10 Signs You Need to Upgrade to the Best Call Center Software and 15 Benefits if You Do

10 Signs You Need to Upgrade to the Best Call Center Software and 15 Benefits if You Do

September 8, 2020

All businesses are using some type of cloud software these days, whether it be email, storage, CRM, etc. So why are so many companies that rely on customer experience for their business’ success still using old or on-premise call center software?

Modern call center solutions have evolved to meet shifting customer demands, meaning they include features that enhance the customer experience by providing choices, more competent agents, ease of use, faster resolutions, and more.

Additionally, the best call center software also improves agent experience, satisfaction and engagement by equipping agents with the tools they need to effectively resolve customer inquiries and manage their own performance. Research by ICMI shows that agent satisfaction is directly linked to increased customer satisfaction (CSAT). Engaged agents will go the extra mile to satisfy customers and are more likely to be retained.

And, don't worry, the best call center software also includes world-class workforce management applications leaders can use to capably manage labor costs and service levels by optimizing staffing levels. These tools simplify and improve the accuracy of core forecasting, scheduling, and intraday adjustment processes.

The best call center software elevates call center performance and yields tangible benefits that ultimately fund the investment.

How do you know you need new call center software?

You need new call center software when your agents are frustrated

There's a "moment of truth" when organizations realize they need new call center software. It might come during a crisis or a proactive planning session. Perhaps it's a result of dissatisfaction or a case of outgrowing the software's capabilities. If you're having doubts about your current solution, here are some signs that it's time to upgrade to the best call center software.

1. Your receptionists and support staff are overwhelmed by calls

For a small business, this can be a sign that you first need to establish a call center and back it with the best call center software. Perhaps the ad hoc support process you established when you were a startup worked for a while, but now things are becoming chaotic. Staff can't handle the increased call volume, voicemail boxes are full, and you have no insights into statistics around calls coming in and how they’re handled. It's time to formalize the customer support function and acquire the right tools for success. Start with a really good automatic call distributor (ACD) to route and queue calls and help you understand key information about incoming calls.

2. Low visibility into key data

If, unlike the previous example, you already have a call center, you know that successfully managing operations and quickly reacting to changing conditions depends on having easy access to real-time performance statistics. This includes data like volume by day part, abandon rates, callers in queue, and more. Older systems might not present data in real-time, making it difficult to be agile. Plus, data may be difficult to access and changes to reports may require vendor support at a cost. When you aren't getting good management data from your systems, it's probably time to consider a change.

3. Difficult to integrate

Do your service agents have to navigate a tangle of different applications just to resolve one customer issue? Do your IVR and ACD have trouble "talking" to each other? Both are symptoms that your systems might be difficult to integrate. Call center software is more powerful when the modules seamlessly integrate with each other and other business systems such as customer relationship management (CRM) applications. This allows features like a unified agent desktop, customer self-service in the IVR, and screen pops that automatically present customer information to agents. If your call center software is difficult to integrate, you're likely missing out on some beneficial capabilities.

4. No support for digital channels

There's significant consumer demand for businesses to offer support through digital channels, like chat and social media. In response, many organizations are transforming their call centers into omnichannel contact centers that seamlessly support multiple channels. If your call center is facing this type of transition, you may find that your current software doesn't support multiple channels. This can mean agents have to access different systems, your workforce management software can't handle forecasting and scheduling for the new channels, you won't have consolidated reporting, and other inefficiencies. The best call center software can help you overcome these issues, so you might need to expand your plans to include an upgrade.

5. Multiple compliance issues

Multiple Compliance Issues

 

All call centers need to comply with laws regarding call recording, storage, and playback. Then there are additional requirements, for example, if the call center takes credit card information or makes outbound calls. Noncompliance penalties come with a hefty price. Modern software has compliance supporting features that may be lacking in older applications. For instance, industry leading call recording software can mask credit card information and provides flexible options for how and how long you store recordings. If you're tired of spending money on fines, consider implementing a new software solution.

