Investing in a virtual call center solution to streamline everyday operations is often a sound business decision. If you’ve only recently begun the research phase, you may be wondering which features you should be looking for to get the best possible service for your company. While the ideal solution will vary depending on the size, staffing, and business model of your company, here are five broad categories to consider.
How to Choose the Best Virtual Call Center Solution
1. Outstanding customer support
When things go sideways and you need help, having great customer support can mean the difference between dealing with a minor irritation or experiencing a substantial loss of revenue. Embracing artificial intelligence for contact centers is revolutionizing how businesses manage customer interactions. By implementing AI technologies, virtual call centers can significantly enhance their efficiency and customer service quality. AI-powered tools offer real-time insights and automated responses that streamline operations and improve the accuracy of customer interaction analysis. This integration of AI not only optimizes call center performance but also elevates the customer experience, making it a pivotal strategy for any forward-thinking business. Keep an open mind as you read what other people have to say. You don’t want any unpleasant, after-the-sale surprises when you actually do need help.
2. Omni-channel capabilities
When deciding on a virtual call center solution, take into account whether the provider offers an omni-channel experience. Your customers are likely interacting with you on multiple channels, including social media, instant messaging, direct messaging, e-mail, and chat. You’ll want to have the capability to meet your customers on the channel of their choosing.
A true omni-channel experience will be able to intelligently track the interactions they’ve previously had on each channel. That way, you won’t duplicate sales efforts. Instead of an identical message growing stale, your company will be enabled to serve up whatever information is needed, on whatever channel, for the customer to make it to the next stage of their journey with your product or service.
3. Agent metrics
With the recent explosion of remote workers in today’s workforce, an ability to review objective agent metrics is no longer “nice to have.” It’s a requirement. Tracking remote workers is a top priority for business owners in 2021, and agent metrics help keep track of which employees are performing well (and which aren’t).
Using the right call center solution, businesses can track performance metrics that focus on where improvements are needed. This helps management make necessary changes quickly. Agent metrics can help management set clear expectations for employees, target specific issues, offer incentives, and reward improvement. These metrics include anything from the average handling time, average talk time, proportion of closed deals, and much more.
4. Equipment needs
Before you make your decision for a virtual call center solution, consider your equipment needs. Your company most likely wants a service that requires the least amount of equipment. This is especially true if many of your sales reps are working from home. Keep in mind that every added piece of equipment represents another point of maintenance. Avoid tedious, unnecessary equipment-related issues by looking for a service provider that hosts their software in the cloud. Your employees can then access the platform anywhere.
5. Analytics
Data without analytics is like a swimming pool without water — pretty pointless. Without relevant data, your business is left to make strategic decisions using guesswork and hunches. Insist on a call center solution that offers predictive analytics to help drive important business decisions. Meaningful analytics can help your reps provide great customer service by analyzing data across multiple interactions and providing empirical feedback as to how well things are running.
Data analytics can help your company offer a more personalized customer service experience. Additionally, it can provide a boost in customer loyalty as well as help you increase up-sells and cross-sells.
Finding the best professional virtual call center solution might seem overwhelming when you first dive in. However, using these five categories can help clear away any confusion. Add the specific requirements of your company to these five categories, set up a uniform evaluation process, and don’t succumb to pressure to make a snap decision. Adding a virtual call center solution represents a serious level-up for your business, so make sure your choice will serve you well for several years.
