Signs It's Time to Upgrade Your Call Center Software
When you first purchased your current call center software, it was a top-of-the-line solution with all of the latest features. But lately, you’ve started to notice the little things. Maybe your current solution doesn’t have social media integration capabilities, or maybe you’ve had a hard time handling seasonal fluctuations in call volume.
Whatever the reason, you’re now facing a difficult question: is it time to ditch the on-premises solution and upgrade your call center software?
If you’re facing this situation, you’re definitely not alone, and there are a number of tell-tale signs that can help you make the case for upgrading your current solution.
To help you make the right choice for your call center and your business, we’ve compiled some of the most common signs that it’s time to upgrade your call center software and make the move to the cloud.
Your call center costs exceed your worth
A traditional, on-site call center can be extremely expensive, especially when you consider the need for maintenance, standard upgrades, and installation costs.
If your call center costs exceed your actual worth, moving your call center to the cloud might be a good option for your business. Unlike traditional call center technology, virtual call center software requires no upfront capital investment. You’ll simply pay a flat monthly fee for each agent, plus the cost of total minutes used.
Another perk is the fact that your virtual call center software provider is responsible for all upkeep and system maintenance, so you don’t have to devote valuable time or resources to IT needs.
Your current call center technology is limiting your growth
One of the most important elements of a successful call center is scalability. Every call center has a peak season, and that means that they need to hire and integrate more employees. Call centers that use on-site technology may have a hard time accommodating these needs, especially with the added costs of new equipment and installation.
Virtual call center software, on the other hand, allows you to easily scale your call center. Since the provider hosts all technology, you’ll simply add a new agent through your online portal, and your provider will set up everything your agent will need virtually.
You’re missing out on essential call center features
With traditional on-site call centers, you typically have to purchase more software and equipment in order to add new calling features. Adding something as simple as call recording can end up costing hundreds of dollars, and even more time and resources in training and installation.
Most virtual call center softwares offer their calling features included automatically. Features like call recording, call forwarding and time of day routing are all offered for your use. This allows you to fully manage your call center.
Your call center technology does not ensure business continuity
Here's a simple question: if your network goes down, or something goes wrong at your call center, does your current solution offer options for disaster recovery? If the answer is no, you'll want to do one of two things:
- Talk to your current provider about what upgrades or add-ons could help you maintain business continuity in the event of a service outage.
- Explore the possibility of a virtual call center solution that uses techniques like fully redundant call routing and failover provisions to ensure reliable call delivery.
If a lack of business continuity measures is the only thing that your current solution doesn't offer, you might do well to stick with option 1. There are failover provisions and other disaster recovery techniques that you can integrate with an on-premises solution, and you wouldn't have to do a full "rip and replace" of your call center configuration.
But if you find that you're missing out on scalability, key features, and other call center essentials, you might want to put some serious thought into option 2. A well-equipped call center provider can provide reliable call delivery through redundant routing and the use of multiple data centers. And even with all of these added protections, you'll still pay the same monthly fee per agent.
Is it time to upgrade your call center software?
The statements above are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of deciding whether it’s time to upgrade your onsite call center. But if one or all of the problems listed above sound familiar, you may want to seek out a virtual call center software provider that can fully explain the benefits you’ll expect on a new system.
Looking for more information about moving your call center to the cloud? We think you might like these related articles:
