As you probably know, a call center is a centralized department that handles both inbound and outbound phone calls. It plays a vital role to communicate with customers and provide customer service, support, selling products, or performing other functions.
In the past, all call centers were on-premise and were run using physical systems. However, as technology has progressed a new type of call center has been gaining popularity: Cloud-based call solution.
Remote and Cloud-Based
Unlike traditional, ‘on premise’ call centers, cloud-based call centers are an online services run by a provider. Business clients that sign up to this service and are provided with access to the system so that they can use it and run their own call center.
The fact that the call centers are cloud-based is a benefit in and of itself. It means that the software can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, making it easy for you to manage and run the call center.
Additionally, because it is cloud-based, it opens up the possibility for call center operators to work remotely. Although not all businesses may want to take advantage of this, it does allow for greater flexibility – especially during special circumstances such as the current global pandemic.
Nowadays many service providers also support mobile devices, making it possible to manage and operate your call center even when you’re on the go.
No Complex Hardware
One of the most distinctive features of cloud-based call centers is that the hardware required is owned and operated by the provider instead of your company. In other words, you won’t need to buy and set up a server, and the only hardware that you’ll need is your own computer’s internet connectivity, as well as headsets.
Not only will this make the installation and setup a whole lot easier, but it will also let you avoid various maintenance issues. The call center provider is the one that will handle the operation and maintenance as well as carry out upgrades when necessary. If anything goes wrong, they will be responsible for fixing it.
Additionally, because you don’t need complex hardware – the initial costs to set up the call center will be significantly lower. Going forward you won’t have to worry about operational costs either, aside from the subscription that you pay to the provider.
Specialized Software
Because they specialize in call center services, cloud-based call center providers are generally able to offer advanced features that are more difficult and costly to set up for on-premise call centers. The features they provide will enable you to manage their call center more easily, as well as improve their interactions with your customers.
While the exact features that are available will vary from one provider to the next, most include ways for you to track various metrics such as the performance of call center agents, call time, feedback from customers, and so on. With the help of these metrics, you can identify issues and areas that need to be improved.
In most cases, the software used by providers will also support integration with various business tools including CRM software, analytics, and more. These integrations will let you maximize your productivity by pooling all relevant data in a single location and making it easily accessible.
Flexible and Scalable Packages
The biggest problem with running your own ‘on premise’ call center is that it can be rigid and difficult to scale as your company grows. Essentially you will either need to invest upfront in a system that is larger than your needs so that it is future-proof or constantly have to upgrade it as your business expands.
Needless to say, that is not the case if you use a cloud-based call center. Most will have multiple packages that you can pick and choose from depending on your needs. As your business grows, all you need to do is upgrade your package to scale it accordingly.
All in all, this will mean that you only ever need to pay for the package that best fits your requirements – making it far more cost-effective, especially for new businesses that may find it difficult to estimate how quickly they’ll grow.
Conclusion
As you can see, cloud-based call centers are a service that leverages modern technology to make setting up a call center much easier. It is a more cost-effective and flexible option and one that can benefit businesses of all shapes and sizes.
If you don’t already have a call center, it makes sense to seriously consider starting out with one that is cloud-based so that you can take advantage of what it has to offer. On the other hand, if your business already does have an on-premise call center you may also want to look into shifting to one that is cloud-based as it may end up being more effective in the long run.
