Whether you have a simple call center of 5 agents or a more sophisticated contact center with 100 or more agents, the right technology can be the difference between providing an exceptional or underwhelming customer experience. Call center leaders have a lot to consider when it comes to their tech stack—and with customer experience being so vital to success, making the right choice is key.
So, what are the main types of call or contact center technology you should be considering?
This article will answer that very question. First, we’ll look at three key types of call center systems, as well as the basic equipment you’ll need to get your center up and running. Then, we’ll offer some insights for assessing your needs and finding the perfect technology for your organization, agents, and customers.
What Is Call Center Software Used For?
In most call centers, software is used to better-connect with customers, from both a sales and support perspective. From identifying high-value prospects to developing productive customer relationships, the modern call center utilizes several different types of technology. This makes it even more important to find the right call center technology—especially when you consider the ever-increasing importance of a personalized customer experience.
What Are the Three Types of Call Center Technology?
The modern call center features several innovative technologies that elevate both the customer and agent experience—three of these are CRMs, call routing systems, and AI. These offerings provide a system for developing and maintaining a highly effective and efficient call center. Here’s how:
Know Who Your Customers Are
- What Is CRM Call Center Software? A customer relationship management (CRM) platform provides a system for collecting and organizing information about customers, including their transaction and communication histories. Call centers count on a CRM to make this information accessible to agents, so they can develop more productive customer relationships through personalized services.
Handle Inbound/Outbound Calls
- What Are Call Routing Systems? Call centers have come a long way since the early days of manual switchboards. The modern call center is flexible and efficient—achieved through innovative call routing systems that connect customers with the right department. Using modern software, call centers can design custom call queues, as well as routing systems based on agent availability, skills, or other factors.
Optimize the Call Center Experience
- How Do Call Centers Use AI? There are several ways a call center can use AI to gain deeper insights into their operations and make meaningful changes in virtual real-time. AI’s not here to replace human agents, but to improve their day-to-day experience handling customer interactions. AI can be used to provide self-service options, including virtual agents, chatbots, and more.
What Equipment is Used in a Call Center?
Today’s best-performing contact centers rely on a minimal amount of equipment compared with their predecessors. Rather than requiring substantial on-premises hardware and infrastructure, a cloud contact center really just needs the basics:
- A reliable broadband connection
- Computers and headsets for agent use
- Cloud contact center software
One of the advantages of cloud-based call center tools is how customizable and scalable they are. You can start with simple call center software, for example, and then expand to incorporate more call center phone systems features and integrations as your needs evolve.
How Do I Choose a Good Call Center Software Provider?
The right choice depends a lot on what your objectives and priorities are. Call center software providers typically understand that, which is why they design communication platforms to be customizable, versatile, and scalable. It’s not unusual for a call center to begin as a pretty lean operation, but then to evolve as the company—and its customer base—grows and changes over time.
Start by evaluating your needs and priorities. Otherwise, it’s too easy to get swept in features lists and to over-extend your budget. It’s best to focus on what’s important first.
Don’t just consider individual vendors or platforms. Sure, you can piece things together with a little ingenuity and patience, but there’s a better way. Consider a Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution to streamline systems, consolidate vendors, and save money.
Unsure which provider or providers to go with? Need help narrowing down your options, or figuring out how to compare different providers’ offerings and costs? Consider partnering with a managed services provider like InterVision. Whether you need help understanding the different types of call center software or you’re looking to implement the best call center software for your small business, we’re here to help!
Create a Future-Ready Call Center with InterVision
At InterVision, we’re ready to put our wealth of experience and expertise to work for you: to help not just envision what a better call center could look like, but to actually deliver it as well. From software selection to configuration, integrations, troubleshooting, and more, you can count on InterVision for the recommendations and support you need to elevate your call center into something scalable and future-ready. Help is just a click away—get in touch today!
