Get Success of Call Centers with Latest Technology

The latest technology are very important in the call centers industry, Call center have two major sections first the inbound where calls are received for help services and the second is outbound where calls are made by agents mainly to sell products. Call centers are extremely popular now a days.

The benefits of Call centers are unlimited. To make the consistency in the success and the growth of the call centers we can use these latest technology for Call centers. These latest technology are as follows:

1. Automatic call distributors: All Inbound call centers need a system to process calls and other interaction types like email and chat, as necessary. Automatic call distributors or dialers are core call center systems to improve performance of these two underlying systems. Outbound call centers require a dialer to place and complete calls.

2. CRM: Call center servicing application is the second most important technology in call centers. Agents use the servicing application to respond to customers with an understanding of their relationship and value to the enterprise. Call center agents also use the servicing application to document customer issues or requests and steps that were taken to address those issues. This creates a record of interactions that can be accessed the next time the customer reaches out for help.

3. Campaign management system: Outbound call center organizations require a campaign management system (CMS) to let the dialer know whom to contact, or to produce a list of phone numbers or email contacts. A more sophisticated CMS will allow agents to record how each customer has responded to a given campaign.

4. Call recording systems: All sales contact centers and many customer service environments – inbound or outbound – require recording systems to capture all interactions so that they can be replayed if there is a question about an interaction. Some organizations just capture calls; others capture both the call and related screens used to service the customer. The most sophisticated recording systems capture all interaction types, not just calls.

5. Interactive voice response systems: Speech recognition systems are self-service tools that automate the handling of incoming customer calls. Advanced interactive voice response (IVR) systems use speech recognition technology to allow customers to interact with the IVR by speaking instead of pushing buttons on their phones. IVR/speech recognition systems can help companies keep their costs down and often automate the handling of 40 to 85 percent of all incoming customer inquiries in industries, such as retail banking, credit card, brokerage, insurance, health care and utilities. Some enterprises also claim that IVR/speech recognition improves service quality, since an automated system can be available when live agents are not on duty. An increasing number of outbound call centers – particularly those doing collections and sales -- are using IVR systems to increase their effectiveness and productivity.

6. Workforce management software: It is used to forecast the volume of calls (or other interaction types, like emails and chat sessions). Workforce management (WFM) software can help call center managers schedule the optimal number of agents to meet projected needs, taking into account agent breaks, training classes, planned vacations and unplanned sickness. WFM software can automate the process of determining the number of agents that must be hired to ensure that customer transactions are handled at a specified service level. WFM is considered essential for inbound call centers with 100 or more agents or smaller centers that are complex, operating multiple sites and/or handling a variety of interaction types. Recently, outbound call centers have also started to use WFM.

7. Quality management applications: These are used to measure how well call center agents adhere to internal policies and procedures. These applications are increasingly considered mission-critical for inbound call centers, as they give management insight into call center performance. Quality management (QM) applications are starting to be used in outbound call centers and will eventually become as valuable in those environments as they are in inbound centers.

8. Computer telephony integration: Connects the ACD to the servicing or CMS application. At the most basic level, it delivers a "screen pop," bringing up the customer's account on the agent desktop when it delivers a call. This saves the agent from wasting time looking up customer information and it saves the customer the aggravation of having to provide redundant identification or account numbers. CTI is a major productivity tool for many call centers.

Call centers are complex operating environments that depend on a wide variety of sophisticated technology to process transactions. While call center technology is essential, it's really the agents who leave a lasting impression on customers and they are the key to retaining clients and enhancing relationships