September 2020 - VCC Live

Archive for September, 2020

System Integrations for Smooth Operations

Posted on: September 25th, 2020 by Roland Háry No Comments

There are few companies around the world where day-to-day business, customer service, sales, and marketing can be solved using a single system. Often the same data is duplicated.

It is essential that root data management systems work together in an optimal way. Therefore, fundamental information is always available at each end of the process. Additionally, simultaneously keeping this data up to date in all systems related to the operation is a basic condition. After all, if we update the data only in the call center system after the call, our CRM system may contain even earlier information about customer history. Updating manually is also an option, however, it is money and time-consuming. Therefore, the integration of systems used in-house is unavoidable in light of the aim of maintaining automatic updates and providing instant data access.

We, at VCC Live, also believe in this trend and consider it vital to integrate the ERP/CRM/WFM systems used by our customers. Over the last year, we achieved serious results in this field, covering 100% of our customers’ needs when it comes to connecting external and internal systems.

One of our most important milestones in this field was the introduction of the Zapier platform. Zapier is a universal middleware. Put simply, it is a compiler that includes hundreds of applications and can be handled based on the principle of “trigger and action”. From the simplest workflow to complex processes, we can build complete algorithms (trigger-if-action-action-filter), the possibilities can only be limited by our needs. Our customers can import data into CRM, ERP systems for operator termination (call termination), all of which are fully automated.

Just as the reader knows, in today’s world of modern customer relationship management (CRM), Salesforce has grown into the most unavoidable, best-known, and most popular CRM system today. We at VCC Live quickly recognized this and implemented its native integration. By embedding web-based CRM systems in the VCC Live built-in browser, operators can use their full functionality in one interface, so that current customer data is displayed immediately as they work. The operator works directly in the CRM system, saves the data, and, most importantly, records the status and possibly the next task.

Our VCC Live application uses the built-in browser, monitors the status setting and accordingly terminates a call running in its own application, possibly setting a callback to mention a few examples of what functions are initialized during the connection. Thus, operators do not have to perform administrative tasks in 2 separate systems, for example, but only in the given CRM system, which our client automatically takes over, saves, and uses.

We soon realized that in addition to the flexible and deep integration mentioned above, there is a segment within our client base that doesn’t necessarily need full functionality when using Salesforce. The VCC Salesforce Plugin will soon be available to them, which is an application running in the Salesforce environment. With the help of this application, operators can use the Click 2 Call function in order to handle incoming calls and divert calls between operators. Although reduced responsibilities are available in this way, this approach is still effective.

See the video below to learn more about this plugin:

Of course, we cannot gloss over other well-known systems, such as SAP, MS Dynamics, which are also available with VCC Live as integrated ERP systems. Our application is designed to connect to almost all well-known ERP/CRM systems without significant resource requirements. Our Javascript-supported operator interface and REST API connection guarantees flexible integration.

With the help of one of our latest partners, Calabrio (one of the world’s most popular WFM system developers, formerly Teleopti), you can now handle the tasks required in the field of workforce management by providing everything with an automatic flow of information between the systems. Furthermore, the full integration of workflow management systems has been solved, as several of our clients have already requested from us.

We have implemented multi-level integration tailored to the needs of our customers, from simple statistics transfer to full control of operator statuses.

One of the newest addition is the ability to integrate VCC Live with Hubspot. It’s a handy addition that may prove especially useful to sales or customer service team using Hubspot as their go-to platform regarding contact data. The integration will add VCC Live-powered click-2-call functionality, as well as call details and recordings accessible directly from the contact’s activity list. See the video below to see how this looks like in practice.

To get more familiar with VCC Live’s development guides and best practices, be sure to visit the Developers section on our website. Also, learn more about the following integrations:

VCC Live Earns New G2 Crowd Badges in Three Categories for Autumn 2020

Posted on: September 25th, 2020 by Dóra Rapcsák No Comments

The autumn 2020 G2 Crowd reports have been released and we’re so proud to share with you that VCC Live earned performance and user-driven badges in three categories.

Based on customer reviews, we are Leader in the following categories: High Performer, Users most likely to recommend and Users Love us.

