If you want to up your customer service, it’s important to have the right tools in place. After all, if your call center agents don’t feel empowered to do their jobs efficiently, it’s hard to get anything done in the realm of customer support. Whether it’s dealing with sales calls or troubleshooting technical problems, having the right call center software can make a world of difference in your business’s overall tech support call centers bottom line. Here are a few tips for setting up a call center for your company from scratch.
Make sure that you have adequate funding.
Before embarking on any major purchase, it’s important to make sure that you have your budget squared away. The installation of large pieces of software and the systems that make them work can be a costly and time-consuming process, so it’s vital to know what you’re getting into ahead of time. Browse the call center software provider’s website to see what their pricing is like and consider completing an RFP and sending it to other viable options so that you can learn what the overall cost truly is.
Oftentimes, implementation takes more time and money than the base cost of your software, so when budgeting, you’ll likely need more money upfront than in future years of using the platform. If you need a loan, don’t forget about your local credit union in Grandville, MI, or wherever you may live. You may be able to get a lower interest rate by using a credit union instead of a larger bank.
Research what system will work best for your business’ needs.
Different companies have different needs, and it’s crucial that you find a software solution that doesn’t just work for your business now but will grow with your business well into the future. For example, if you use Zendesk to manage customer data, you’ll likely want to find software that pairs with this system. Being able to use Zendesk call center integration means that you’ll have a wider variety of features available to you and your agents. When your live agents can leverage personal details about a customer’s last purchase or loyalty, it makes it much simpler to serve them well. Other features to be on the lookout for when researching call center solutions include call routing tools, AI capabilities, and built-in knowledge bases.
Get your technical ducks in a row.
As you approach your rollout, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve properly set up everything to be reconfigured. Particularly if you’re integrating your new contact center software with your CRM database, you’ll want to pick a time when a potential disruption is likely to cause the least amount of problems for you and your business. Most call center software developers handle implementation themselves, so reach out to them to see who from your team you’ll need to make available in order to answer any questions and ensure a smooth software rollout.
Schedule time for training.
Any time you add a new component to your workplace, it’s a good idea to find time to make sure everyone understands how to use it. Especially in the realm of contact center software, you’ll want to make time to train your live agents as well as managers and anyone else who interfaces with customer data as part of their job. This ensures that nobody makes a mistake that causes any issues anywhere in the pipeline, and helps set expectations for what employees’ new responsibilities will be with your new contact center solution.
As you can see, there are several hoops you’ll need to jump through in order to get your contact center up and running. That being said, a great call center solution is worth its weight in gold, since it’s much less costly to keep existing customers than it is to acquire new ones. Keep the above tips in mind and you’ll be sure to nail the launch of your new contact center.
