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Finding value in a virtual call center
From Part 1 of this two-part post, it's easy to see the complexity in on-premise call center technology; and complexity (as you know) is tech-speak for expensive. The value in on-demand call center technology becomes apparent as soon as you take a step back to look at its architecture. All you see are the call center agents and a PC with a high-speed internet connection. Everything else resides at the host facility.
IVR, ACD, skills based routing, CTI and call recording are critical components of increasing call center productivity. However including all of these in an on-premise solution requires large capital expenditures and a significant commitment from your IT team. On-demand, or cloud-based, call centers include these components and more, and they provide a wide range of benefits.
Deployment
With an on-demand contact center solution, you can deploy a new call center in days, not months. There's no equipment to buy, configure or integrate, so you're saving time as well money.
Training
An on-premise contact center is, by its very nature, complex. And, complexity takes time to understand and master. In the on-demand world these complexities are a thing of the past. The majority of call center managers achieve a 90 percent self-sufficiency rate in less than a day-just six hours. Less training time translates into significant savings.
Maintenance
With a virtual call center maintenance doesn't go away completely, somebody's got to do it - just not you or your staff. Maintenance and all the upgrades required to keep your call center functioning with the latest technology is managed by the host provider, and it's included in your subscription.
Scalability
Busy season just around the corner? Amp up your call center capacity with just a few mouse clicks. Are Summers historically slow for your operation? Set your call center on cruise control and coast along with lower costs until your busy season rolls around. Try doing that with an on-premises call center solution; you're often stuck with an investment that remains idle during your slow season plus the maintenance, support, power use and other overhead that keeps ticking away at your bottom line.
Value
You don't have to look far to find the value in an on-demand call center. On average the total cost of ownership can be 40 percent less than the on-premise call center that can run you $700,000 for a 100-seat shop. How is that possible?
• Capital expenditures are eliminated• Training costs are reduced by as much as 60% • Reduced infratructure costs • No dedicated IT staff required or maintenance contracts • Cost savings with remote agents
With a hosted call center, your IT infrastructure may be virtual, but your cost savings and flexibility increases will be quite real.