VCC was chosen as a High Performer due to due to its feature-rich, up-to-date technology solution that empowers businesses to perform a wide range of call center related actions on a single platform, without any initial investment.

We’re particularly happy to receive two accolades in user-driven categories as providing the possible highest customer experience is clearly our main mission.

It’s such an honor to hear that our users do not only love us but also most likely recommend our solution to their business partners and acquaintances. We believe this is the result of our hard work to make VCC Live a 360-degree solution.

Indeed, VCC Live is more than just a software company: after the setup and training period, our support team and dedicated account managers continue to offer ongoing support as needed. Furthermore, our agile development methods ensure that our clients enjoy the benefits of a customized and state-of-the-art call center software solution.

Our advanced features and hard work have allowed us to receive these three badges from G2 Crowd. Winning these awards is proof of the success of our aim to keep delivering the latest technology solutions to the contact center industry.

About G2 Crowd:

G2 Crowd is the world’s largest business software marketplace where businesses can discover and review the technology solutions they need to reach their potential. Reviews on the platform are written by actual users, and are therefore unfiltered, unbiased and 100% reliable. Software solutions are selected to receive badges based on the data and insight provided by their own users.

Power Your Contact Center With Speech Recognition

Posted on: September 25th, 2020 by Elemér Erdősi No Comments

Consumers are increasingly used to speech recognition technologies when shopping online, searching for information, or simply managing an online task. Communicating with contact centers is no exception. Voice technology is transforming the way that contact centers manage calls and use their data, turning text into a valuable resource.

What is speech recognition?

Speech recognition technology enables applications to identify and analyze spoken language and convert this data into analytics. In practical terms, this means that when customers talk to applications empowered with speech recognition technology, the system analyzes what they say. Based on the input, the system triggers specific actions. A simple example of this is Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. Since Alexa is increasingly becoming a regular household appliance, customers are becoming used to such technologies when it comes to carrying out simple tasks, shopping, or accessing information.

Most up to date contact centers quickly recognized the potential of speech recognition when handling customer calls. It can provide better customer experience and it can improve the effectiveness of daily contact center operations.

A simpler identification

According to a recent study, 86% of contact centers identified improved customer experience as the essential benefit of adopting speech recognition technology. This is especially true if we look at the way that it can help the issue of customer identification.

Contact centers often deal with sensitive personal information. Without voice recognition technology this often means that they require customers to memorize identification numbers or passwords in order to authenticate them. With the use of speech recognition technology, customers can be identified based simply on their voices. Each customers’ voice is understood as a unique data point. All customers have to do is to say their name out loud and the system will identify them.

Self-service

Besides a simplified identification process, additional tasks can be automated by voice recognition technology. Any contact center interaction that asks for specific information in a database can be automated with speech recognition. These types of tasks include checking an account balance, requesting shipping information, or asking for the address of the closest store. Such common interactions can be turned into a self-service task, without a live agent managing the call.

Self-service means that you can keep your clients out of long waiting cues, therefore improving customer satisfaction. Additionally, speech recognition can help reduce your operational costs, by reducing the agent handling time.

Agent support means customer satisfaction

Speech recognition can also help provide useful analytics, such as the reason for a call, along with other key data points on the customer. With this information, you can instantly transfer the caller to the appropriate agent. With effective identification and call handling, you can expect improved customer satisfaction and NPS scores. This also means increased agent satisfaction and reduced costs as you don’t have to waste human resources on assessing and identifying the inbound call.

Understanding emotion

The advancement of speech recognition technology means that it can also analyze the tone of voice of customers. Knowing how difficult it can get for agents to handle a frustrated customer, this can considerably help their interactions. By analyzing the tone of voice during customer interactions, speech recognition technologies can now provide call center agents with real-time support when dealing with customers. By making real-time suggestions to agents in a call, speech recognition software can detect that the time is ripe to make an upsell or it can warn agents of upset customers about to hang up the call.

Speech recognition technology has come a long way since its first introduction. With customers becoming used to speech-based software, it is no surprise that contact centers are also implementing this technology. Speech recognition can help with easily identifying customers, and it can also allow them to manage self-service tasks. Additionally, this technology can help with providing important data to agents, such as the reason for a call, customer data, and the client’s sentiment. Voice recognition technology is bound to be a cost-effective solution!

