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Continue reading “How to Manage a New Remote Workforce Using Cloud?”
How to Manage a New Remote Workforce Using Cloud?
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UCaaS or Unified Communications as a Service, has emerged as a best-in-class solution that improves communication and collaboration within businesses, thereby optimising processes, driving revenue, and building strong customer relationships.
The solution offers immense convenience; thus, businesses are proactively adopting the technology to be able to stay ahead of their competitors.
So, what exactly is UCaaS?
UCaaS refers to a cloud delivery model, capable of bringing the entire communication and collaboration network of an organisation onto a single platform, thus ‘unifying’ them in the process.
It integrates multiple channels to improve both, the internal and external, collaboration and communication of an organisation. A typical UC solution comprises:
- Call control
- Digital telephony
- Messaging apps including emails, chat, voice mail, SMS
- Video conferencing
- Document sharing
- Mobility tools
- Management portal
Constant evolution has been the mantra for businesses in the 21st century and UCaaS has witnessed the same growth and change. There are several upcoming technologies that can be integrated with UCaaS and significantly change the way workplaces utilise the solution.
Two such technologies are Augmented Reality (AR) and 5G Technology.
Let’s understand them in detail:
AR: Augmented Reality
Despite the giant leaps in communications technologies, modern devices aren’t able to replicate the experience of a face-to-face conversation. IP-assisted video calls do enable long-distance conversations with the single click of a button, but they still fail to capture the nuances of a real-time conversation.
Virtual or augmented reality are emerging technologies that can solve this problem.
Both technologies exist at the cusp of real and virtual worlds, allowing users to interact with virtual renditions in real-time. Many of us would have seen these devices being actively used in the gaming industry, worn by video gamers playing an adventurous game.
We can soon expect the rapid diversification of AR for training, simulation, and collaboration purposes, more specifically, as a way to offer new modes of communication through UCaaS.
Virtual Reality, like the name suggests, creates a digital reality that can be accessed through special headsets. Users can interact with digital constructs within the environment and their head motions can be judged to detect and render the notion of looking around within the environment.
Augmented Reality creates an overlay of interactive graphics and information over real-world objects. Pokemon Go is one of the most popular examples of Augmented Reality, where various in-game elements, including Pokemons, were overlaid over the surroundings when seen through the device.
Here are some ways Augmented Reality can benefit your business through the existing UCaaS systems:
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Real-time communication
AR-powered devices can be used to place 2D objects on any surface or even hang 3D holograms in space. Now, you can converse through a hologram of either your teammate or your customer instead of communicating through voice or video calls. A live and holographic image of your CEO delivering the annual town hall speech can be beamed to multiple locations worldwide, thus, cutting down travel expenses and increasing employee engagement.
Integrating conversational channels such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and video-assisted support with AR can add another dimension to UCaaS solutions.
Contact centers can heavily leverage these technologies to provide better customer support. Confusing instruction manuals or complicated processes can be replaced by simple instructions overlaid step-by-step on the screen such that they can guide the customer through the process.
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Improved collaboration
AR and VR introduce new ways of working and collaboration for businesses, even in remote working conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic-induced global lockdown disrupted the traditional way of working worldwide.
During these uncertain times, UCaaS emerged as a one-stop solution to implement and promote remote working through collaborative tools such as VoIP-backed video conferencing tools.
Through AR and VR, employees can simply strap on their headsets or engage with other AR-powered devices, and enter a collaborative, interactive environment. New product designs, infrastructural blueprints, or technical faults can be projected in meeting rooms, thus providing an accurate view of how various designs and plans will materialise in the real world.
Similarly, operational glitches in real-world environments (such as faulty valves at oil rigs) can be recreated via AR, and the digital projections can be studied by off-site engineers who can then provide point-accurate guidance to on-site colleagues for necessary repairs and maintenance.
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Informative visualisation
Business teams, whether they are dealing with internal or external matters, require ready access to data visualisation and analysis tools to derive actionable insights from operational data.
While UCaaS enables systematic capturing and analysis of data, AR integration can create useful data simulations for employees. Such solutions can be made interactive to show instant results as per input.
This aspect of AR can also be extended to company presentations wherein data figures or product designs can be demonstrated through 3D holograms, instead of 2D histograms or flow designs.
Businesses can also utilise this solution in the form of realistic tours or guided product demos to give clients a life-like experience of the finished product.
5G Technology
5G technology has been around for more than a decade now and while it is yet to penetrate globally, it is being put to use by multiple carriers for public and commercial usage in several countries.
Boasting of higher speeds and lower latency, 5G technology is bound to replace 4G telephony solutions and is expected to enable several new-age technologies such as autonomous cars, and smart homes.
So, what exactly does 5G technology offer?
First of all, 5G is expected to be up to 100 times faster than 4G connections, allowing higher upload and download speeds. This means that you can also stream 8K and 3D videos on your smartphone.
Furthermore, it will considerably reduce network latency between devices and servers. With negligible latency, devices can be configured to make split-second decisions, such as autonomous cars deciding to brake in a split second to avoid road accidents.
5G technology offers several benefits over existing telecom solutions and it can impact UCaaS in far-reaching ways. Some major areas wherein 5G is expected to create a big splash in terms of UCaaS solutions are:
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Ease of remote collaboration
The pandemic gave rise to the new WFH or work from home trend in the modern business environment. Employees worked from the comfort of their homes and collaborated through cloud-hosted solutions such as video conferencing and digital whiteboarding tools.
5G technology can significantly improve the quality of these tools by making them smoother and quicker. Seamless communication between team members, devoid of network congestions, can lead to uninterrupted workflow and execution, thus, contributing to maximised operational efficiency and success.
