Automatic call handling
The Call Center solutions are able to systematize and improve the quality of customer care services and reduce the costs at the same time. In modern solutions of this type the first contact of the customer and service department are taken over by interactive voice response systems. IVRs ensure automatic handling of a call and allow building automatic information systems which do not engage agents to handle the calls. These systems can present information about available products, services, new promotions and offers. The IVR systems may also be used to collect additional information about the customer. Such system can, for example, ask the customer to enter his/her account number or specify the character of the problem to be solved. The Call Center system can use such information to determine where the connection should be redirected.
Call distribution
The automatic call distribution systems (ACD) are important elements of Call Center solutions. They allow effective segmentation of customers, distribution of calls within the company and directing a given call to the most competent person. Pre Routing mechanism makes a decision about transferring a call when the incoming call is still in the operator’s network. The decision can be taken for example on the basis of the telephone number of a calling party. The Post Routing function ensures intelligent distribution of the already established connections within the corporate network. The decision is made for example on the basis of information entered by the customer at the stage of handling the call by IVR system. If the connection needs to be transferred, Call Center system will use business logic saved in the form of script to transfer the call to the most competent person. While transferring the call between the consultants, groups of consultants or IVR systems, the Post Routing logic optimizes interaction with the client using data collected during Pre Routing and uses it to make further decisions. It eliminates situations when the customer is forced to re-enter previously entered information.
Integration with business applications
One of the key functions of Call Center systems is the possibility of integration with business applications used in the company. It is possible through CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) mechanisms which function as a kind of Call Center system interface and making it possible to exchange data with other applications, for example with databases or Customer Relationship Management applications. This interface allows usage of various sources of data (e.g. to decide about transferring call), therefore it becomes possible to exactly identify the calling person and, in case the customer is identified as one of the key customers, provide him/her with a service out of turn.
Through functions of collecting data gathered during receiving a call or in the IVR systems or through database queries, the consultant’s application, at the moment of receiving a call, can provide a extensive set of data about a given contact. The possibility to use applications integrated with CRM applications makes the process of system implementation easier and faster. The possibility to create own applications or add the consultant function to the customer care applications enables more effective development of customer care service systems and better adjustment to the requirements.
Optimization of the consultant’s work
The development and broader availability of internet technologies causes that some customers prefer to use chat services or e-mail to find the required information. This trend triggered off the migration of traditional Call Center systems to the structures that facilitate realization of services using multiple contact channels called Contact Center. These solutions integrate, within the frame of one service center, various communication channels enabling the customer to use traditional telephone connections, chat, e-mail, fax or SMS. In this kind of solutions the module managing the consultants’ tasks allows them to work simultaneously on several assignments from different communication channels and to abort one task and work on another of a higher priority. For example, if the consultant carries out the chat with the customer he may be given another chat connection to increase his/her productivity. The consultant may also be given the task from other communication channel. For example, during replying for an e-mail he/she may also service the phone call. So, the task that does not require real-time service may be interrupted by a voice connection demanding immediate service, and then, after finishing the connection, the consultant can get back to the previous task. This is the way to optimize the work of consultants with simultaneous maintaining high quality of the services.
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