VCC Live 7.0 Released With a Brand New, Modern Interface

Posted on: September 23rd, 2020 by Dóra Rapcsák No Comments

We’re delighted to announce that our new client interface, VCC Live 7.0, is now available. The revision of our agent and supervisor interface is part of our development plan which aims to unify the different aspects of our brand and improve user experience.

VCC Live 7.0 introduces a brand new, modern look, but the core of our much-loved software will remain the same, and the new interface will not affect the effectiveness of our users’ everyday work in any way.

One of our main aims is to make the VCC Live client interface reflect current trends, as well as enhance its technological development. The reason why we decided to update the look of our software is to be able to better represent our brand elements within the software, and to provide clients with the highest possible user experience while using our tool. In order to make the interface modern but also easy-to-use, we thoroughly researched the everyday workflows of both agents and supervisors, and created this new version to meet their preferences and requirements.

Working from the ground up, we gave the VCC Live client interfaces a new, cleaner, airy, unified appearance that also reflects our brand. Although the transformation is striking, existing functions have not changed, so our users will be able to access their settings in the usual way.

In addition, VCC Live 7.0 also offers a ‘dark mode’ option (which is highly popular among users at the moment), allowing users to change the background from white to black, and text from black to white.

We’re thrilled to be able to present our new look, which we are sure our clients will like even more than the previous version.

Optichannel Payments: A New Trend You Cannot Afford To Ignore

Posted on: September 18th, 2020 by Roland Háry No Comments

With consumers connected more than ever, effective communication is key. This is especially true when looking at the way that companies leverage the channels that they use to engage with their customers. Channels can mean phone, SMS, chat, video, and more. Currently, customer service is dominated by the concept of leveraging several channels with the aim of aligning customer communication. First, it was multichannel, later omnichannel, and now companies started to explore optichannel communication.

Why do companies need to align in the first place?

When it comes to customer experience, it is essential for companies to offer channels that fit their customers best. However, for every customer interaction, this could mean something different. One might prefer text while the other might want to handle their interactions over the phone. Additionally, certain issues require different channels. Therefore, agents need to be able to easily use different channels when talking to customers and be able to backtrack interaction regardless of what channel they used. This is where channel alignment comes into the picture.

Alignment methods

There are various terms when talking about channel alignment. The most often used are multichannel and omnichannel. Multichannel communication means leveraging several channels when interacting with customers. Omnichannel communication takes things to the next level. It alignings the channels utilized, letting agents switch easily between multiple channels, in order to meet specific customer needs. However, optichannel is slowly taking over these methods. Optichannel not only allows agents to easily switch between preferred channels but also takes into consideration the goals of the interaction and specific customer data when determining the optimal channel for communication.

The immediate options that an optichannel solution offers are often the most convenient options for the customer. Think about voice assistants. For some, it is a useful tool. However, if the customer at hand does not use this channel, offering it to them would be an unnecessary disturbance. Effectiveness and simplicity are key when it comes to providing a good customer experience.

Optichannel payments

The combination of personalization and efficiency means reduced cost and time when it comes to payment as well as other banking transactions. With an omnichannel approach, customers can choose their preferred channels, with an optichannel one, they are already offered the most optimal one, without the burden of choice.

Optichannel debt collection

When it comes to debt collection, omnichannel solutions are becoming essential for a seamless interaction. With VCC Live’s optichannel debt collection technology, real-time payments can be made, along with dynamic software suggestions that move debtors to the most efficient communication channel. For example, when handling specific clients, the software takes into consideration a number of attributes, such as the amount overdue, the number of payments missed, CRM score, or the location of the debtor alongside other metrics.

Given this data, VCC Software segments groups of debtors and handles them accordingly. For someone owing 50 euros, VCC Live software might offer her self service payments through an IVR call. Once the payment is made, the agent can send her a confirmation SMS. For someone owing you 500 euros, the system gives the option of talking to a live agent who offers a promise to pay agreement, the terms of which are sent out via email. For someone owing you 1500 euros, VCC Live’s optichannel solution will assign your best agent to the case, negotiating the payment terms directly.