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Reliability on better quality
The lower latency and higher speed offered by 5G networks make it highly reliable for essential business operations such as customer support. You do not want to irk your customers by engaging with them through glitchy Internet connections. Smoother and synchronous communication between customers and support staff can be enabled via 5G networks.
Interactive experiences for customers can also be reliably hosted on 5G cloud networks through faster connections. The technology can enable the development of new tools and platforms for effective communication and engagement with customers.
Both AR and 5G are still in the nascent stages and only time will tell how companies adopt and integrate these solutions with their existing UCaaS infrastructure. However, the advantages of adopting AR and 5G technologies and integrating both with UCaaS make them an offer that is too good to refuse.
To know more about this, get on-call with our cloud experts at 1888-859-0450 or drop an email at [email protected]
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Why Customers Prefer Self-Service, and How your Business can Benefit from Encouraging it
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Modern customers are increasingly pressed for time and expect swift query resolution. While customers would earlier pick up the phone to connect with a brand, the growth of social media and digital channels has meant that customers engage with brands even beyond the traditional nine-to-five workday.
Given the need for instant gratification, customers prefer to use self-service channels to seek answers to their questions. Self-service is a quick and easy way to get information any time of the day without having to wait for an answer––they can find whatever they need simply with a dial-pad or voice input.
If your business offers self-service, using your cloud-based tools, you can benefit in a number of ways. We will help you understand why customers prefer self-service and the numerous ways it can help your business.
Why do customers prefer self-service?
According to Super Office, 75% of customers cited that a fast response time is the most important attribute of customer experience. And what can be a better way to offer swift resolution than by allowing customers to access all the information they need on their own?
Most enquiries have the potential to be solved by some kind of self-help tool, saving the business considerable time and money. And while customers have numerous channels to communicate with businesses, many still choose to use self-service options. Some common platforms include FAQs, online forums, IVR systems and automated chatbots.
Let’s look at how self-service can help businesses enhance their customer experience strategy.
Sell more in lesser time
Businesses can sell more products in lesser time if they offer self-service. Callers appreciate quick responses when making an inquiry or completing a purchase. The self-help option allows them to instantly seek a resolution without having to wait to speak to an agent.
The tool also saves agents’ time. When agents are tied up with queries that could have been solved by self-service, they have lesser time to acquire new customers or engage with existing ones to upsell products. Self-service frees up time for your agents to work on more complex issues that require their attention. This enhances their productivity and can ultimately make your business more profitable.
You can use your hosted phone system to implement self-service. One feature that will help you do so is the IVR system. An IVR allows callers to select the store, department or agent they wish to speak to with the help of keypad or voice inputs.
IVR-powered routing eliminates manual routing errors and directly connects customers with appropriate destinations in one go––ultimately making for a better customer experience.
Allow your team to focus on important tasks
Answering the same query over and over will become monotonous for your agents. Not to forget, it will hamper their productivity. By implementing self-service into your business you can ensure that agents only deal with more complex queries, and lines aren’t blocked by simpler questions.
Giving your team the time they need to focus on complex issues means a higher chance of successfully closing deals and increasing customer retention, and lower chances of employee burnout.
You can also use a virtual assistant to direct people to an FAQ page on your website or broadcast messages to customers waiting in the queue to answer common questions or inform them of any known issues.
Deliver 24×7 customer service without any extra cost
The beauty of self-service is that customers can access it at any time from anywhere. They can do so to seek answers post-sales or to gain deeper product understanding before closing a purchase. And they don’t even need to speak to an agent.
With a good self-service system in place, your business can make money any time without having to pay for premises or extra staff working during the night shift. Having staff available 24×7 could be a huge expense for your business, but self-service removes the need for this and allows you to save money even while you sleep.
Save your business money
Answering a phone query cost a business £4.53 on average. On the other hand, a well-implemented self-service system comes at a low or no cost. Thus, it isn’t tough to guess how much money you can save by ensuring that your self-service system is well-designed, comprehensive and effective.
Additionally, by automating mundane and routine tasks, you give your team members more time to focus on varied tasks, thereby increasing their happiness and job satisfaction. With happier and more relaxed staff you are less likely to have high attrition rates and will save on recruitment and training expenses incurred when hiring new staff.
Let’s say, if you have an FAQ page, you can even increase your Google rankings by providing informative answers to customer questions. By investing time on the FAQ page content, and mobile optimisation, you are sure to increase your Google rankings. With increased organic rankings, you needn’t spend much on advertising and can invest more into your customer service delivery.
Another way to save money is to implement your self-service solution through the messaging service. You send out important information to customers or provide follow-up information on their queries via SMSes. Text messages cut through the clutter of marketing calls and can be stored for perusal at a later date.
This is also a great way to show your clients that you haven’t forgotten their concerns and keep them in the loop.
Use cloud phone systems to implement self-service
Your business can enjoy many benefits of cloud-based self-service by using the amazing features your hosted phone system has to offer. By investing some time in getting these systems up and running, you can save your support team plenty of time and improve your customer experience as a whole.
An FAQ page and an IVR system are bound to help your customers find all the information they need, irrespective of their location or the time of the day. This will also enable them to make informed purchases at any time—with little effort and no cost to your business! A satisfied customer is an organic marketer; you’re sure to enjoy the benefits of word of mouth marketing when they recommend your business to their peers and colleagues.
If you’ve been unsure about implementing self-service, let us tell you that its business advantages are endless. So, if you’d like support to run a self-service system for your customers, get in touch with our team on 1888-859-0450 or send an email to [email protected] too.
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What Is Blockchain Technology? How is it Used Across Different Industries?
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Technological innovations have enabled businesses to break through the barriers of cyber threats, data security, and authenticity. One such ground-breaking invention is—blockchain technology.
