September 2018 - VCC Live

Archive for September, 2018

How Much Bandwidth Does VoIP Technology Require?

Posted on: September 20th, 2018 by Tamás Jalsovszky No Comments

The internet has revolutionized how businesses communicate with their customers like nothing before. Times have definitely changed, and so have available call center technologies. Not so long ago call centers had no choice but to rely on physical telephone lines, but now they can contact customers via the internet using VoIP technology.

Indeed, the evolution of the Internet has completely changed our world, giving businesses the opportunity to now use multiple platforms to connect with their customers anytime, anywhere.

And since VoIP technology is cloud-compatible, call centers only need an internet connection in order to leverage it.

For voice communication via VoIP technology, however, bandwidth requirements are essential, since voice data is a type of data that is much bulkier than conventional text.

In this article, I’ll tell you about how much bandwidth a VoIP call requires. Read on and make sure bandwidth issues are not stopping your call center from sending and receiving high-quality calls!

VoIP technology and bandwidth – what you need to know

Communication has always been the core activity for any call center. As already mentioned, although call centers relied for a long time on PSTN, or Public Switched Telephone Network when setting up their telephone lines, today they use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol, also known as internet telephony) technology to leverage their internet connection.

VoIP was created to allow businesses to switch from the comparatively expensive PSTN solution when sending and receiving voice calls and multimedia communications over the internet. With the fast evolution of technology, today VoIP technology can be used with voice, video, and text, as well as other types of data.

VoIP technology makes it easier for call centers to set up and expand their operations, so it’s no surprise that more and more companies are transferring their network operations from PSTN to VoIP. Furthermore, as VoIP calls are cloud-compatible, the new technology allows call centers to utilize home-based agents.

Finding the right system for your call center is no easy task. So, if you still have doubts, make sure to check out our article comparing call center technologies.

However, when it comes to transferring network operations to VoIP, the amount of bandwidth businesses need in order to send and receive high-quality calls has very specific requirements.

Before we immerse ourselves in the topic, let’s quickly define what bandwidth is. Bandwidth is the ability to transfer data (such as a VoIP telephone call) from one point to another in a fixed amount of time. The higher bandwidth speed you have, the more data you can transfer.

Bandwidth is measured by checking your download and upload speeds, in other words the rate of information traveling to and from your computer. Whichever of the two numbers is lower is considered your bandwidth.

Bandwidth requirements for VoIP calls

The amount of bandwidth (upload and download capacity) your call center needs per agent for your VoIP calls greatly varies depending on the call center software you’re using.

For example, if you use VCC Live’s system we recommend on average 100kbps per call placed by agents, both for download and upload speeds. The exact number, however, varies by the codec (coder/decoder) used, but 100kbps is a good rule of thumb.

What is codec? Codec is used to encode audio from an analog signal to a digital signal, so that it can be passed across a data network Bandwidth handles this conversion and enables communications to be carried across applications almost seamlessly.

There’s no doubt that it’s best to turn to your solution provider for advice on your bandwidth requirements. There are a few general rules, however, that you should definitely take into consideration before switching to VoIP technology:

1. VoIP is full duplex, meaning that it can both receive and send data at the same time. But while the average internet user requires high download speeds for streaming and downloading music and videos, for VoIP you’ll also need to be able to send data at a high rate, so you’ll need to consider the upload speed as your benchmark. Generally speaking, the higher your upload speed, the more reliably consistent the quality of your VoIP phone calls will be.

2. Upload speeds are usually slower than your download speeds, so don’t commit the mistake of calculating bandwidth based on the higher number (which will be your download speed). With reference to the amount of bandwidth for VCC Live®’s system mentioned above, this means that if your download speed is 10Mbps, but your upload speed is only 1Mbps, then your bandwidth will only cover 10 calls and not 100 calls.

3. Bear in mind that for VoIP calls a broadband connection is required. In fact, only a broadband internet connection can provide the minimum bandwidth for quality VoIP calls.

