In the world of cyborgs where we struggle to find enough time to sit back and relax, mental health time seems like a luxury. Most people among us have never taken time for their care and worst of all, as we keep working, we feel availing all our designated holidays seems like a luxury as well. Pandemic has helped us push boundaries. Where human beings were being reluctant about their health, nature came into action and pushed us to revaluate our lives.
Most of us would die for a good view from their office window. statistics revealed that big offices, comfortable chairs, good view, and better lighting are some of the things that most employees want in their office. These requirements may seem small but if we examine the basic idea behind these requirements, we will feel how we have been caged inside our dreams just for survival.
Now image the workspace that you share with your co-workers right now. A boring traffic view where occasional traffic flow stops, complete radio silence in your department with some occasional chat over the phone call. Dim light with the cold and boring overall work environment. Now imagine, you are working from your favourite place. Maybe a small coffee shop where you can smell the freshly brewed coffee, light music of windchime as someone enters the coffee shop and the taste of crusty cream-filled doughnut as you take your first bite, seems too good to be true? Now with virtual call centre technology, you will be able to work from your favourite place. Virtual call centres are helping people break the shackles that bind them to their workstations only.
With the help of this article, we’ll dive into the modern technology that sets you free from your boring workplace. We will explore virtual call centres, things that make a virtual call centre a better option, and some of the best ways companies can make the most out of their limited operational budget by focusing on modern technology.
What Is a Virtual Call Centre?
When we think about call centres, most people just think about hundreds of young individuals sitting in their formal clothing, calling people to sell them things. However, the concept of modern call centres is evolving. Brands are now hiring people so they can assist them in sales. Apart from this, people are also trained to enhance the consumer experience by offering them guidance and help when needed. All the technical issues that once required detailed inspection and diagnosis are now solved over the phone. Helping guides and advanced video technology is transforming the way technical issues are resolved. To make communication seamless, you need the best and most advanced technology. Modern VoIP phone system offers an easy and adjustable communication system that can cut the need for human capital to a minimum.
Modern VoIP also helps the company to cut costs by offering their agents to work remotely. The employee is no longer required to come to the office, instead, he can choose the workplace and customize it accordingly. Virtual call centres offer better service for customers and businesses, but the overall work model is much more accommodating for everyone. Virtual call centres are no longer a luxury, instead, they are becoming a business necessity. More companies are looking for a broader market, so they reach the international business horizons. However, this means they need bigger teams that can handle all their clients and offer them support 24/7.
This around-the-clock guidance and support can cost a fortune, which means small businesses that are already struggling with their operational cost might have to spend too much. Adding the rent of space, long-distance call charges, and various software extensions makes running a business nearly impossible for new people. However, the VoIP system is offering a level playing field for all kinds of businesses by helping them cut their overall communication cost to up to 60%.
Just an internet connection along with an app, smartphone, laptop, or desktop phone is enough to help you start working from anywhere. Most companies use a VoIP business system for their virtual call centres, and this helps them make long-distance calls via the internet without costing them a fortune.
Why VoIP Is Ideal for Virtual call centres?
If you are running a small business and you need to build your customer care team, you will need a dedicated place, internet, phone, and a lot of other things. Most business owners obsess over supervision, micromanaging, and productivity. However, research about productivity increment revealed that with micromanaging, productivity decreases. Business owners think letting their employees work from home will eventually affect their productivity. Though, psychological research revealed that it helps people stay away from stress and they find it easier to work, which eventually improves their overall productivity.
Some of the benefits that every business will be able to avail through virtual call centres include:
Crafting International Image
Associating business with a geographical location means your business will have a local brand image. However, globally, businesses earn more when they have an international image. This helps them gather customers from all walks of life and reduces their biases. With the help of non-geographical VoIP phone numbers, you will be able to have a better image which will eventually help your business flourish and bolster.
Offering 24/7 Service
Hiring someone to work at odd hours means you need to pay them extra. Apart from this, hiring a local customer care representative who must travel to the desired location at odd hours might also be challenging. By allowing your agent to call from anywhere, you are cutting the overall cost. Moreover, you will have a diverse pool to choose from. Asian countries usually have fewer pay rates, so you can hire remote staff who can work 24/7. You will be able to tap into the best talent within your limited budget. Your virtual team will be able to handle all the queries across different time zones.
