When it comes to call management, the software you choose will make a big difference. There are so many options that it can be difficult to tell where to invest. There are some key factors you should consider before you can accurately assess your choices, including:
- What are the potential long-term efficiency savings?
- What are the upfront and ongoing costs?
- Can I integrate my existing systems?
- Do I need individual tools or an all-in-one solution?
- Do I need a domestic or international calling service?
- Can I access internal or external technical help if I run into software issues?
Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s much easier to narrow down your options. Then you can move on to an individual assessment of each platform or program.
Even when you’ve narrowed down your options, you’ll still find several businesses offering solutions that meet some or all of your needs. Software as a service is a wide market. This means you’ll need to make a decision based on three crucial areas:
- Reputation
- Reliability
- Service
To get this information, you’ll need to look at the history of a business and look up the opinions of other users. Let’s look at each of these factors in more detail.
Reputation can tell you a lot about a business. Is your supplier known for its top-notch service? Are they known as the best value for money? You’ll often get a sense of this just by networking with others in your industry.
More and more tools and trackers appear all the time and let you get a wider view of a company's reputation. Think of consumer-focused sites like Trustpilot for retail or Feefo for logistics.
With information from both end-users and B2B customers, you can make more informed decisions and find the best business partner for you.
How reliable your service will be is difficult to determine until you’ve used a product. Your supplier will be in control of maintenance if you use an external service. This is important as any downtime will negatively affect your customers.
Most reputable suppliers will acknowledge this. That’s why you’ll find most services come with a service level agreement (SLA) that guarantees a certain level of service. This is essentially a contract clause that guarantees your business will be compensated if service targets aren’t met.
For example, a confident platform like 8x8 boasts a 99.999% uptime and call quality, platform-wide, for all customers in their SLA.
Even the best systems have issues from time to time. That’s why you need to consider your supplier’s customer service and technical help options. If you have 24/7 business hours, you’ll need 24/7 support. You still need someone on hand to help if your phone system goes down at 3 a.m.
There are other aspects to think about, too. How quickly your issues can be resolved will impact your customer satisfaction. Good communication and customer support are also a bonus, as this will help maintain good working relationships between your staff and supplier.
Depending on your industry and operations, there may be other functions you’ll need to look for. Consider these questions:
- Do I need mobile integration, e.g., call manager mobile apps, SMS communications features, etc.?
- How will the system affect internal communication?
- Will the software integrate with Android phones or iOS?
- Do I need AI-assisted functions, like intelligent call routing options?
If cost is a deciding factor for your business, there will be budget-related choices to make, too.