More and more call centers are switching to the cloud. In 8x8’s State of the Contact Center survey, 75% of companies had moved fully or partially to the cloud, and this trend looks set to continue. So there’s no better time for your business to move to a cloud-based call center.

In this article, we will discuss:

A cloud call center or virtual call center is a solution that lets you host your call center infrastructure in the cloud, hosted by a third-party provider. Since everything is cloud-based, you won’t need to buy or install expensive call center hardware. Instead, you only need a device that has an internet connection (such as VoIP phones or computers) to access all call center functionalities.

With a cloud call center solution, agents can handle inbound or outbound phone calls from customers from anywhere. Upgrading to an omnichannel contact center platform also allows you to expand the reach of your customer interactions by engaging with clients in different communication channels, including phone, email, social media, and SMS.

A cloud contact center also gives you access to a range of features that can boost customer engagement and productivity. Here are some common features you can add to your call or contact center to enhance its performance:

• Integrations with third-party software like your CRM and helpdesk
• Automation tools to optimize workflows and manage inbound and outbound call volumes
• Tools to improve customer experience, such as self-service and quality management (QM)
• Analytics and reports to track contact center performance

Call center software solutions provide more benefits compared to a traditional business phone system. They come with a range of features like advanced calling and call queues, as well as omnichannel support that lets customers contact you on their preferred communication channel. Cloud-based contact centers are also a much more cost-effective option because all of the infrasturcture is hosted on the cloud.

Let’s take a look at some of the common benefits you can get with a cloud call center:

Easy scalability

With a cloud-based call center system, it’s easy to add or remove agents as needed. You don’t have to buy or install extra telephony equipment. All you need to do is contact your service provider or add the users yourself in the call center software. This makes cloud solutions ideal workforce management tools that put your business in control of how and when you scale.

Training and support

Supervisor panels let you train agents in real-time on live calls. Recording features mean it’s easy to review calls and coach employees on how to improve. You can also monitor your support team with call reports and call monitoring tools.

Omnichannel customer experience

Today’s customers interact with businesses on a variety of channels. With omnichannel routing, customers will always reach the right agent on their ideal channel. For instance, if a customer wants to chat with sales, they’ll be automatically routed to your sales and support team. This gives a better customer experience, which in turn builds customer loyalty.

Improves call center agent productivity

Call center dashboards are easy to configure, so all your tools are in one place. Having a unified agent workspace can increase productivity by as much as 50%. You can also add optimization tools like click-to-call, so agents can quickly place outbound calls while reducing misdials. Plus, AI tools like chatbots free up agents’ time for more complex tasks.

Ideal for remote teams

Nowadays, remote agents make up a majority of a call center's workforce. How can a remote team stay connected? A Software for contact center is the ideal solution. Your team can access call center features from anywhere, so they're always on hand to answer an incoming call from your customers. Supervisors can also track outbound or inbound calls in real-time.

High uptime and reliability

Most contact center platform providers guarantee a 99.999% uptime and 24/7 support. They also ensure business continuity in case of emergencies thanks to their trustworthy data centers and disaster recovery plans.

Cloud call and contact centers come with a range of features, including:

Advanced call routing and ACD

Automatic call distribution helps you manage calls with intelligent routing, call queuing, and automatic callbacks. It can reduce customer wait times and help agents answer every inbound call. This not only improves productivity but also gives customers a better experience.

With advanced call routing, customers will be redirected to the right agent that can best assist their needs. You can customize call routing in your dashboard based on factors like agent availability, skills, expertise, etc. This makes a cloud-based call center solution perfect for any inbound call center.

Call recording

Whenever your agents make an inbound or outbound call, it triggers call recording. That means every customer interaction is automatically logged and stored. You can use call recordings to monitor agent performance, analyze customers’ information and concerns, and train new agents.

Integrations with popular software

Virtual call center software integrates with popular business tools like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and Zendesk. CRM integrations give you added functionality by letting you access customer data before, during, and after calls. You can even build custom integrations using an API.

Intelligent IVR

Interactive voice response, also called auto-attendant software, guides callers to the right call center department or customer support team. If you’ve ever phoned a business and heard “Press 1 for…, press 2 for…,” that’s an IVR system. IVR systems can also be used to guide users through basic troubleshooting, eliminating the need for live agents to assist customers if the issues are simple.

Customer support metrics

Call center platforms track metrics like customer satisfaction and customer calling which allow you to can monitor performance in real-time or look back on long-term trends. This helps with workforce optimization, so no one is sitting idle with too little workload or feeling overwhelmed with too much.

Quality management

Quality management helps you monitor the quality of interactions between agents and customers. By monitoring quality and performance, you can drive continuous improvement. This improvement increases customer satisfaction and loyalty which, in turn, drives business growth.

Choice of dialer

To improve the performance of outbound call centers, most call center software providers offer several dialing options such as :

• Auto-dialer
• Predictive dialer
• Power dialer

Let’s look at them in more detail.

1. Auto-dialer: automatically dials phone numbers in a list and connects to an agent when a customer answers. This tool saves agents the trouble of manually dialing phone numbers themselves.
2. Predictive dialer: dials numbers automatically even when agents are not available and connects any answered calls to the first available agent. This increases the actual connections agents make and saves them waiting time.
3. Power dialer: automatically compiles a list of numbers and dials them one after the other.

What is the difference between a call center and a contact center?

Although they are used interchangeably, a call center and a contact center differ in what communications channels they support. Call centers focus on calls while contact centers include digital channels like social media, video, and SMS messaging.

Why should I use a cloud-based call center instead of an on-site call center?

Cloud contact center solutions are a much cheaper option than on-site call centers. For example, you don’t have to buy expensive telephony hardware. Also, contact center technology comes with added functionality, like CRM and call distribution.

It can also make your customer support team flexible, as cloud contact centers allow them to work from anywhere.

How can a call center solution improve call center performance?

Getting call center solutions for your business can massively increase your team’s performance and productivity. For example, automation tools like IVR, workflow automation, and auto-dialers save agents time. Plus, integrating with your CRM improves productivity by giving agents easy access to customer data. All of this improves call center performance and boosts your ROI.

Can I keep my existing phone number?

The short answer is “Yes.” Contact center platforms can move your existing phone number to their phones’ systems using number porting. Porting is simply the process of moving a number from one provider to another without losing service.

How can contact center software improve agent performance?

Cloud-based contact center software, like calling routing and distribution, minimize repetitive tasks. KPIs, like first contact resolution rate, let supervisors monitor performance. Plus, with tools like call monitoring, supervisors can train new employees and coach existing employees.

Does a cloud-based call center software come with a PBX phone system for my business?

Most providers that offer cloud telephony functionality offer both PBX phone system and cloud call center features. However, make sure to check which plans from your provider offer both of them. Some providers offer them separately.

What is the price of contact center solutions, and what does it include?

8x8 offers a range of plans and pricing to suit any business and budget. Popular plans include:

The 8x8 cloud telephony system gives businesses the latest cloud-based call center features in one modern interface. Whether your business is large or small, 8x8 has your back with a range of business phone plans that guarantee reliability, security, and scalability.

If you’re ready to move your business to the cloud, why not get in touch with our friendly team? They’ll be happy to help.