Though you may think of cryptocurrencies and bitcoins when we talk of blockchain, the technology offers a multitude of benefits. It supports businesses across industry verticals to thrive and overcome numerous challenges.
Reports suggest that global spending on blockchain solutions is predicted to reach $11.7 billion in 2022.
So, what exactly does blockchain technology do? Let’s delve deeper.
What is blockchain technology?
Blockchain is also known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). It secures digital assets and keeps your data unaltered and transparent by using decentralisation and cryptographic hashing.
So, how is this done?
Blockchain technology typically stores data in chains of blocks called digital ledgers. This network of information is interconnected via peer-to-peer nodes.
Each transaction has to be authenticated by the owner of the data; the stakeholder is required to digitally sign and approve every transaction of information. This process of verification protects sensitive data from getting tampered with and misused.
To put it simply, blockchain is similar to a Google sheet. Multiple users can access the information and edit or modify it simultaneously without having to transfer any data.
However, a clear trail of the users who have accessed the data is saved for reference. So, while the information can be accessed, it cannot be corrupted by the users.
Wonder how this technology works?
A blockchain is a combination of three technological approaches:
- Cryptographic keys
- Ledgers connected via a peer-to-peer network
- Computing methodology to save transactions and records
The complete process involves two keys––a public and a private key. These facilitate successful transactions between two parties. Each party is given a set of both keys to generate a secure digital identity reference. This reference, called the digital signature, is linked with the peer-to-peer network.
Data is accessed based on authentication of this signature between two connected parties.
How is blockchain used across various industries?
Without further ado, let us dive in to see how industries use blockchain for greater transparency and confidentiality across various digital platforms.
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Banking
The first sector that ought to be discussed is banking. Considering the number of risks involved in this industry, blockchain technology can help eliminate these security challenges.
For instance, let’s say you transfer $1000 to your friend. The bank charges a transfer fee of $20. So, you’re effectively able to send only $980 to your friend.
Remittances fees are usually high since they include several players—the source bank, central bank, correspondent bank, and destination bank. Each bank charges some amount for the services they deliver. Such transactions also take a significant amount of time to be completed.
Moreover, remittances necessitate the recipient to have a banking account.
However, these concerns are taken care of by mobile wallets that are powered by blockchain technology. Wallets can be installed in mobiles and cash can be received or sent through them.
A blockchain that works on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) supports immutable transactions. This means they cannot be altered or tampered with once they’ve been recorded. Thus, this is a highly secure medium.
So, how does this work?
Once a payment request is initiated and details are submitted, a digital block is created and distributed across the network. Multiple systems try unscrambling the block and the one that does it first shares it with the network for verification.
Verification includes confirming fund availability on the sender’s side and the legitimacy of the recipient. After the verification is complete, the transaction is authorised and posted to the ledger. The designated parties are updated in real-time.
Since you don’t need to use a third-party payment website or portal, this does not include any hidden fees.
Here, you obtain true autonomy over your transaction with 100% assurance about a fool-proof money transfer.
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Healthcare
Misuse or unauthorised access to an individual’s medical information can result in serious consequences. This happens when all your information is saved on a centralised repository with little or no data security.
However, the scenario can be taken care of by using blockchain technology.
This technology functions on shared ledgers that are connected over a network and distributed across devices. When compared with conventional databases, blockchain is a clear winner because it:
- Stores sensitive information in a decentralised manner
- Provides rapid access to required information
- Is highly immutable
Here, data cannot be misused or altered without approval from a majority of the stakeholders.
Furthermore, blockchain not only secures critical data but also seeks and registers the consent of patients before sharing their information with others.
When a patient agrees to share their information, this consent is saved in the shared ledger. The platform also records the details of parties who accessed the data along with the time and purpose of the data access.
Therefore, the implementation of blockchain technology results in improved privacy, security, and interoperability of medical data.
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Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats are serious for businesses irrespective of their sizes. These attacks not only result in loss of data but also loss of reputation and clients. They can even lead to a complete shutdown of your business operations.
Fear not, blockchain can relieve you from these nightmares!
This technology secures critical information on a decentralised repository that eliminates the chances of a single-point entry of hackers.
For example, in a typical scenario, hackers may gain access to your network and obtain unauthorised access to confidential information. However, this is ruled out in the case of blockchain technology.
Data is saved in blocks on a peer-to-peer network connection. This is a secure and transparent way of recording and safeguarding information without disclosing critical details. Hence, blockchain proves to be highly beneficial in ecosystems that demand stepped-up security.
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Cloud communication
Cloud communication comes with the advantage of centralised access to information. Though the technology is dovetailed with high-end security features, storing sensitive information on a common repository of data has always raised eyebrows.
Blockchain technology, on the contrary, promotes decentralised storage of information. Data is secured with appropriate authentication techniques to access every block of data.
This makes it almost impossible for hackers to gain access to sensitive information. Even if a hacker manages to gain access, they may not be able to utilise it to cause harm to an organisation.
Therefore, blockchain coupled with the cloud can indeed raise the bar, in terms of data security.
Talking about Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)––this medium of cloud telephony has been considered the most cost-effective way to streamline business communications.
Blockchain makes it even more cost-effective by scraping off the centralised routing of calls. The call is received by a number. The centralised access point in the current VoIP communication system is then replaced by the distributed network. This is shared by all the users linked to the network.
What’s more? This approach saves routing costs as all calls are established through the distributed ledger. Additionally, high-end security is maintained with improved data transfer speed.
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Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management involves multiple steps of verification before a product reaches the customer. It involves several individuals and companies to ensure the availability of products across the globe. However, a huge amount of inventory and communication tends to get lost in the process.
