The move to cloud was faster than anyone thought. Mark Ungerman, Product Marketing Director, NICE inContact explains how cloud contact center platforms have enabled customer service operations to maintain continuity during a time of unprecedented disruption.
Today, every story about cloud computing is in some way a story about survival. Sometimes it’s about the cloud helping a company grow at scale. Sometimes it’s about leveraging the cloud to weather a difficult storm, such as a global pandemic or a local disaster. For the past few months, every company and government entity has had to quickly adapt to a public health crisis that has affected both their core constituencies and their employees. A large number have been able to maintain consistent contact by rapidly scaling their operations to handle more interactions. The organizations using cloud technologiesOpens a new window were equipped with the necessary flexibility and elasticity to assist customers expecting the same level of support and care they received pre-COVID-19.
Businesses with contact centers Opens a new window large and small have long understood that adopting the cloud would be a smart investment, yet have been hindered by other priorities or perceived unreadiness. As the pandemic continues, these same businesses recognize that cloud platformsOpens a new window have helped other contact centers minimize disruption. The most successful companies virtualized their contact centers at the flip of a switch, enabling customer support professionals to perform their jobs from the safety of their own homes.
Because so many customer serviceOpens a new window operations have risen to the unprecedented challenges this year, it’s no surprise that cloud-powered contact centers are having a moment. Here’s what business and IT decision makers should keep in mind as they consider the role of cloud computing in their own customer experienceOpens a new window (CX) strategies.
Learn More: 5 Steps for a Smooth Contact Center Cloud MigrationOpens a new window
Flexibility at ScaleIf a contact center did not have the flexibility to ensure business continuity during the start of pandemic, now may be the time to migrate to a cloud platform. The agile nature of the cloud empowers contact centersOpens a new window to go completely virtual, while also giving them the elasticity needed to absorb all of the increased traffic some businesses have reportedOpens a new window . When call volumes spike in contact centers, traditional on-premise solutions usually require additional bandwidth to handle the bulk. The cloud, however, allows these operations to dynamically respond to increased demand. Because the cloud offers a pay-as-you-go subscription model, contact centers are only billed for the resources they use, saving trivial costs associated with on-premises systems.
It is at this intersection of functionality and convenience that contact center leaders often realize the cloud’s flexibility is simple to activate on. To access the service, all a contact center needs is network connectivity – whether it be through private lines, public internet, or even telephone lines. On top of that, cloud solutions seamlessly and transparently manage all of the upgrades to the software, the networking and the hardware. The net result is a contact center that will never face obsolescence.
Learn More: Automation Is Still a Missed Opportunity for Contact Center LeadersOpens a new window
IT As Builders, Not Fixers
One of the most vital teams of any contact center is IT. Historically, the IT department has been employed at contact centersOpens a new window to manage the day-to-date maintenance of the infrastructure. The cloud removes this burden. Instead of devoting all of that time and effort to making sure the hardware is up and running, troubleshooting outages, repairing root cause of those outages, making sure that the software is current and that all of the security elements are in place, IT can begin to focus on other revenue-generating projects. The cloud frees up valuable IT resources because its functionality is all managed by the vendor in the cloud, allowing IT staff to build as opposed to constantly fix. Because modern cloud contact centerOpens a new window platforms are open, IT staff have a more robust API access than anything they have had in the past with an on-premise system.
In customer service operations, it is very common to deploy contact center software, CRMs and other business applications, such as ERP solutions – not to mention integrations with help-desk tools. Cloud contact center platforms make it easier to integrate all these systems together because of the open standards of which the Internet is built. This means more integrations that enhance the experience for contact center agentsOpens a new window and managers.
Learn More: Will Virtual Contact Centers Go Mainstream?Opens a new window
Modern Agent and Customer Experiences
Contact center agents are on the frontlines of any customer service operation. They are a company’s employees who directly handle customer interactions, delivering exceptional experiences on a daily basis. The cloud has proven to be a reliable co-pilot for contact center agents. Today, agents can be asked to engage with three customers at once, all while operating their various backend systems. On behalf of agents, the cloud automates backend tasks, performing routine functions such as switching applications and sending alerts. Cloud contact centerOpens a new window platforms not only eliminate these time-consuming tasks but also the emotional barriers that sometimes come with digital interactionsOpens a new window . The cloud can deploy AI-backed tools, such as sentiment analysis technology, which evaluates customer input from a variety of touchpoints, including text messages, emails, chat sessions and even social media comments, ensuring contact center agents are able to supply personalized interactions to each and every customer.
It didn’t require a great prognosticator to predict that cloud computingOpens a new window would revolutionize contact centers. In the short term, it’s clear that the cloud has empowered CX operations to maintain contact with customers at a time when everyone is practicing social distancing. In the long term, cloud platforms will be able to elevate the performance of contact center workforces, from agents to IT staff, by freeing up valuable time and resources to focus on business goals.
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