4. Over the last years we’ve become so used to having constant internet connection that it’s easy to fall into the mistake of assuming that a call center has the same requirements as for general internet use. The truth is that, due to the mass telephony and communication activities taking place at call centers, call center internet traffic requirements are considerably more demanding than general office Internet use.

5. In addition, these days most call centers leverage multichannel communication by providing customer service using a number of channels. And don’t forget that other applications, such as Facebook, Twitter or Gmail, use bandwidth as well. Therefore, you’ll need to assess the popularity and peak times of all your channels, as there may be periods of low-quality calls if all of your channels are burdened at the same time. Finally, don’t forget that while emails use very little bandwidth, attachments increase that bandwidth considerably.

6. Always make sure to rely on QoS or “Quality of Service”, which can reserve a proportion of your bandwidth and ensure that you’ll always have enough upload and download capacity to send and receive high-quality calls. While customers are willing to wait for an email to load, they are less tolerant regarding low-quality calls.

7. As we all know, an unexpected power outage can present a nightmare scenario for any business that does not have a backup solution in place. Therefore, consider installing two connections, which can operate in parallel but are also able to work independently in the event of a disaster.

Do the math and see for yourself!

If you’re considering switching to VoIP technology, it’s essential to use a bandwidth speed test to determine if and how many phone lines your connection can handle in order to sustain high-quality voice calls.

Generally speaking, the amount of bandwidth that is needed for VoIP calls depends on how many concurrent calls you’ll be making.

My advice is to always run your VoIP on a high-quality internet connection with at least 100 Kbps upload bandwidth available for each call in progress at the same time.

Using the table below, you can get an overall idea about how much bandwidth you’ll need for your calls.

Number of concurrent calls	Recommended minimum bandwidth
1	100 Kbps
5	500 Kbps
10	1000 Kbps (1 Mbps)
20	2000 Kbps (2 Mbps)

Bandwidth needs testing

As VoIP technology solely uses the internet, your call quality depends on the internet service you choose. When switching to VoIP technology, always make sure to run bandwidth speed tests and do not forget about the above-mentioned factors that may influence your bandwidth requirements.

Why Your Call Center Needs an Integrated CRM System

Posted on: September 19th, 2018 by Roland Háry No Comments

Customer service departments have a bad reputation all over the world. The thought of contacting a company’s support team makes most customers roll their eyes in irritation.

But, with competition between businesses increasingly fierce, many of them already realized that one way they can stand out from the crowd is by providing exceptional customer service.

And in our ever-more connected world, where businesses need to rely on the latest technology solutions, one thing your call center can utilize in order to deliver exceptional customer service, is an integrated CRM system.

A CRM system allows your business to collect customer data, identify the most valuable customers over time, and even increase customer loyalty by providing personalized customer service.

But why is it essential for your call center to opt for an integrated CRM system, than just a simple CRM system? Read on and see for yourself!

The importance of using integrated systems in call centers

Most call 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 the systems.

If your systems are not integrated, your agents, for example, will have no choice but to switch from one system to another during customer interactions. And it goes without saying that making your agents navigate among several systems will hurt both your team’s productivity and your customer experience.

Furthermore, it’s crucial for call centers to utilize data analytics in order to make good use of the tremendous amount of data they store and process on a daily basis. And with managing customer data manually no longer a realistic option, if your solutions are not capable of transferring data from one system to another, your employees will face a significant administrative burden, as they will be doubling the amount of data they deal with.

By integrating your solutions, however, you won’t need to worry about having to keep updating and transferring your data.

Establishing communication with API integration

Unfortunately, I still see that many companies focus on keeping data up-to-date in one system, while failing to do so in another. The consequence is inconsistent and outdated customer data, which typically results in customer complaints and frustrated employees overwhelmed with disorganized processes.

In order to ensure that agents have all the necessary information they need to make customers happy, you need an integrated CRM system (such as all-in-one CRM tool Salesmate or Salesforce, which dominates the CRM software market with a 23.8% share) that is able to communicate with your call center software.