Blockchain fills in these gaps in the following ways:
- The block of code tracks every action that takes place in the process. It eliminates the need for manual transitions when moving from one step to another. These blocks of code include several if-then statements. When certain conditions are met, the Blockchain automatically executes the next task, resulting in zero or minimal miscommunication.
- The tracking capability prevents the product from getting wasted. Companies can predict and identify false qualms about the quality or authenticity of a product. This is possible by finding when and where the product was manufactured and the conditions it was stored in.
For example, blockchain technology can be used to check if restaurants are adhering to food safety norms. It can also be used to monitor and track cases in hospitals and their root causes.
What are the benefits of adopting blockchain technology?
The benefits of adopting blockchain technology are endless. It has transformed the way businesses work. So, let’s dive into the most important advantages of this technology:
- It improves security by creating a record that is encrypted and cannot be altered. This helps prevent fraud and unauthorised access to information. Personal data can be anonymised by implementing permission-based access.
- This technology uses a distributed ledger that is shared across a network. Data is recorded and access is granted based on permissions. Transactions are immutably recorded. These capabilities ensure improved transparency, veracity and security.
- Blockchain amps up traceability. You can share data about provenance with customers. It also helps spot specific weaknesses in the process that can be rectified for better efficiency.
Wrapping up
Blockchain technology is here to stay. It can help improve processes from scratch and also boost the existing capabilities of technological approaches. This blog has already shown us how blockchain impacts and supports various industries by stepping up security and tracking critical data.
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Customer Privacy: Adding an Extra Layer of Security with Two-Factor Authentication
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Technology has evolved over time and so have the risks that surround it. Though businesses have been embracing innovative security approaches, the threat posed by cyber attackers and fraudsters continues to exist.
Not just cyber-attacks but data, when exposed to a large number of users, tends to be misused or meddled with.
Data security concerns extend to cloud systems as well. There exists a myth that because data on the cloud is available on a unified platform, it becomes easier for fraudsters to hack a cloud-based system.
However, in reality, cloud service providers adhere to stringent security practices and conduct high-end patch management to maintain data security.
Yet another way cloud services providers overcome this hurdle is by implementing strong security authorisation techniques. This can be as simple as protecting data with a password or implementing role-based access.
And now, with increasing cyber threats, cloud telephony providers have begun to look for enhanced security best practices. One among these is the two-factor authentication technique.
So, what is two-factor authentication and how can cloud telephony providers use it to safeguard data? Let us break it down for you.
What is two-factor authentication?
As the term suggests, the two-factor authentication technique prompts you to enter additional sets of credentials to access protected data. So, if you have a username and password to safeguard sensitive information on the cloud, you will need to enter another layer of credentials like a One-Time Password (OTP).
In short, the implementation of two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of safety to your already secured data on the cloud.
How do you implement two-factor authentication?
Authentication techniques are plenty––they can be two-factor or even multi-factor. They range from obtaining an OTP on your registered mobile number to using biometrics to access information. Some of them are:
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SMS 2FA
Here, the system sends a security code to the registered mobile device via an SMS. You are expected to enter this code into the system to access information.
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TOTP 2FA
The time-based one-time password is a password key that is generated on the device you are using to access the information—usually a barcode. You will simply need to scan this code using your device within the valid duration.
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Pushed-Based 2Fa
You are asked to authenticate your identity through mobile-based notifications. When you prove your identity, you are provided access to the data.
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U2F Tokens
U2F tokens come as USB ports. You can simply insert them into your device and press a button located on the top of the port. This prompts a credential request. Once you enter the information, you are provided access to the desired data.
Why is two-factor authentication important?
The worldwide information security market is estimated to reach $170.4 billion in 2022. Yet, approximately 68% of business leaders feel cybersecurity risks are increasing.
When we say two-factor authentication, it refers to appropriate authentication through two completely different channels.
For example, consider you are trying to access some information. You enter your login credentials over the Internet. The chances of a cyber-attacker hacking your network and stealing your credentials are high.
With two-factor authentication in place, you are expected to enter another set of credentials. This may be a code that you get on your mobile or a barcode you need to scan. So, even if an attacker obtains access to your credentials, they will not be able to get a hold of your mobile device and vice versa.
Therefore, two-factor authentication plays a cardinal role in safeguarding your data from phishing attacks, brute force attacks, and exploitation of weak login credentials.
With this brief, let’s now look into how beneficial two-factor authentication is and how effectively can cloud telephony service providers implement it.
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Boosts security
When you incorporate two different ways of authenticating the user, it automatically steps up your data security level. You ensure that any important information isn’t compromised, no matter what.
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Improves productivity
When data is secured by two-factor authentication, you can access business-critical information from anywhere across the globe on a unified cloud platform. With remote work becoming the new normal, you can rest assured that all your information is safe from hackers and cyber-attacks. This boosts accessibility and productivity.
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Builds trust and reputation
When you secure data and maintain its integrity, you prevent cyber-attacks. This induces trust amongst your client base. They feel relieved that they are in association with a trustworthy service provider, thereby enhancing your reputation.
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Lowers operational costs
The implementation of two-factor authentication boosts security. This, therefore, lowers the costs that go into addressing recurring security issues. It also reduces the burden of having to deal with an incident and therefore, lowers operational costs drastically.
So, how do cloud telephony service providers offer this security feature?
As cloud telephony service providers, you can adhere to just one (or many) of these approaches to implement two-factor authentication.
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Secure specific users or groups
Try providing 2FA to particular groups and users based on their roles and responsibilities. That is, your employees or users will be provided access to data that is required to only complete their work-related tasks. This limits the exposure of data, thereby keeping it safe.
