| Integrating Your Business Phone System with Computer Telephony |
| by Gabby Hyman, writer |
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| If your business has a large client load and a growing number of employees, you can boost productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction with a modern call center. No matter what size your operation is, there are call center telephony solutions that fit your business needs and budget. Many solutions offer a quick return on your investment along with increased sales and service efficiency. |
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| The latest call-center innovations offer affordable pricing. According to Computerworld Report, 24 percent of small companies already have IP telephony call centers and another 40 percent are currently considering implementation costs and pricing. |
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Call Center Basics
If you're pricing call-center options, you have a broad range of providers from which to choose, including hosted call center services or internally managed IP centers. Call centers help reduce customer service costs, route calls instantly to qualified personnel, move premier customers to the front of the line, and track interaction times. Hosted call centers easily merge with third-party customer relationship management (CRM) applications that allow you to streamline service and grow your list of satisfied customers. |
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| Large-scale companies have experienced outstanding savings by moving to IP call center operations. According to a report from AT&T, the telephone company has recovered its initial investment in one year, with an average operating savings of $500 per user. |
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| Business owners who are pricing call-center systems are looking for ease of operation and maintenance, single interfaces to manage their calls, the capability to view customer information on a single screen and to make adjustments in location or levels of service with the greatest ease and flexibility. |
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| When contacting hosting or independent call-center solution providers, business owners want accurate pricing that builds in levels of scaling their operations beyond the initial installation. They're also pricing call center options for remote access and system mobility, call forwarding, teleconferencing, auto-attendants, and voicemail service. |
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| Call-center and CRM packages help train key support personnel to streamline their interactions and evaluate their scripts. Data shows how long a customer has waited for assistance, how much time it took your staff to meet their needs, and whether the customer comes back on a consistent basis. When you speed up response time, you increase the bottom line. |
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Sources
Computerworld
AT&T |
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About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK. |
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