Customer Service: According to a study by Deloitte, almost every second contact centre service provider did not want to invest, in cloud technology three years ago. This has now changed due to the acceleration of digital transformation. Customer service also benefits from this.
According to a study by IDC, the working world is amid upheaval. Most employees want a hybrid work solution, with a mix of company office and remote work. This model is ideal for many, as studies by Statista, Stepstone, or Boston Consulting Group confirmed. As a result, 67 percent of managers and 57 percent of employees currently work hybrid. Seventy-five per cent of companies use the cloud to enable their employees to work remotely. Many jobs, including contact centres and customer service, can be done anytime, anywhere. It is urgently necessary to integrate digital tools such as cloud-based collaboration solutions into work processes for this to work smoothly.
Customer Service: Benefits Of Cloud-Based Contact Centres
According to a survey by the market research company Metrigy Research, companies that use cloud-based contact centres generate more revenue, improve customer satisfaction and increase the productivity of their employees. When it comes to customer service, in particular, contact centres in the cloud offer the following six advantages:
High Agility And Flexibility Through Open Standards
According to a study by Dimension Data, almost 90 per cent of those surveyed said that cloud solutions have significantly improved flexibility. Other plus points were the future-proofing of the technology infrastructure (77 per cent), improved availability and reliability (76 per cent) and faster time to market (72 per cent).
Improved Administration
IT support typically includes application and systems management, including infrastructure and troubleshooting. Added to this is the control of various functions, such as adding new agents and directory numbers and adjusting the routing. The data transfer simplifies system administration, and the IT department has more time for strategic initiatives.
Easy Implementation Of Software Upgrades
Software upgrades do not require extensive planning and can be used without business risks.
Greater Security And Compliance
For many years, security was the number one reason for avoiding the cloud. Cloud providers today invest in maximum security and relevant certifications. When a reputable cloud provider has committed to meeting compliance standards, you can ensure that they will keep these standards in mind with ongoing updates and ensure high availability.
Reduced Customer Service Costs
Cloud technology offers several ways to reduce financial outlay. These include, among other things, the lower number of servers required for the desired contact centre applications. In addition, the number of supervisors and the space necessary for hardware is reduced, possibly also for employees who could work remotely.
Scalable IT Resources
In the cloud-based contact centre, caller volumes and inbound capacities can adapt to the individual situation and seasonal fluctuations perfectly. It can be scaled as required within a short time, for example, in the human resources area or concerning operational functionality. Acquiring new infrastructure or overloading existing IT resources is a thing of the past.
Customer Service: With Video Communication To New Shores
Since 2020, the number of people who prefer to communicate with companies via video has increased by 140 percent worldwide. More than every second, the consumer has already contacted a service provider via video. Video communication connects people to people. Agents make customer service even more personal from the cloud. Binding the customer to an expert for complex issues is unnecessary, but the agent discusses and solves his genuine concern.
And always in contact with the face, facial expressions and body language. At the same time, the agent passes on an image through his outfit, his way of speaking and his reaction. This type of customer service creates sympathy in the customer. This is also confirmed by studies showing that video communication conveys the most substantial emotional connection. Personal conversations can only surpass this feeling.
Professional video conferencing systems are compatible with other ITC platforms, built on existing contact centre products. A communications platform (CPaaS) can be easily integrated into third-party hardware and software, such as a CRM system. Users switch directly from the website or app to a personal conversation with one click without download or plug-ins.
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Customer Service: Video Communication According To EU Security Standard
High security is critical when choosing a cloud-based video communications solution. Private information must be protected from unauthorised access; through various security guidelines and functions such as TLS and SRTP encryption, public key or digital certificates. It is also essential to ensure that video conferencing solutions are hosted on servers within the European Union. Only then do users act following the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The Schrems II judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) of July 2021 stipulates that user data may no longer be transmitted to third countries outside the EU without special protective measures. If the servers are located within the EU, data transfer to third countries does not occur. With such video solutions, companies have a collaboration tool at hand that, in addition to highly efficient teamwork, guarantees the most outstanding possible security when handling personal data following the GDPR.
Align Cloud Migration With Corporate Strategy
Companies planning to move to the cloud should consider those in-house developments that cannot always be adapted to a cloud platform. Experts therefore strongly recommend that you take an accurate inventory (see box “Cloud migration checklist”). An alternative is to migrate gradually, moving certain functions to the cloud and assessing performance before later relocating operations.
Customer Service: Managing Business Processes Efficiently
Quality-conscious providers of cloud-based contact centre solutions offer complete flexibility and comprehensive scaling options. Customers have the choice between the private, hybrid or public cloud. In any case, an omnichannel contact centre is available from the cloud. With inbound/outbound/voice, mail, chat, fax or SMS, messenger and video channels. Alternatively, business processes and content such as documents can be processed in the contact centre. Social media channels can also be integrated easily and quickly.
Business intelligence solutions allow data from different sources to be linked, presented in clear dashboards and analysed. With functions such as self-service, chatbots, voice recording, knowledge and workforce management, supported by artificial intelligence, efficiency in the contact centre can be further increased, and customer service improved.
Customer Service: Cloud Migration Checklist
What to consider when moving the contact centre to the cloud:
- Which applications from the cloud should be used? Service providers should define goals for achieving with the cloud to ensure on-budget and on-time delivery.
- Selection of the cloud models and cloud service providers that best suit the company.
- They are adapting internal business processes to ensure acceptance within the company concerning cloud-based applications.
- The bandwidth of the Internet connection is of crucial importance for the reliable handling of business processes.
- The cloud service provider must provide suitable interfaces for the planned use of applications. If the interfaces offered are very manufacturer-specific, a backup of the data on your own IT infrastructure should be provided.
- It is advisable to carefully check the service level agreements (SLA) of the cloud service provider. For example, whether the necessary availability, backups, downtimes and, above all, local support are guaranteed.
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