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Authenticate using different methods
You can try using a mix-and-match of two-factor authentication techniques to protect data. That is, you can safeguard a specific group using push authentication and another group using OTPs. This way, you ensure your employees are equipped with the best security strategy.
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Protect based on application
If your business processes involve sensitive applications, you can consider protecting these specific applications using high-end security authentication techniques like TOTP or push notifications.
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Lay security rules based on geographical location
If a certain group of users is working remotely from a particular location, you can reinforce 2FA techniques for this geography.
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Safeguard your network
You can also secure users based on their network. Home or public networks should ideally have an additional layer of security. They’re more prone to cyber attacks as they can easily be tampered with. Therefore, you must have strict security practices in place for employees to follow.
In a nutshell
The rate at which sensitive business data is being compromised has left several businesses in a panic. The need of the hour is to implement robust data safety measures. Two-factor authentication is one of the many ways to protect your sensitive information from fraudsters.
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Significance of Pre-Call Planning Templates for Your Sales Team
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A sales call is arguably the most important call for any business. Converting a call into a quality lead is a skill that needs to be mastered by every successful sales agent. Whether it is cold calling or contacting new leads, starting a conversation nervously helps no one. Even a ‘wing it’ attitude won’t always help them.
One has to consider the fact that an agent’s body language and facial expressions, no matter how convincing they are, contribute nothing in an audio call. The only way to succeed in an audio call is (insert drum roll)… planning.
On average, only 1 in 18 calls will connect to an actual customer. To persuade a stranger to purchase something from you, your agent will have to connect with them psychologically over an auditory medium. And to help you execute this call perfectly, you will have to take the help of pre-call planning templates.
So, what is a pre-call planning?
Let’s take a step back in our lives and imagine we are in school again. You have just been told that you have a test tomorrow. What do you do?
Unless you’re Sheldon Cooper––a genius who knows and remembers everything, you’ll go home and prepare for the exam.
This is exactly what pre-call planning is. It is the research that you do before making a sales call.
In other words, pre-call planning is the blueprint of an ideal sales call. It is the foundation of your sales strategy and will help you reach your eventual goal—a sale!
Steps before making a pre-call planning template
Creating a template for your sales team to follow is probably the best way to execute pre-call planning. But how do you create a pre-call template?
Just like preparing for a test, there are certain steps you should follow before creating your own pre-call planning template.
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Research
This one seems obvious, yet it’s the most important step. Whether you are calling an individual or a business, it is always a good idea to dive deep and gather as much information as possible.
Try to read up on your customers’ history or their clients’ background. Some of the questions that you can ask in your research are:
- If they are a company, try to find out if they are doing good, or failing to meet their goals
- Are they already using similar software?
- Any issues they may be facing and how your product can help them
The purpose here is to develop an understanding of the kind of customer you’re dealing with. Doing due diligence on their business also helps you come up with an excellent conversation starter, allowing you to build a positive rapport with them. Moreover, with detailed information on their issues, you can guide your clients to your products that can serve their purposes.
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Know your customer
I hope you can agree that a conversation with an executive and one with the CEO of an organisation are not the same. Hence, you should always know who your point of contact is. Try to gain as much information as you can about their role in the company and their decision-making capabilities.
Platforms like LinkedIn are a great way to do this. You can find out how long they have been a part of the company, their major contributions, and achievements, and so forth. You can even see if they have given any interviews or written any blogs to gather information.
There is a lot of data that such platforms offer. You can determine a person’s personalities, likes and dislikes, level of expertise, and many other things.
Such valuable information will help your sales team have elevated interactions. They can gauge the technical knowledge of a person and demonstrate the product accordingly. You can even decide the tone you will use to talk to them. Most importantly, you can decide on the points you need to stress on.
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Establish the goal
It is crucial to establish beforehand what you want out of the call. Remember, not every call you make will convert into a sale. This shouldn’t weigh you down. You can expect various results from your conversations based on where the customer is in the sales cycle.
It is always important to speak to the right person. Rushing into making a sale to the wrong point of contact will not only hamper the conversation but might also affect your chances of reaching out to the same company in the future. In the worst-case scenario, the reputation of your company can take a hit too.
Additionally, one must know about the nature of the call. Maybe, the lead only needs some information on your product at this stage. Or you might have made the call to know more about your point of contact. It can also be a call to simply make an appointment with a person with more authority.
Thus, establishing a goal before making a call is vital––it will guide your entire conversation.
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Prepare some questions
Should you prepare a script? The answer— a big NO!
Reading from a script makes you sound robotic and monotonous. No two people you converse with are the same. To ensure a natural flow of conversation, you cannot stick to the same script with both of them.
So, what do we suggest? For a sales call, you should prepare some thoughtful questions beforehand. Let these be open-ended questions with the possibility of follow-ups.
Also, during your research, noting down the issues faced by customers can help you assist them much faster. This not only presents you as being professional yet empathetic but also shows you as an employee well-versed with the product or service.
For example, let’s assume you once spoke to an executive of a company and they mentioned a problem they were facing. Whenever you speak to them next, you may bring up the issue with, “During our previous conversation, you mentioned (the problem). I hope the issue has been resolved.”
This way your customer will know that you paid attention during the previous call and care about their satisfaction and needs, and will be much likelier to do business with you again.
What should your pre-call planning template look like?
After covering all the points we’ve just discussed, you can draft a pre-call template for your sales team. Given below are a few points that every template should include. You can include or modify it to suit your requirements.
- Contact name: Your point of contact—either for the initial call and or for a follow-up call with someone higher up the ladder
- Role: Their role in the company and the duration of their tenure
- Influence: The level of their impact on the deal (depends on their decision-making capabilities)
- Previous conversation: Keep a track of all your previous engagements with the company
- Socials: Try to get information about the company and the Point of Contact from different social media platforms—LinkedIn, Facebook, etc
- Existing relationship: Has the client interacted with your brand before? Do they have a positive or negative image of your organisation?
