customers raise their standards for satisfaction, it becomes apparent that cloud-based solutions are here to stay. In fact, recent data suggest that 37% of contact service providers are planning a shift to cloud-based solutions within the next three years. This means that sooner or later, 100% of companies will be operating on the new model.
With this in mind, investing in improving your contact center infrastructure now could save you time and money down the road.