If your systems are integrated, your customer data can be stored, processed, tracked and transferred automatically. As a result, your agents will be empowered to deliver an improved customer experience by accessing all the information they need using a single platform.

Of course, there are several methods possible for integrating your systems. Many companies choose to rely on third-party system integrators that develop an additional system, enabling integration between call center software and a CRM system.

However, having an additional system is not an ideal solution as it requires additional costs, time and resources. And as we all know, the more systems, the higher the risk of errors. There is a better way, though, to integrate your platforms without having to develop a third system. In fact, the best way to integrate your systems is by using API integration which is a way for two services to exchange data seamlessly – in this case a contact center solution and a CRM.

Improve CX by using an integrated CRM system

By relying on API integration, you’ll discover new opportunities you never thought were possible. Amongst other things, you’ll be able to integrate your call center software with your Facebook or Google applications, and thus provide a unified customer service on multiple channels.

In addition, as we all know, automation has taken the call center industry by storm. And when it comes to call center security, it’s important to mention API security as well. Considering IT security risks and the increasing number of cybercrimes, it’s essential for call centers to be able to easily transfer their data via a classified channel, preferably automatically without any human interface. And with GDPR already in force, it is also essential to ensure that data transfers are 100% secure and safe. Luckily, a secure API integration makes it all possible!

In terms of performance, a well-structured API workflow can transfer thousands of pieces of customer data per second. VCC Live’s software, for instance, uses Json rest API integration, meaning that, for example, after a closed deal the software automatically sends the customer’s data to the CRM system, while at the same time a third inventory management system indicates the purchased product.

Integration works best if your CRM is able to talk to your other systems, and vice versa, through API integration. Let’s say that your operator is closing a deal with a customer, but the purchased product is not available in your warehouse. If your call center software, CRM system and inventory management system are all integrated, they can immediately send a message to your operator, allowing them to inform the customer that the purchased product is not available while still in the call.

Another great advantage of API communication is that it allows your agents to deliver personalized offers to your customers by using up-to-date customer data stored in your CRM system. For instance, if you run an inbound call center, you can cross/upsell your products or services during wait times. An integrated CRM system will be able to send a message to your call center software informing your agent that the customer on the phone already purchased a TV subscription, thus your agent can offer, let’s say, an Internet subscription to them instead of wasting time on offering a service your customer already has.

With a well-structured API integration, you’ll not only be able to boost your team’s productivity but also increase customer satisfaction. For instance, if your service is down in one region, it’s very likely that calls from that region will immediately increase. In such cases, you can simply identify your customers from that region based on their phone number and display a message to them regarding the relevant issue without any human interaction.

The above-mentioned examples clearly illustrate that if your systems are integrated your business will be able to multiply its productiveness as well as deliver an improved customer experience. Ensure your call center leverages an integrated CRM system and make things easier for both your customers and call center agents. You’ll see it’s worth every penny.

4 Tips To Set Up a Truly Powerful Self-Service Portal

Posted on: September 18th, 2018 by Péter Krisán No Comments

Contacting customer support on the phone is, perhaps, still the most frequent way for users to seek assistance. But gone are the days when picking up the phone was the only option to get help with a product.

In today’s fast-paced world, people want their issues resolved now, not tomorrow. Spending minutes in a call queue only to have something fixed that may not even be broken — especially on a busy day — may feel like an eternity.

And Millennials (anyone born between 1980-1996) now make up a large percentage of today’s customer base. They started using Internet and mobile technology at a young age, so are tech-savvy, and are used to accessing a large amount of information anytime, anywhere.

With consumer behavior developing as it is, customers need answers quickly, demand personalized support experience, and are willing to solve their issues themselves.

That’s why there was a need for a solution beyond customer service and user documentation. And this solution has manifested as a phenomenon called Self-Service Portal. Read on to get a few tips on what you should consider when shaping your own portal.