- Responsibilities: Try to gather information about the contact’s responsibilities in the company
- Business issues: Make note of the challenges the business might be facing
- Call goal: Pin down the goal of the interaction—is it to exchange information or to close a deal?
- Questions to ask: Make a list of all the questions that you want to ask during the call
To sum it up
Try to follow this three-pronged approach: Be brief. Be brilliant. Be gone.
- Be brief in your conversation: Don’t try to drag it for hours. No one wants to listen to a sales pitch for hours on end
- Be brilliant in your interaction: Make your point, ask the right questions, and show the value of your product to them. Don’t deviate from the topic and stick to the agenda.
- Be gone when you have put your points and heard theirs. Again, there is no point in stretching a conversation longer than it needs to be.
It is true that pre-call planning might take some time owing to the tedious task of collecting information. But it is worth the time you invest. Having the right information about your clients, their company, and their challenges will surely give you an edge during your sales call.
Thus, it is better to cover all your bases before you pick up the phone and make your next sales call. Be prepared in the best way you can, and ace every interaction. If you are looking to enhance your customer interactions further with a cloud-based solution, you can reach out to us at Acefone and explore the variety of services we offer. Our experts are always ready to answer all your questions. Call us at 1888-859-0450 or send an email to [email protected] too.
If you're interested in improving your business communication solution
Reviews
XaaS: The ‘Anything and Everything As a Service’ Era Is Here
Author
Centralised access to business-critical information isn’t a luxury in your organisational ecosystem anymore—but a prerequisite.
With COVID-19 coming back in waves, businesses have had to continue working in a remote environment. While the remote work model is pandemic-proof, it may not be efficient if implemented with on-premise infrastructure.
Let us explain why.
Your in-house team may not be able to overcome sudden and complex technical malfunctions. Furthermore, the upfront cost that goes into installing an on-premise infrastructure set-up can burn a hole in your pocket.
So, how do you tackle this situation?
Businesses have been adopting cloud computing for their infrastructure-related requirements for a while now. When it comes to cloud-based solutions, you only pay for what you use and not a flat monthly fee. Most importantly, your cloud service provider takes complete charge of the infrastructure, which makes it cost-effective.
One such cloud computing service that helps businesses perform better is XaaS. Let us delve deeper in what XaaS is and how it can benefit your business.
What is XaaS?
XaaS is a collective term that refers to Anything-as-a-Service. This service includes several other components that can be obtained over the Internet as and when needed, as opposed to being accessed on-premise.
To begin with, XaaS is not limited to the technical processes of your business. It may support improving the efficiency of your business processes, customer engagement, and even employee supervision using improved methods.
Moreover, XaaS encourages your business to break through silos and facilitates the free flow of information across your organisation.
For example, consider you have a contact center that has a cloud-based telephony system. The implementation of XaaS eliminates communication barriers and people across your organisation can easily access information.
In a scenario wherein your contact center representative requires information about the refund status of a caller, they may directly view the status on a central data repository, like the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool. Otherwise, the agent may have to reach out to the finance department and wait for their response, which can take time.
Therefore, XaaS breaks silos and enables an uninterrupted flow of information, eliminating delays and risks caused by inter-departmental dependencies.
What is included in XaaS?
Several services constitute the XaaS compendium. A few of them are as follows:
1. SaaS
SaaS or Software-as-a-Service refers to applications that are offered to businesses over the cloud.
In a typical contact center ecosystem, cloud-based telephony systems play an important role. The most significant capability of these phones is their ability to function without telephone lines or wires.
Cloud phone systems can be managed and maintained centrally by your cloud service provider. This saves you maintenance and upgrading costs over the long haul. Since these cloud phones operate over the Internet, they’re accessible from anywhere.
For example, if you maintain a remote workforce, your employees will not need special equipment to connect to these phone lines. They may use their smart devices and operate from the comfort of their homes.
Moreover, cloud service providers stay on par with compliance and security regulations. You should note that these regulations differ from location to location. Your service provider will regularly update compliance and security protocols based on the industry requirements.
2. CPaaS
Communication-Platform-as-a-Service enables you to add real-time communication features to your applications. This eliminates the need for you to maintain a separate application for various mediums.
For example, consider the example of a contact center that runs on a traditional communication system. A customer contacts the agent who thinks providing a live demo is the best way to guide the customer.
Using a traditional communication system, the agent will have to disconnect the audio call and reconnect with the customer over a video call. The customer may not be happy about this process as it involves waiting time.
However, with CPaas your agent can easily switch from audio to video without disconnecting the ongoing call. Furthermore, CPaaS offers contextual inputs to your agents that help deliver seamless customer experiences. So, they can review a caller’s transaction history while chatting with them.
These inputs help your agents provide customised and personalised customer experiences, thereby improving satisfaction.
3. BPaaS
The BPaaS market was valued at USD 3.84 billion in the year 2019 and is estimated to grow to USD 17.90 billion by 2027. This indicates a CAGR of 22.9% for the forecast period.
BPaaS or Business Process as a Service refers to business process outsourcing. This service is delivered over the cloud. It primarily focuses on providing organisations with the people, technology, and processes required to run efficiently on a cloud-based model.
Like other cloud-based services, BPaaS also empowers companies to pay-as-they-use and scale up and down capabilities.
Say, for instance, you own a contact center and have opted for the BPaaS service model. Since the model facilitates easy scaling of capacity, you can simply expand your phone lines during peak times by notifying your provider to do so.
