VoIP for call centers is internet-based calling technology that allows call centers to monitor their agents, adapt to change and keep productivity high. However, even non-contact centers have begun reaping the benefits and switching to call center VoIP technology.
Why is VoIP for call centers eclipsing the landlines and multi-line phone systems small businesses used to use? Let’s take a look at how call center VoIP is useful to the majority of businesses – not just contact center goliaths.
- KPI Visibility
KPIs aren’t just for call centers. While not all businesses have hundreds of agents to monitor, even small offices with only a few phone users can benefit from the in-depth reporting call centers tap into using VoIP.
Monitoring missed call percentages by employee or department, for example, can help managers ensure employees are active and that leads, customers, vendors and other points of contact receive sufficient communication. Other employee-centric figures like calling times, average time to answer, availability and more help business managers oversee their workforce and keep efficiency high. Call center VoIP can display all these figures in a central, customized dashboard; managers simply choose the stats they need to see.
Further, VoIP technology can integrate with Outlook, CRMs and other applications, allowing managers to keep track of business relationships. Which customers have called more than once about the same problem? How many calls have taken place with a promising prospect? Relationship-centric KPIs help managers monitor and streamline sales, customer service and other processes.
Pro tip: To monitor marketing efforts more closely, try using unique VoIP toll-free or vanity numbers in advertisements – they’re cheap and trackable, and they show managers and sales teams which sources drove which leads.
- More Customizability
Businesses are rarely static, and their changes can be difficult to predict. Whether expanding, downsizing or moving locations, call center VoIP provides businesses the flexibility and customizability they need to accommodate changes as they come.
Since VoIP phone lines are virtual, businesses aren’t boxed in by physical infrastructure; managers can add and remove users easily to scale their phone service to their workforce. Even moving or adding office locations is no sweat for businesses using contact center VoIP; all they need to do is increase their VoIP subscription and purchase new VoIP-standard equipment, bypassing intensive installations while keeping inter-office transfers and other handling capabilities streamlined and efficient.
Internet-based VoIP also enables remote work; employees using VoIP can make and receive calls on their smartphone, laptop or desktop, allowing them to work just about anywhere. This helps businesses accommodate various needs and changing schedules – and in a work climate that’s pushing remote work policies, a cloud PBX can provide the flexibility businesses need to stay modern and attract new candidates.
- Call Center-Level Customer Service
Call centers that offer great customer service attribute their success to more than their size. Outstanding customer service calls for diligent employees empowered by attentive training, close performance monitoring and effective tools.
Aside from detailed reporting and customizability, VoIP for contact centers offers other key features call centers use when training and monitoring agents. “Whisper,” for example, enables managers to advise employees while they’re on a call, with the ability to “barge” in and offer hands-on assistance if necessary. These features, along with priority-based call routing, agent availability statuses and others, can help ease new employees in without compromising customer service.
Further, VoIP-CRM integrations help small businesses keep track of customer relationships and personalize calls. With centralized phone call notes, customer information, purchase history and other data at employees’ fingertips, they can quickly tailor calls to each caller, helping ensure a pleasant customer experience.
IVR menus also speed up the call process by automatically directing callers to the most appropriate department. This helps shorten calls and keep customers happy – just be sure to configure a brief, straight-forward IVR menu. Shoot for five or fewer main menu options, minimize sub-menu options and always allow callers to press zero to bypass the menu and speak with an agent. A poorly-formatted IVR menu can frustrate customers, damaging a business’s customer service reputation rather than bolstering it.
Pro tip: Equipment and features are useless if no one knows how to use them. Look for a VoIP provider that offers complimentary phone system training to streamline the switch to a new provider.
- Better Backups
With VoIP, businesses receive the support, reliability and reassurance they miss out on when hosting their own phone system.
VoIP providers host PBXs and other necessary equipment, complete with backup systems, to prevent client downtime. Further, many providers help businesses develop customized backup plans using internet failover and automatic transfers to alternate locations in case of an incident, helping businesses using call center VoIP achieve near-zero downtime.
There’s a reason it’s unheard of to get a busy tone or voicemail when calling most large call centers. Small businesses are making the switch to “always on” call center VoIP technology to improve their reachability and cut downtime losses.
- Lower Prices for More Advanced Service
Surprisingly, VoIP service is cheaper than most landline options. While this seems counterintuitive, internet-based technology allows vendors to offer subscriptions at much lower prices. Additionally, digital services have the ability to continuously upgrade, essentially preventing the technology from aging – no need to shell out on major infrastructure overhauls to keep up with the latest technology.
Better yet, VoIP can modernize more than a business’s phone lines – from enabling texting to email-based VoIP faxing, VoIP offers companies the latest technologies at a lower price than outdated service.
Is VoIP for Call Centers Right for Your Business?
Considering the switch? One of the best things about VoIP service is its flexibility – it can mold itself to fit almost any business’s needs. To discover more of the benefits businesses enjoy when they switch to VoIP, download our infographic on the top 10 benefits of 4Voice’s VoIP service.
