Contact Centre Applications: CTI, Call Management & More
Contact centre managers face a unique set of challenges. On the one hand, there is always pressure to reduce costs and increase operational efficiencies. On the other hand, there is a need to deliver excellent customer services. Many contact centres also have to meet compliance obligations set by industry or regulatory authorities. Whilst it may seem as though these objectives conflict, the right contact centre applications can help to deliver against key performance indicators in all areas. Today’s business telephone systems can really help to enhance contact centre performance in all areas, when combined with sophisticated call management solutions.
Contact centre performance is driven by measurement. This is where effective contact centre applications can make all the difference. Quality call management solutions provide insights on key metrics such as call handling times, call waiting times and first contact resolution. Contact centre applications are evolving to encompass everything from intelligent call routing to the capture, analysis and reporting of vital data, integrated CRM information and call recording. All of this helps to improve performance across all areas through better staff training, increased efficiency and enhanced customer experiences.
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) has advanced in recent times and plays a key role in the modern contact centre. CTI technology allows interactions between computers and the business telephone system, integrating the two for coordinated action. This manifests in several forms within the contact centre; not only is it the driving force behind intelligent call routing, call recording and reporting, but it also allows phone system functions and applications to be accessed directly from the desktop for efficiency and ease of use as well as driving first contact resolution through highly useful agent desktop applications such as automatic CRM screen popping.
A detailed understanding of daily contact centre operations and performance is what drives improvements in efficiency and productivity. By improving efficiency and productivity, contact centre managers can meet the seemingly conflicting objectives of reducing costs and improving the customer experience. Effective call management solutions provide comprehensive reports detailing everything from overall performance to the activity of individual agents. This can be used to monitor and compare performances of individuals, small teams, whole departments and even an entire organisation operating across multiple sites. Data analysis and call recordings can be used for individual agent assessment and towards better targeted training in the future.
Many contact centre applications now include elements that help to optimise the workforce. Whether this is through mobile integration, presence information, agent control or by other means, workforce optimisation enables contact centres to keep operational costs down by getting the most out of agent time without having to increase the headcount.
Many call management applications integrate automatic call recording, which serves multiple functions including dispute resolution, agent training, improved customer services and meeting compliance obligations. Many contact centres are governed by industry and regulatory authorities that enforce compliance obligations such as the proper handling of customer data. For these contact centres, call recording provides vital evidence that compliance has been met, protecting businesses against the substantial penalties that can be incurred as a result of non-compliance. Having an automated call recording solution helps contact centres to achieve compliance in a straightforward, hassle-free way.
Advances in technology are changing consumer behaviours, providing multiple platforms for interacting with businesses. As technology evolves, consumers also expect their queries to be handled in an increasingly efficient manner. This means that contact centre operations are becoming ever more complex. At the same time, businesses need to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in order to get ahead in an increasingly competitive environment. Thankfully, business telephone systems and contact centre applications are constantly evolving and developing increasingly sophisticated ways of helping contact centres to meet key performance objectives. Every call centre is different and the key is to ensure that your business has communications solutions that are tailored to your unique needs and the specific challenges you face.