6 signs that it’s time to update your contact center software

Today, it’s probably hard to imagine a call center not using any software to help them handle things faster and in an automated way. However, switching from one provider to another may be a daunting and time-consuming process, so the decision to switch is especially hard in this tough industry.

In my discussions with clients and prospects, I keep hearing how quickly the contact center industry trends are evolving and how high customer expectations are growing. In order to keep up with these changes, it’s important to use an up-to-date solution.

In this article, I’ve gathered a few signs that it’s time to think about updating your current contact center software.

1. You still rely on several physical devices

On-premise contact center solutions require physical hardware and software deployment. They also tend to be inflexible and expensive, requiring costly annual maintenance and specialized IT knowledge. 

If you still rely on physical devices, such as physical hardware, server rooms, physical backup solutions and physical telephony services, it’s time to update your contact center software.

As cloud computing has become the norm in the tech world in the last few years, we can definitely recommend considering a cloud-based solution instead of an on-premise one. With advanced cloud technology, physical hardware and telephones are no longer necessary, as cloud-based contact center software can connect via the internet, allowing your agents to be located pretty much anywhere in the world.

Cloud-based solutions are also highly flexible and customizable, meaning that you can add new agents with just a few clicks and customize features based on your business needs. Using a cloud solution, you can, for example, easily set up and customize your agent scripts and IVR systems. However, with an on-premise software you’ll need to hire specialists to change your settings.

2. Your system does not support remote work

There can be no doubt that it is essential for any business to be able to keep up business operations during times of uncertainty, caused, for example, by mobility restrictions. In addition, studies also show that remote work can lead to increased productivity and lower operational costs. Moreover, it opens up the possibility to hire globally, making it potentially easier to find the right candidate. The time and money saved on commuting to work makes a remote setting more attractive to agents as well. With as much as 96% of agents wanting to work in a hybrid or fully remote model, having a system that accommodates these needs can be a crucial step to achieving better agent retention rates.

A modern contact center system is cloud-based, which makes it easy to switch to a remote work environment, allowing you to seamlessly continue your operations anytime, anywhere. If your system does not support remote work, it’s time to think about looking for a more advanced solution.

An example of the benefits of a cloud-based system during times of uncertainty can be seen through one of VCC Live’s clients, MFO Eurocredit. The worldwide implementation of mobility restrictions across the globe a few years ago made keeping MFO Eurocredit’s operations afloat of the highest importance. The deployment of VCC Live’s software had to be carried out with the greatest of urgency. The result? MFO Eurocredit’s VCC Live-powered software was up and running in just a few days.

3. You cannot measure the right KPIs

At a contact center, data is everywhere. Agent average talk time, average handling time, number of handled calls, proportion of closed deals and first call resolution percentages are all examples of important metrics that are readily available.

However, if you do not know your agent, team or department’s crucial statistics, it means that your system is not allowing you to measure your performance. If this is the case, then it is time to look for a modern contact center solution.

What really matters when it comes to contact center processes is to turn data into actionable insights. Advanced contact center solutions on the market enable you to see the whole picture by allowing you to track your most important metrics in real time. As a result, you’ll be able to clearly see what you need to change in order to improve your processes.

The benefits of such an approach can be seen by VCC Live’s client, TBI Bank. They were previously using an outdated on-premise system that was not able to measure and analyze their data. The result was that the company could not leverage any customer information, and often failed to efficiently handle incoming calls during peak times.  Now, thanks to their utilization of VCC Live’s software, and in particular its detailed real-time reports, the company can advise internal teams about upcoming peak periods and manage their workforce accordingly. “Since we implemented VCC Live, it has had a great impact on our business. We are now able to handle 95% of our incoming calls.” – Darya V. Kotseva, TBI Bank.

4. Your processes are not efficient enough

Here’s an evergreen piece of advice: if you want your company to make more money, increase your efficiency. One way to do that is by automating and optimizing your processes.

Does your system have automated processes? Do you benefit from a predictive dialer that enables automatic dialing instead of manual dialing? Do you use automatic call distribution and email automation? If not, then it’s time to optimize your processes with an advanced contact center solution.

Furthermore, can you offer self-service options with your system, such as reminders, notifications, online payment solutions, recurring payments and so on? If not, then again, it’s time to update your system.

VCC Live’s intelligent predictive dialer, for example, is able to help its clients optimize their dialing processes. Protocall is one company who, by choosing to utilize VCC Live, is now able to set the maximum number of calls its dialer can initiate at the same time, based on the average time which elapses between agent calls. The more idle time agents have between two calls, the more calls the dialer starts. “The predictive dialer settings are easy to understand. We’re definitely reaching our highest numbers of successful calls per hour with VCC Live.” – Arnold Vancsók, Call Center Manager, Protocall.

5. Your contact center solution is not integrated with the internal and external systems you need

Most contact centers use several technology solutions on a daily basis, and one of the biggest challenges they face is to integrate these systems while keeping customer data consistent and up-to-date between these platforms.

If your systems are not integrated, your agents will have no choice but to switch from one system to another during customer interactions. And, of course, making your agents navigate between several tools will negatively affect both your team’s productivity and your customer experience.

Managing customer data manually is no longer a realistic option, so if your current solution is not capable of automatically transferring data from one system to another, we would definitely advise you to update your solution. You may want to consider choosing an advanced system that is able to integrate with your CRM system.

In addition, if you assign your emails manually instead of having them automatically routed to the same system where you handle calls, it’s one more sign that your system is outdated and not capable of integration.

As the largest teleshop company in the European region, trusting their operations to several systems, Telemarketing International realized that integrating these systems was key to managing their logistics in a timely manner. Now, with the help of VCC Live’s software, the company is able to customize its needs regarding system integrations, supported by a team of VCC Live’s technical experts and key account managers.

6. Your system does not support omnichannel communication

These days, businesses are expected to deliver a seamless omnichannel customer experience to maximize personalization. Customers no longer accept that they have to repeat what they said previously to another agent on a different channel. Instead, they expect the agent they’re talking with to know their interaction history and efficiently resolve their issue.

With the wide range of channels available, providing customer service via phone and email is simply not enough. If your customers cannot reach out to you on alternative channels, such as social media, webchat or WhatsApp, then it’s definitely a sign that it’s time to search for a new, more advanced solution.

And, although you might not think so, customers are increasingly using social media sites and chat apps to reach out to a business. WhatsApp, in particular, is another tool that is growing in popularity among customers as an alternative channel for reaching out to businesses. Due to the increasing popularity of these channels, you’ll need to leverage a solution that routes your social media and chat app queries to your customer service team in order to be able to provide a better digital customer experience.

Ready to update your contact center software?

If any of these signs apply to your contact center software, contact us for a quick chat – we’ll be happy to discuss your needs and see if we can help you with an update.