With an optichannel solution, you can make sure that you are concentrating your human resources in the places necessary, saving time and costs. Additionally, all the relevant metrics of your debt collection campaign can easily be followed in real-time by managers and supervisors.

Aligning your communication channels is key, whatever sector your business is in. Optichannel software takes into consideration the goals of the interaction and specific customer data. This is especially important when it comes to payment and debt collection. VCC Live software optichannel solution offers intelligent solutions to any number of diverse customer interactions, handling customers according to their previous history and the amount of money that they owe. With an optichannel solution, you can make sure to provide a seamless customer experience, no matter what client you are handling.

How to Build a Successful Business Partnership

Posted on: September 4th, 2020 by istvanmasa No Comments

Establishing a business partnership with another company is one of the most practical ways to expand your customer outreach and get more business coverage. Additionally, it is also an excellent way for you to offer more value to your already existing customer base.

A business partnership is worth thinking about, no matter what scale your company is at. Once you find a reliable partner, establishing a business partnership with them may be a long term investment, with years of beneficial business collaborations to come.

By collaborating, both companies can extend by offering their partner’s products and services. A good example of this is the recent collaboration between Spotify and Uber. Spotify’s music streaming services were given a new platform when Uber cars played songs from Spotify and let the passengers control the playlists. Uber in exchange was able to differentiate itself from other car-sharing services by offering a service that was unique to them. Here are the best practices of establishing a fruitful business partnership and setting up yourself for success.

Clear communications

Be clear about both your expectations from the beginning of your collaboration. Set clear goals and define what the partnership should be about and what it should accomplish. Additionally, break down your partnership plan into several processes or milestones and agree on what each partner’s role is within it. Clear planning and communication will eliminate any potential disputes that might come up along the way, avoiding confusion for employees, leaders, and clients.

Team spirit

According to a recent study, 80 percent of all new business partnerships eventually fail. Avoid this by taking time to accommodate each other into the company’s team and internal structures. While this may seem time-consuming, it is an investment well worth taking. By understanding each other’s processes and sharing each other’s knowledge base, you can develop a long term partnership that can lead to long term and sustained returns on investment.

Room for development

When establishing a business partnership, you are not just combining existing resources, but also creating new, game-changing assets. Therefore, it is crucial to be flexible and open to expansion when it comes to your product features. Adaptability is especially important in tech partnerships, where your products need to be constantly scalable to evolving client or customer needs.

In terms of its technical aspects, the ability to change and expand features is a crucial asset for both your newly integrated partner technology and for your expanding client base.

In terms of a business partnership, flexibility is crucial, as it means that both companies and their employees have the space to launch new products and features and plan new forms of customer engagement. Any good business partnership should have room to change and adapt over time.

Honesty is the best policy

Even with the best intentions, not all business partnerships are likely to succeed or go exactly according to plan. In order to mitigate any potential conflicts or frictions in your business partnership, make sure, to be honest and give regular feedback to your business partner.

Make your strengths and weaknesses known and expect the same from your business partner. This way, you can make sure to be able to tackle any hurdles before it becomes a bigger problem. Try to turn every failure into a learning opportunity by addressing and assessing it at the right time.

Establishing a business partnership with a suitable company can be the next step in the expansion of your company. However, executing it in a way that is beneficial for both partners, depends on your approach. Make sure to bring out the maximum from your business partnership, by setting clear communication guidelines, accommodate the other party into your processes, give flexible room for development, and most importantly, be honest along the way.

Example: VCC Live’s partnership options

VCC Live welcomes business partners to help together expand our market reach and provide better services for our customers. We invite companies to work with us in three different areas:

Channel partners (resellers) – companies who offer VCC Live’s software to their clients and prospect based earning a generous commission.
Referral partners – partners who send leads seeking to improve their contact center operations to the VCC Live’s sales team
Technology partners – companies offering technologies that can complement our cloud contact center platform benefitting both sides. Examples include payment gateways, CRM systems, or AI-based technologies.

Interesting links to keep in mind:

Partners section on VCC Live