Also, as it is based on the pay-as-you-use model, you will need to pay only for the resources you may have used. This proves to be pocket-friendly when compared to a flat monthly fee. These capabilities of BPaaS allow you to accommodate fluctuating business needs and thereby, stay on par with industry trends.
4. DaaS
Desktop-as-a-Service is a cloud offering that provides virtual desktops to end-users over the Internet. This service is also charged as per the pay-as-you-use model. The first advantage of DaaS centralised accessibility.
Your cloud service provider hosts the infrastructure, network resources, and data in the cloud. Virtual desktops can then be connected through any of your devices. This cloud-based service encourages the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model.
Considering a cloud telephony environment, your workforce can connect to this centralised system from anywhere and through any device. Moreover, as business-critical information is saved on the cloud, it is maintained securely by your cloud service provider.
Thus, even if your employee loses their device, you needn’t worry about the risks that come with locally stored data. Your cloud service provider takes complete charge of backup and disaster recovery.
In the case of a conventional telephony system, it may be difficult to restore business-critical information after a crisis. However, when using DaaS, your cloud service provider maintains a data backup that supports business continuity even after a major disaster.
Yet another advantage of DaaS for businesses is the technology’s capability to scale up and down with shifting IT requirements. You may easily increase the number of users accessing data over the cloud if need be and then scale down when the requirement is met.
To conclude
XaaS is a compendium of cloud-based solutions that can help you maximise the value of your business. Adopting XaaS enables you to automate business processes, improve customer engagement, and add features to the existing capabilities of your applications.
Moreover, these solutions, being cloud-based, offer you the bonus of complete data security, zero maintenance, massive scalability, and minimal infrastructural costs.
Visit Acefone if you’re looking for a reliable and trustworthy cloud service provider.
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Reviews
CPaaS 101: Communications Platform as a Service
Author
In a world filled with people scrolling, swiping, texting, calling, and downloading on the go, communication tools have become really important for companies to understand and manage consumer expectations.
The increasingly dynamic nature of consumer behaviour requires more efficient ways for companies to establish and handle communications. This is where CPaaS comes into the picture.
CPaaS allows businesses to quickly add different communication channels—voice, messaging, video—to their customer support framework, without any major overhaul in IT infrastructure. With CPaaS, companies can stay ahead of customer expectations and deliver improved customer support.
CPaaS has already been increasingly employed by companies worldwide. According to research, the CPaaS market size has grown from USD 400 Million (2015) to USD 8.1 Billion (2019) worldwide and it is predicted to reach USD 17.2 Billion by 2023.
So, what exactly is CPaaS? How is it being used by companies across the world to deliver world-class consumer experiences?
Here, we will answer all these questions and discuss everything you need to know about CPaaS.
What is CPaaS?
CPaaS stands for Communication Platform as a Service. It is a cloud-based communications tool with the capability of hosting multiple channels in existing software frameworks.
This is possible because CPaaS adds new communication channels in real time by integrating the selected channels with the applications already in use. The cherry on the top—all of this can be done without the incorporation of any additional hardware or backend infrastructure!
CPaaS offers a host of communication channels that can be activated and integrated with your communications stack, which include:
1. Voice (outbound and inbound):
Voice APIs can be integrated into your communication stack to activate outbound and inbound calling. Voice API for outbound calling enables the companies to quickly scale up to rising demands and increase in calling volume.
Voice API for incoming call volume can be configured to dictate the flow for inbound calls. These can then be routed to a specific recipient based on pre-set conditions. This is especially helpful to manage high call volumes in busy seasons.
2. Text messaging (SMS):
Text messaging can be easily incorporated into your stack by activating SMS API. After this, companies can send alerts, messages, notifications, and updates to customers through a single click.
If required, you can set this tool to allow the customers to react or respond to your messages. Customer support can utilise this to effectively guide customers in resolving queries.
3. Video and MM:
The SMS API also allows companies to share multimedia messages including photos, videos, and other media formats. One can even use it for video calling and conferencing services.
4. Social media messaging:
The increasing popularity and usage of social media apps, like Whatsapp, make them great tools for increased customer engagement.
CPaaS can be used to integrate these apps with your communication stack for seamless customer interaction. After this, you can use features such as instant messaging, location sharing, media sharing, and read receipts.
5. Virtual phone numbers:
A virtual phone number is a real phone number that is not connected to any physical phone device. This number can be used to receive incoming calls or dial outgoing calls from a web application.
CPaaS supports virtual phone numbers, which cuts down costs incurred on physical mobile devices. Further, to promote agent and customer anonymity, CPaaS also offers call masking as an elegant solution, protecting customer privacy.
6. AI support:
CPaaS can also be used to integrate AI engine APIs. This helps in supporting multiple capabilities such as voice recognition, TTS (Text to Speech), and other features.
How is CPaas different from UCaaS?
UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) is another cloud-based tool used to streamline communication needs for a company.
It comprises a suite of applications that brings the entire communications network onto a single platform. This is possible via a host of systems or tools, including cloud phone system, network management tools, conferencing and collaboration tools, and management portals.
From a bird’s eye view, both CPaaS and UCaaS seem to be cloud-based multi-channel communication solutions. Both rely on the cloud to provide key communications features to the consumers. However, there are distinct differences in their design and product offerings. In a language we all understand—food—CPaaS is just like an à la carte option while UCaaS is the buffet table.
In other words, CPaaS allows you to choose features based on your requirements and then assembles only those in your final offering. With CPaaS, you can pick and choose the specific APIs that would be added to your current communication stack.
On the other hand, UCaaS is a single platform with built-in communication channels that can be used right away. Barring customisations to the existing services, you cannot add or reduce functionalities in UCaaS.
