Virtual Call Center

The virtues of the virtual call center are consistently evaluated in this market that is increasingly turning to the cloud and hosted solutions. Why should you consider this option for customer support? You want to be able to effectively answer your customer calls and build a loyal base, but this is easier said than done.

To build that loyal base, you have to build the relationship. Contactual (News - Alert) focused on the importance of the relationship in this recent blog, highlighting the role the virtual call center plays in the building of those relationships. Interactions that take place within the virtual call center are vital – customers want to call you, buy something from you, ask you a question or get help with an issue or problem.

At the same time, you might rely on the virtual call center to provide you a platform to call your customers. And, if your customers are dissatisfied with the interactions they have within the virtual call center, they are more likely to take their business to a competitor. This is where customer relationship management (CRM) can be critical to the virtual call center, ensuring all agents know how best to handle every interaction.

The value that CRM can contribute to the call center is one reason why the virtual call center is gaining ground.  When the call center is cloud-based, it is easy to integrate CRM applications, such as NetSuite (News - Alert) and Salesforce.com, into the customer support interface. The virtual call center can also offer a single sign-on so agents can gain an instant 360-degree view of the customer when handling the interaction.

This approach to customer care ensures the agent always knows what customer is calling, what they have bought, what issues they have recently resolved or have pending, and more. The virtual call center can provide your team with the power to handle calls quickly, efficiently and also knowledgeably. If you haven’t invested in the virtual call center yet, this move is likely in your future.

Analysts Gartner (News - Alert) put cloud computing at No. 1 on their Top 10 Strategic Technology Areas for Growth in 2010, which puts this technology on par with e-business just one decade ago. Those who already leverage the advantages of cloud computing, especially in the virtual call center space, have been able to demonstrate measurable value.

Call center applications can easily be delivered through the SaaS (News - Alert) model as several benefits are offered, including click-to-dial capability directly from the CRM application; customer records that pop onto the agents’ screen automatically; increased operational efficiency when calls are prioritized based on the CRM system; and seamless integration between call center software and CRM applications that allow for easy toggling between the two.

When the call center agent can become more productive and efficient, customer frustration decreases and overall satisfaction is enhanced, thereby producing a positive impact on the bottom line.

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca