The customer service division of any company plays an important part in the representation of that brand, as well as the support of the customers willing to do business with that brand. And because there isn’t always a direct tie in revenue between the call center and the company, it’s sometimes difficult to justify investments in this space.

Fortunately, the availability of the hosted contact center can help change this dynamic. When blended with the manager’s approach to workforce management, the outcome is a hosted workforce management approach to optimizing the call center. With so many different options on the market, it can be a challenge to determine which ones are best suited for your environment.

A recent Call Centre Helper post offered insight into this process and what you may need to look for in a hosted WFM solution. The first important point – the solution must have comprehensive functionality. It’s critical that all key functions are present and ready for use to promote the assets of the center. Limited capabilities will only create more work for the manager already trying to juggle multiple agents, heavy calling loads and changing campaigns.

It’s not uncommon for vendors to offer solutions that are considered a loss leader. The low price is really only sustainable where true cloud computing exists, as all sources are securely pooled among customers. Hosting computing requires dedicated servers for each customer, which ensures the protection of all information and an optimized experience. It also ensures the delivery of a solution that is designed with a rapid return on investment in mind.

Even the best workforce management solution can still evolve and improve over time, especially when ongoing learning and education are made a priority. In this type of environment, it’s not enough to ensure staff is trained when the solution is implemented. This approach ensures best practices, adherence, scheduling and more are optimized on an ongoing basis through regular coaching and training sessions.

Access to an online community is another asset that can improve use and add value to the solution. A supplier with a thriving online discussion board will enable users to browse a knowledgebase, ask questions, get the answers they need and improve the community overall. It’s a great way to extend the coaching and training element of the solution.

Finally, the solution must not only be secure, it must also ensure optimal uptime through Service Level Agreements and guarantees. The hosted contact center must be able to stay on top of customer demands, ensuring the delivery of the optimal experience at all times. In doing so, the cost to operate is kept in check while customers receive the quality of service they have come to expect.