What is a Self-Service Portal?

A Self-Service Portal is a website that gives users access to a personalized customer service experience. It enables users to learn from custom suggested documentation, complete tasks such as password resets or bill payments, interact with other users on a forum, and report incidents while also being involved in the resolution process. And the best part: these resources are always available, and accessible via a single hub.

Without a doubt, both your company and customers can mutually benefit from a Self-Service Portal. Your customers can become empowered to resolve issues on their own, and your support representatives can focus on more complex tasks more efficiently.

To build a Self-Service Portal that allows for a new level of customer support that truly empowers users to do more, you need to construct a site that delivers a seamless, uninterrupted experience.

Tip #1: Develop a strategy

Firstly, it’s extremely important to define why, how, and for whom you develop a Self-Service Portal.

The reason may be as simple as the aim of improving customer satisfaction, while also taking some weight off your support team. Also, you will probably need to address concerns like “Will the investment pay off?” or “How will efficiency be measured?”. While these questions may be difficult to answer, one thing is sure: offering a Self-Service Portal has definitely become a necessity, rather than a favorable option.

Tip #2: Shape a near-perfect user experience

We all know that nothing is perfect. Even if something is near flawless, there’ll be a better version of it. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for perfection. Because user experience is the core of a successful Self-Service Portal. Excellent user experience improves overall user satisfaction, and satisfied users will have an even better opinion of your company’s image.

To create an outstanding user experience for your Self-Service Portal, think on a large scale. What do users want to achieve? To find solutions as soon as possible. Make sure that navigating the portal is straightforward, and that finding relevant content is effortless. To improve navigation, make sure you structure the site thoroughly, and implement a reliable, indexed search bar. Not being able to find something can be terribly frustrating, quickly destroying an otherwise good initial impression.

And speaking of impressions… the look and feel of the website is also an important factor when it comes to impressing users. Take the time to create a website design people enjoy looking at. And a cross-functional team of designers and copywriters can do wonders, resulting in a site that feels personal, fresh, yet somewhat familiar to users.

Involving a few end-users in the planning process can also occasionally be a good idea.

Tip #3: Give it all you’ve got

You may be wondering what you can squeeze into an all-purpose Self-Service hub. Well, a lot.

Start by adding user documentation. Because delivering a solution is only part of your job, teaching your users how to get the most out of it should be the other part. User guides, tutorials, and a FAQ & Troubleshooting section not only shows your users how to use your products, they also teach them how to solve issues themselves. And if your Self-Service Portal can bring up content based on the users’ needs, your site will truly stand out.

And why not implement a community forum? Encouraging users to connect with other users is without doubt rewarding: chances are user complaints will get resolved before they end up in your ticketing system.

The next step should probably be to provide various options through which to contact your support team, but first consider implementing a chatbot! A well-trained chatbot can answer thousands of queries in a split second, and it’s always online, ready to assist your customers.

If a customer decides to contact your team, you can still provide further support: make calling agents and submitting tickets as easy as possible. Ideally, your users should be able to update and edit the certain details of the ticket, and also monitor the status of the request. Most importantly, assure your users that they are important, and that resolving their issues are your main priority.

Tip #4: Never stop improving

A great Self-Service Portal, even one thought through a thousand times, requires continual maintenance. Documentation must be kept up-to-date to continue delivering meaningful information. Because outdated and misleading information is often worse than no information at all.

A community forum must be monitored to moderate discussions and answer user questions. Keeping an eye on feedback is also well worth it.

And the list goes on: your chatbot may need to be refined, your IVR should be revised once in a while, and your support and marketing team need to continue distributing your content.

Verdict

It’s already clear that Self-Service Portals are of great value, and may have more potential yet to be unwrapped. Their profitability is also clear, but keep in mind: developing a Self-Service Portal is more than just a one-time project.

What do you think makes an ideal Self-Service Portal? Let us know in the comments section below!