Reducing Operational Cost
Business gurus explain running a business as keeping a white elephant that keeps costing money. Rent, power supply tariffs, staff refreshment, technology, furniture maintenance, internet charges, communication software, CRM, telephone bill, and other charges collectively make the entry of talent in the market impossible. With virtual call centres, you will be able to cut the overall cost to a minimum. Ensuring a steady supply of energy and internet 24/7 in a building means adding extra operational costs. With the help of the virtual call centre option, you will be able to reduce this cost as well.
Progress Tracking
Most management complains that offering employees to work virtually means no supervision, however, the latest VoIP system allows real-time call monitoring feature as well. With the help of this feature, the employee can manage numbers, contacts, devices, calls, and ques easily. The monitoring feature also allows the supervisor to offer suggestions through call whispering and help train virtual teams. This helps in quality assurance which further adds to the image of the company. This feature is good for inbound call centres as well as outbound call centres where you can ensure your agents are working according to the requirements of the company.
Reducing Employee Turnover
Imagine training your professional staff and then losing the same talent to another company. It happens everywhere but researchers explain employees hardly leave because of money, they usually leave because of the work environment and perks offered by the company. By allowing your employees to work from the comfort of their house, you can easily reduce the employee turnover rate.
Keeping Track of Progress
Reporting is very important for business. It offers you an insight into the progress of the company and the role your staff plays in strengthening the company. Cloud-based call centres now rely on various analytic software for better insight. They offer details about KPIs assigned to every individual, their daily progress, and department-wise reporting. The remote VoIP system can also be integrated with CRM and other software to make a unified communication system to reduce the overall call handling time. You can easily open the task tracker at any time and see the progress of your whole team.
Enhanced Customer Experience
Virtual call centre means your agents can pick the time that suits their daily routine. This eventually ensures that your customers get the best service because your employees are well informed, well-rested, and ready to work. This also offers you to pre-plan and schedule calls to spread out the calls throughout rather than relying on the rush hour.
Easy Set-Up
It is a common misconception that you need a lot of equipment and detailed technical knowledge to set up a virtual call centre. On the contrary, virtual call centres do not need advanced equipment. You can simply add a VoIP or SIP-based application to your smartphone that you carry around. This will help you start working right away. You just need your software and sturdy Wi-Fi, and you can start working.
Complete Scalability Support
Running a small business means you keep dreaming to improve and get bigger. However, the growth of business means more human capital, better technology, and more equipment. With VoIP business system, operations of the company become effortless. Your virtual call centre staff will be able to set their remote call centre and you can have a cloud-based system that hosts all the data for remote access.
Where to Start?
If you are thinking of switching to a virtual call centre setup, research the package that suits your business. Then go through the features and compare different packages so you can choose the best for your business. Some of the ideal features that you must look for in a good virtual call centre system include:
IVR Function
IVR is a feature that offers an instant greeting service. Apart from this, companies offer call queuing and call forwarding through IVR. The customer can easily select the number that will redirect his call to the desired department for query handling. IVR feature helps in minimizing the response time which improves the customer experience, eliminate bad customer experience, and assists the customer care team.
Auto-Dialler
For outbound call centres, an auto dialler is one of the best features. This feature helps in reducing the time between calls and automatically dials the next number on your list. You just need to add the contact details and the rest will be handled by the phone system. Using a hosted VoIP dialer system benefits everyone in your company, from managers to sales agents
Secure Line
Although VoIP and SIP-based communication systems are much more secure than traditional phone systems. However, some brands offer extra security features as well. While selecting your communication system, look for secure unfractured, secure transmission and overall system safety. The cloud-based system requires much more care, so look for brands that offer firewalls and guarantee safety features.
Third-Party Software Integration
Unified communication helps in bringing down the overall task handling time. Companies with multiple communication software dedicated to different levels of communication usually, make the process confusing for new employees. Apart from this, it reduced the overall efficiency. While selecting a virtual call centre software, look for third-party integration so you can enjoy a unified communication system. You can look for CRM software here.
Call Monitoring
Hiring a new customer support representative and then training him might cost you a fortune. However, if you rely on the call monitoring feature, you will be able to remotely monitor and record calls for quality assurance as well. Most companies scored calls for evidence as well. For small businesses who are thinking of selecting VoIP-based communication, call monitoring is a feature that you must consider. Read details about the call monitoring feature and why you need it.
User-Friendly Interface
When you select a communication software, look for a very attractive and user-friendly interface. Brands are offering customizable interface as well. You can change colures, setting, name, field name, data access, and other details according to the requirement of your business.