6. Consistently over or understaffed

Call center budgets and service levels live or die by staffing levels. When there are too many agents scheduled, it's an inefficient use of labor dollars. But understaffing causes queues to fill up and customer satisfaction to decline. Neither one is acceptable when it's the norm. If staffing levels are consistently off, it's likely due to inadequate forecasting, scheduling, or both. One of the first things to examine is the tools your workforce management team uses. It's possible they're just not doing the job anymore and it's time to switch to workforce management software that can produce more accurate results.

7. The call center needs additional functionality or capabilities

As call centers evolve their service models, sometimes their legacy systems just can't adapt. For example, adding self-service IVR capabilities might be beyond the capabilities of the existing IVR. Additionally, a call center might decide to finally implement quality management or performance management modules after years of holding out. If their existing vendor doesn't offer those applications, now they're facing a scenario of "bolting on" software and hoping all the systems play well together. It might be time to take a step back and consider a more holistic software package. When it's time to add new capabilities, but your software doesn't support it, it's a sign that it might be time to replace it.

8. Neglectful vendor

Is your software vendor just not that into you anymore? Does it take a long time for them to respond to your questions and requests? Does it feel like they nickel and dime you to death? Unfortunately, that can happen. Maybe your vendor landed some much bigger accounts and relegated you to a back corner. Or perhaps once they moved you down the pipeline from sales to support, the honeymoon was over. A software vendor should be an attentive, supportive partner to you no matter what. If they aren't, it might be time to upgrade both your software and your vendor.

9. Your software contract is up for renewal

This particular event doesn't necessarily mean your existing software isn't performing, but a contract renewal is a great time to scan the market and make sure you're really using the best call center software for your business. It's been a few years since your software selection, and in the meantime other vendors have been steadily improving their products. Doing some research might uncover software that solves some of your unique problems. Or a contract renewal might be a good time to revisit the cloud vs on-premises debate.

10. Your hardware provider is requiring an upgrade to operate

If your software is hosted on premises, you probably know all about maintaining servers and other related hardware. But did you know your hardware vendor might stop supporting your older servers? Then you're faced with significant capital expenditures, and the cycle will repeat itself 7-10 years from now when your new hardware becomes obsolete. This is an ideal time to assess moving to cloud-based software. Let your new software vendor worry about the hardware!

Cloud vs on-premises

Cloud V. On-Premises

The cloud vs on-premises debate bears further discussion. Some organizations are staunchly on the side of having all their technology on-site where they can control and protect it. The motives are understandable, but this approach comes at a cost. An on-premises solution means purchasing and maintaining servers, having IT resources on staff to support the hardware and software, and purchasing inflexible software licenses.

With a cloud-based model, a vendor hosts and maintains the software. End-users can still configure the software according to their business rules, but the call center no longer needs to perform tasks like maintaining servers and applying software updates. Additionally, cloud call center solutions are typically priced according to how many seats are actually in use, an arrangement particularly appealing to businesses with wide seasonal volume fluctuations. This characteristic often makes cloud-based software a lower cost option.

So, perhaps a tenth sign that it's time to switch to a new software solution is that your current licensing agreement is too rigid and expensive. In that case, it's time to revisit the cloud vs on-premises analysis.

Benefits of upgrading to the best call center software

Benefits of upgrading to the best call center software

 

Upgrading to more modern call center software is, admittedly, a significant undertaking, not to be taken lightly. But the benefits can be substantial and can far outweigh the costs. Below is a discussion of many of those benefits.

Labor cost savings.

What's next?

Next Steps to get cloud contact center software

 

Did you identify your call center situation in any of the ten signs? Did many of those benefits speak to you? NICE can help you with your next steps. NICE CXone is the leading cloud customer interaction platform—100% focused on helping contact centers achieve their customer experience goals. Here’s what we suggest you do next: