Guest Post: How to Choose the Right Call Center Software to Supercharge Your Customer Support

Sowmya J. is a content developer and a digital media strategist at Knowmax. She shares how companies can choose the call center software that fits their customer support teams.

In today’s digital world, whether your customers prefer phone support or traditional customer service, effective call center software is essential for smooth functioning. Managing a support team can be a major challenge, as well as time-consuming, and expensive. If you wish to impress your customers or live up to their expectations, you need a call center tool that enables effective work. With features that ensure support agents understand, answer, and solve customer problems, the call center will become productive and profitable.

Using a call center software that’s backed by knowledge management adds to the advantage. It boosts efficiency, spreads knowledge, ensures better content consistency, improves customer service quality thereby increasing the loyalty and trust of the customers. As a result, many establishments are utilizing call center tools that are based on KM these days.

Before you decide upon a call center system for your organization, consider the following: 

1. Omnichannel  

Supporting customers through multiple communication channels requires effort and money. Your call center knowledge base must integrate with all of the channels. An omnichannel system reduces buyer friction and enhances efficiency. It allows calls to be logged on for follow-up later. This way, every team member is aware of all the customer interactions, thereby creating a consistent customer experience (CX) no matter which channel the interaction begins on.

2. Call routing 

It is extremely viable for customers to reach the right person in charge to guide them through. Whether your call center software has in-built call routing, or it requires a set of options to be chosen by customers, it should have this feature.

3. Cloud-based calling  

Cloud networks are significant to the functioning of a contact center and need a cloud-based calling system to align with. Easier to handle and less expensive than regular landlines, this doesn’t require on-premise hardware- eliminating maintenance fees that regular phones may charge. 

4. CRM integration 

Customers have to keep track of their previous interactions and repeat their problems or inquiries until they are solved. But if agents have an understanding of who’s calling, they can provide effective support and state progress. This smoothens the process and enhances the experience of the customers. 

5. Outgoing calls 

Call center tools should include the feature that lets agents make outbound calls. Some specific features like an automated dialer, call logging, and more enable your CRM to stay relevant.

6. Call scripting 

Contact centers receive volumes of calls and a call center script makes life easier for the support agents. With call scripting, your agents can practice and prepare before interacting with customers. They can also track interactions if needed. Another advantage is, one can create common scripts for all the staff and maintain consistency.

7. Interactive voice  

An interactive voice feature enables your customers to interact with an automated system before talking to someone from the support team. This way, common issues can be resolved and basic information can be provided to clear doubts. This saves your agents’ time and only involves them when needed 

When you use a call center software that bears all these features, your contact center will never be the same. Its costs and resources will decrease, consistency will increase, and agents, as well as customers, will feel satisfied. To enhance the positive impact of such features, using a call center tool that’s based on knowledge management would be advisable.

Here’s why: 

The Benefits of KM-based contact center systems:   

1. Collaboration 

The feature of knowledge management (KM) based contact center software enables collaboration by helping its agents to directly contact other professionals within their organization or team. This way, all of them can discuss, share, and come up with accurate solutions, or recommendations, and post tiny notes to guide others following the process.

2. Easier Searches 

Knowledge management (KM) is known for its ability to organize and better utilize information. So naturally, a KM-based software for call centers makes easier searches possible. The content that is stored in the knowledge base is segregated into different categories, adding a structure to the information and making it simpler to find. This way agents can also find appropriate answers to queries on time and resolve problems faster

3. Analytics 

Knowledge base software provides analytical insights as to what the customers are calling you for. Using this information you can better train and prepare your employees on the most frequent subjects. This means your team’s ability to tackle problems faster, and more efficiently.

At the end of the day, an organized knowledge management-supported contact center system can do wonders. From reducing costs to enhancing the knowledge of the team, it is capable of so many things. Adding it to your call center makes the life of your support staff easier. They become confident, proficient, and lead to a better customer experience. Customers feel like they understand you better, and you, them. They trust your brand more and stay loyal to it. A win-win for all. Therefore when you choose your call center software, make sure it’s most suitable for your work, for that’ll make all the difference.

Sowmya J. is a content developer and a digital media strategist. Graduated from LSR college, she currently works at Knowmax.