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There are hundreds of solutions in the market, but not all of them are worth your time. Here’s a list of 9 best call center phone systems features to use today that will help you streamline communication and maximize efficiency.
The “best call center software for small business” is the best way to improve your customer service and save time. The software will allow you to track calls, manage multiple lines, and more.
To better handle incoming and outgoing call traffic, today’s best contact center phone systems use voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology and cloud-based infrastructure. Advanced contact center capabilities like as automated call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR), CRM connections, and live call monitoring are available with these forward-thinking solutions.
When looking for the best contact center phone system for your company, be sure it offers the features and functionality you’ll need to integrate it into your workflows. We looked at the best-performing platforms to determine which contact center phone system characteristics your company will need in 2021.
1. Call Distribution via Automate
ACD (automated call distribution) is a critical call center function that sends incoming calls to staff based on specified criteria. Time zone, agent availability, skill set, and incoming calls are some of these variables. ACD enables incoming calls to be routed to the appropriate person from the start, reducing the number of call transfers and reroutes required to meet a caller’s demands.
Whether you require emergency routing for your healthcare offices or want to enable repeat customers connect with the same agent they dealt with before, ACD drastically enhances your call center’s processes.
2. Voice Response Interactive
IVR (interactive voice response) welcomes your callers automatically and takes voice input to help them get help fast. IVR may route calls to the right extension using caller voice prompts, and it can also eliminate the need for human interaction by delivering answers to commonly requested inquiries. Callers may use IVR’s self-service technology to learn about their account activity or business hours, for example.
Although IVR is a common element of contact center phone systems, not all platforms provide the same level of capability. Some VoIP providers merely offer personalized welcomes or auto-attendants, but they aren’t the same as interactive voice response (IVR) systems. Users may enter replies manually through the keypad with auto-attendants, but they lack the additional functionality and flexibility of a more complex IVR system.
Integrations with third-party software
While contact center phone systems are excellent at controlling call volume, you’re probably using a variety of different programs to manage your agents, customers, leads, and to-do lists. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, calendars, and workforce management tools may all benefit from third-party software interfaces.
Many major solutions let you to link caller information to a CRM, such as Salesforce or Zoho CRM, and then monitor callers as prospects in a sales funnel. Some systems are especially well suited to collaborating with other services. For example, Zoho Desk integrates data from its CRM, project management software, and most of its other services.
Some contact center phone systems integrate with remote access software, enabling your agents to take control of another user’s computer, whether it’s their own, an agent’s, or a customer’s.
Check with your company phone system supplier to see if they provide any integrations. Before you make the transfer, check sure it’ll work with the CRM software you’re already using. Some systems also provide an open API that allows developers to integrate contact center functionality directly into their applications and websites.
4. Call Recording
The most advanced contact center systems now provide managers with total visibility into current and prior phone conversations. Call monitoring allows you to listen in on live calls or listen to recordings of previously recorded conversations. This allows you to keep track of agent performance and use that information to guide future training, coaching, and resources for your team.
Some sophisticated call monitoring systems allow managers to communicate with callers or agents in addition to listening in on discussions. Managers may speak quietly in the agent’s ear (so that only the agent hears—not the client), jump into a live conversation to help, or take over the call entirely.
5. Analytics & Reporting
Contact monitoring provides qualitative insights, but it’s also beneficial to collect quantitative data and provide visible reports to guarantee your call center is operating at its maximum capacity.
Data such as total call volume, average call time, survey ratings, and wait times are collected by leading providers. They’ll display this information in charts and graphs to assist you find areas where you can improve. Some systems give these reports in real time, while others only supply them for previous periods of time.
The majority of analytics capabilities allow you to filter data in order to uncover the specific insights and time periods you’re searching for. You might, for instance, run a report to see how busy your call center is on Monday afternoons vs Friday afternoons. These insights may assist you in making better choices about personnel, scheduling, and processing.
It’s difficult to find a better contact center solution than Freshdesk Contact Center when it comes to statistics and reporting. Freshdesk Contact Center’s platform is simple to use and comes with a variety of built-in, configurable reports to aid in the analysis of procedures, team performance, and individual agent interactions. They also have a free version available for you to test out.
Freshdesk Contact Center is a great place to start.
6. Apps for mobile devices
Agents at today’s contact centers aren’t constantly at their desks in the office; they’re also at home, on the bus, in meetings, and on the road. Most (if not all) of today’s contact center software solutions are available as mobile applications for smartphones and tablets, enabling workers to carry their work interactions with them wherever they go.
Calling, messaging, email, reporting, and all of the other capabilities found in the desktop versions of your favorite services are available in most contact center systems’ iOS and Android applications. If you like, you may utilize a call center phone handset, but the mobility of an app is a major advantage.
Not all mobile applications, however, are made equal. Some services devote a significant amount of time and effort to their mobile applications, making them a true extension of their platform. Others treat mobile applications as an afterthought, cramming the most basic functions and features onto a clumsy user interface.
7. Support across all channels
Customer care calls are the most popular method of contact, although online chat and email aren’t far behind. That’s why it’s critical to provide a range of support channels to meet your clients’ needs—rather than pushing them to adhere to your procedures, you want to connect with them on the platforms they prefer.
Most phone providers have omnichannel assistance as a regular feature, however channel flexibility varies. Premium versions of Zendesk Talk, for example, let you get help through live chat, email, and even SMS text messaging. Customer satisfaction depends on accommodating your audience and allowing them to contact you in whichever method suits them best.
Call Presence is number eight (Agent Status)
Your managers and colleagues will be able to see the current status of all support agents if you use call presence. This function assists agents in routing calls to available agents, reducing caller wait time and simplifying customer service.
While it would be ideal if your ACD or IVR systems always delivered calls to the right agent, this seldom occurs. You may need to transfer live calls to another available agent with a better skill set or higher permissions on occasion, and you’ll require call presence to view the status of the reps in real time.
9. Make a Parking Reservation
If your agents don’t have the call presence capability on their platform or all accessible reps are presently occupied, call parking is the best choice. Call parking is a form of waiting room that puts a phone call on hold until another agent is available to continue the discussion.
Asking a caller to call back, diverting them to a busy line, or keeping them on wait while you finish up with another call are all bad ideas. This capability is not available in all contact center software packages. However, depending on the platform, it has multiple names.
Conclusion
Call center phone system features are essential for managing high call volumes and increasing customer satisfaction—contact today’s centers must do more than simply make and accept calls. ACD, IVR, and call monitoring are just a few of the contact center capabilities that help your employees operate more effectively and enhance caller experiences. Other solutions, such as omnichannel support, make it as easy as possible for your audience to receive assistance.
There are a plethora of call center companies to choose from. Freshdesk Contact Center is our recommendation based on functionality, cost, and usability. It’s simple to use, inexpensive, and packed with all the contact center phone system capabilities you’ll need to provide excellent customer service at scale. To begin using the service for free, click the button below.
Freshdesk Contact Center is a great place to start.
The “virtual call center software” is a type of phone system that allows businesses to have an automated virtual call center. The best features of these systems are the ability to customize them, and the fact that they allow companies to save money on their phone bills.
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