September 29, 2020
The modern version of a contact center, also referred to as a call center, houses much more than headset-wearing customer service reps and rows of phones. Equipped with the latest technology and located largely in the Americas and Europe, an increasing number of them aren’t even centers in the traditional sense because they’re staffed entirely by geographically remote specialists.
As already ubiquitous cloud technology grows even cheaper and more efficient, organizations are increasingly opting for Call Centers as a Service (CCaaS) over centralized locations that host scores of workers and premise-based servers. Besides providing hiring flexibility that allows companies to recruit beyond a local talent pool, CCaaS eliminates the need for costly equipment and on-site IT professionals.
It’s no wonder, then, that an estimated 20 to 30 percent of contact center users already have embraced the cloud, with many more bound for the bandwagon. According to the latest report by Gartner, published in 2019, half of contact centers are slated to adopt CCaaS by 2022. “With premise-based applications, you’re relying on VPNs and people having access to on-site servers,” says Kleid Gjataj, a Principal Consultant at Mindsight who has worked in the contact center space for nearly two decades. “Cloud-based solutions make it much more accessible. You can work from anywhere with any PC/Chromebook without the need for a ‘hard’ phone.”
Not only can cloud-based contact centers be rapidly deployed, Gjataj says, they can also be scaled up or down at will to match service volume, and easily upgraded to give every user instant access to new features. All the major players — including Cisco, Genesys, NICE inContact, Five9 and 8×8 — are similarly equipped to serve clients of all sizes.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for those looking to harness CCaaS is choosing a provider. Judging solely by website descriptions, they all seem to offer roughly the same services. In truth, however, there are small but significant differences, the most significant being that you’re working with an all-encompassing platform versus a piecemeal solution. Additionally, you increase your API accessibility and can also deploy “DIY” features rather than relying on the provider to customize your environment. That’s where a knowledgeable consultant like Gjataj can help. “Think of it like a no-fee insurance broker,” he says. “You tell them what kind of needs you have, and they provide you with two or three different options based on those needs. We’ll also take a look at your workflow and try to help you with your customer journey.” That means making sure each contact center tool and channel — from AI and data analytics to voice communication and social media — plays an integral and complementary role so there’s a high degree of continuity.
Depending on the business needs of your organization, you’ll want to determine if it makes more sense for all contact center services to remain under one umbrella or farmed out individually. The former solution, Gjataj says, is better for smaller clients that prefer a less costly centralized approach. Global organizations with bigger budgets might opt for the latter. Not only are most of them accustomed to dealing with multiple third-party vendors, Gjataj explains, but doing so allows them to partner with the very best providers for a higher-end customer experience.
The bottom line, Gjataj says, is that dealing with any contact center “should be as easy as possible, regardless of which channel your customers choose. They should always have the same positive experience. It’s like having a highway with seven lanes, but only two of those lanes aren’t riddled with potholes. You want all of them performing at the same level.”
About Mindsight
Mindsight is industry recognized for delivering secure IT solutions and thought leadership that address your infrastructure and communications needs. Our engineers are expert level only – and they’re known as the most respected and valued engineering team based in Chicago, serving emerging to enterprise organizations around the globe. That’s why clients trust Mindsight as an extension of their IT team.
Whether you’re looking for an on-premise, cloud or hybrid platform, Mindsight can help you achieve your business objectives and deliver a solution that is secure, scalable, flexible and cost-effective. Mindsight holds both Cisco and Genesys partnerships, and our experts always place the customer experience front and center. Explore the options below so you can equip your contact center agents with the technology and tools they need to deliver a seamless experience every time – and help differentiate your brand from that of your competitors.
About the Expert
Kleid Gjataj is a Principal Consultant at Mindsight, an IT Solutions and Consulting firm located in the Chicago area. With nearly 15 years of experience in both domestic and international consulting, Kleid has helped contact centers of all sizes to bridge the gap between business and technology. His extensive experience with IVR, ACD, screen pop, omnichannel, speech analytics, quality management, outbound dialer, and custom applications is grounded in understanding the critical value of the customer journey. Kleid earned his degree in Network and Communications Management and continues to focus on how contact center optimization helps businesses meet goals, increase efficiencies, and reduce costs.