Call centers can be an efficient use of time and resources, or a labor and data intensive beast that can drain a company of profits. It all depends on if you are utilizing the tools and resources to manage this service. One of the most important tools for any call center is call center software. Whether you utilize the software for management reports only, or for training and call routing, these products have varying degree of features and functionality. Let’s take a look at some of the features.
Inbound, Outbound or Both
An Inbound Center means your call center handles mainly inbound calls via a local or toll-free, 800-type service. An Outbound Center is placing calls. Rarely is the type of center split equally. You may have an Inbound Center that places a percentage of the calls – outgoing, or vice versa, but most of your calling will be one or the other. Software and services will be targeted toward the focus of the center which will be either Inbound, or Outbound.
For inbound calls, the software might provide a ‘screen pop’ as the call comes up. Giving you information on the customer like their number, if they’ve called before, name and account information, or maybe just what area of the country they are calling from.
Outbound calls can be generated by predictive dialing, or preview dialing where the system calls a number, gives a message and asks the person on the other end to wait for a live agent.
If you call center is running both, you can either designate agents for either inbound calling or outbound. Or you can prioritize inbound calls so that the same agents can handle both, and anytime an inbound call comes in, the agent is blocked from being included in the next outbound call and gets the inbound pop screen and telephone call.
ACD and IVR Features
The call center software features than can make some of the biggest impact in a call center is ACD our automatic call distribution and IVR, Interactive Voice Response.
Separately or combined, these features will give you skills-based routing, real-time modification of routing options with disaster recovery features and self-service options that can handle some of the calls without utilizing a live agent.
Manage the Regulations
Check the call center software that you are interested in for Compliance Management options. If the software can help you keep track of and scrub ‘Do Not Call’ lists from the predictive dialing software, or help you manage federal, state and local regulations as it relates to Time Zone management. There are also federal, state and local regulations that affect use of caller id settings. Make sure your call center is compliant with all the laws and regulations governing call centers by purchasing software or utilizing an outsourced software company that updates their software with new and expanding regulations.
Stand alone Software versus Software with Training and Management
Call Center Software can come in a box, or be downloaded as freeware from the internet. You get the software and sometimes a paper or digital guide on how to install, implement and what some of the features are.
There are also companies out there that provide software, and charge a startup and monthly fee for things like custom integration. Meaning they will make sure it works with your telephone and computer equipment and any reporting or other software and hardware you might have. They will integrate data and applications and configure the software you purchase from them.
Monitoring and Reporting
These are very important features of call center software. But it isn’t enough that your software provides reports that include station level monitoring, you’ve got to be able to read and understand the information and know what steps can be taken to increase productivity from those reports. So try and get sample reports to look at before making your decision on the type of software to buy.
Software options will often include Call Monitoring
Which means a coach or trainer can listen to an agents call and provide feedback later. There is coaching options where you can direct what they are seeing on the screen while you are listening. Other options are conferencing, recording and scripting. Scripting means they follow a script on the computer that leads them to ask questions and go to the next steps. This can be helpful with technical support, for example.
The reporting options should allow you to look at overall results for the center, and narrow in on each agent chair by time and day. These reports should help simplify training by graphing results over time, so you can see improvement. Many call center software programs or outsource companies will have ‘canned’ reports, meaning they are preset and you input just a few parameters if any. You should also look for a software program that allows you the option to customize reports based on specific needs.