Traditional call centers have often relied on the technology in a telephone to conduct business. Call centers of today also rely on computers, automated calling systems, dialers, interactive voice response (IVR), and other sophisticated applications in order to drive efficient processes.

 

Another application that is still relatively new is Click-to-Call. Such technology enables a consumer to browse the Web site of a particular business and then click on a link that will automatically “call” the call center, putting the consumer in touch with a live agent.

 

Now, you might wonder why this would be necessary if a phone is sitting right next to the computer. Why not just call the company directly? While this is certainly an option and Click-to-Call is not implemented as a complete replacement for the standard means of contacting the company. Instead, it serves as a fundamental customer service feature.

Whether or not a website is built to maximize the experience for the customer, he or she is likely to have questions or want other information that they cannot find readily available. Or perhaps they stumbled upon the website, but lack any familiarity with the company and want to know more.

 

The availability of the Click-to-Call option enables the consumer to directly connect with a live agent to obtain the information they need or resolve a pressing issue. What’s more, the application can also enable the agent and the consumer to browse through the Web site together, with the agent acting as the guide.

Beyond the customer service element that Click-to-Call provides, Click to Call also enables the call center to streamline calls coming into the center. Typically, call centers have calls coming into a central location that are then routed according to pre-set rules.

With the Click-to-Call option available on the website, calls come directly from a particular page or pages and go directly to an available agent. The agent can know exactly what page the customer is calling from and more efficiently handle the call. There is no need to route the call and therefore, no need to keep the customer waiting on hold. The tie into customer service in this ability is obvious.

As Click-to-Call becomes more of a fundamental aspect of the consumer-focused Web sites of today, those that lack the ability may find that visitors to their sites are leaving to look for the competitor that offers this direct line to a live agent. Considering the benefits for all involved, Click-to-Call technology is too valuable to be ignored.

 

For more, check out the Click to Call channel on TMCnet