Both UCaaS and CPaaS offer multiple advantages through their cloud-based communications solutions.
However, the individual requirements of a company can help them determine which model suits them the most. With UCaaS, smaller companies might end up paying for more services than they require.
On the other hand, CPaaS might prove to be too costly for a business that needs all the possible communication channels in its arsenal.
How does CPaaS work?
At the core of it, CPaaS relies on APIs that allow various devices to communicate with each other on a specified communication channel. Now, what are these APIs?
API stands for Application Programming Interface. These programs act as a bridge between two endpoints, generally devices, software, or apps, and allows them to interact with each other.
Once this bridge is set up, data packets can be sent from one endpoint to the other over an existing and underlying VoIP network. This movement allows the apps and devices to develop new functionalities, hitherto unavailable to them.
To make this work, an efficient CPaaS provider is a must. This is so that all APIs and code snippets can be used to add communication functionality to existing frameworks in real-time. The right CPaaS provider, along with their development kits and documentation, will help you extract the maximum benefits from this tool.
Benefits of CPaaS
CPaaS solutions allow the real-time addition of multiple communication channels on the existing setup. This functionality offers several benefits:
1. Cost savings
Earlier, the addition of a new communication channel meant huge infrastructural additions, engineering development, and software maintenance costs. As CPaaS shifts a company from hardware to cloud-based systems, this significantly cuts down CAPEX. This allows you to spend on other avenues.
2. Flexible customisations
In this modern digital era, communication channels and consumer habits are simultaneously evolving. Customers expect companies to reach them on channels that they use in their everyday lives. This requires the companies to adapt as quickly as possible.
CPaaS enables them to do exactly the same by adding new communication channels in real-time. With APIs, CPaaS allows adding functional blocks for new channels to the existing framework.
3. Global scale
Businesses, in order to expand, seek new markets to enter. Traditionally, companies are required to acquire new licenses, set up hardware, fulfil international mandates, and do several other things in order to be ready to conduct business in new locations.
But with the help of CPaaS, these companies can easily scale their operations without any external restrictions. Having their platform on the Cloud grants them an instant, multi-region presence. Additionally, CPaaS enables them to add locally preferred communication channels to their framework.
4. Improved customer experience
CPaaS empowers businesses to add various communication channels to deliver the best customer experience possible. The integration of modern conduits (including social media apps) into the company’s existing framework ensures that all consumers can reach the support whenever they need to.
Some practical use cases of CPaaS
Some of the largest industries now conduct their business communications using CPaaS. Let us try and see how CPaaS has improved the workings of some of these industries:
1. Healthcare
CPaaS has become very popular in the healthcare sector after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Owing to the necessity of contactless health services, CPaaS enabled several practical use cases to mitigate the situation.
Tele-consulting via Video APIs empowered patients to book video appointments with the doctors, cutting out the need to physically go to the hospital. Patients can also remotely book appointments and refill prescriptions online via multiple CPaaS features.
Medicos can also use CPaaS solutions to remotely monitor patient performance through connected devices such as bio-sensors and machine readings. Accessing patient history, and reviewing forms are some other features enabled by CPaaS.
2. Banks
Financial institutions can adopt CPaaS to automate a number of customer-centric activities, thus saving time and effort for more complex cases. Customer interactions such as bank balance notifications, OTP alerts, application statuses, and check deposits can be automated and communicated via CPaaS enabled channels.
The entire loan application process can be configured to be completed via multiple CPaaS enabled features. The customer information on online forms, digital payments can be updated in real-time on loan applications.
3. Retail
The retail sector was another sector that saw huge transformations during the COVID-19 pandemic. With CPaaS, retail establishments were enabled to bring their entire catalogue online through multiple channels. They could send out special discount offers, sale alerts, and other offers based on their previous purchases.
It also provided greater transparency to the entire delivery process. This is because retailers were able to send out real-time delivery updates and confirmation messages to the customers.
Customers could track their order from the packaging stage through the transit to the final delivery stage. Information such as agent details and expected delivery time also become available to customers.
4. Hospitality
Several hospitality-oriented digital solutions are already in place to enable travellers to book flight tickets or hotel rooms with a click. CPaaS solutions can further enable the hospitality sector to alert travellers through real-time updates on cancellations, delays, reschedules, billing, and offers.
Travellers can also utilise the CPaaS services to perform otherwise manual tasks such as ordering room service, scheduling spa sessions through med spa software, and requesting on-flight service.
5. Education
CPaaS can impact the entire education framework at all levels of a child’s education. CPaaS can foster a strong parent-student interaction by allowing real-time updates on student performance. CPaaS can also help with the distribution of notes, examinations, and results. Students will also be enabled to schedule doubt sessions with their teachers.
CPaaS can also provide tools for virtual tours of college campuses for counselling and orientation purposes. Students can access their course catalogues as well as recorded lectures through the CPaaS. Instant communication regarding school closings or emergencies can also be utilised by the school management.
Summing up
In our globalised and digital world, there are no boundaries on how technologies can make our lives simpler. CPaaS is one such technology. Without the need for bulky hardware, CPaaS is able to automate most fundamental operations by taking them on the cloud. This not only helps save money but also saves time and delivers quick and great customer service.
To know more about how CPaaS and the cloud can be beneficial to your organisation, get on-call with our cloud experts at 1888-859-0450 or drop an email at [email protected]
If you're interested in improving your business communication solution
Reviews
Expert Opinion: Towering and Transforming Your Customer Experience
Author
“Rather than making organisations focus on what they do, focus on what they deliver” – Steve Towers
The digital age is changing the customer experience landscape. It is no longer enough to have a great product or the lowest price. In fact, most consumers would pay higher in exchange for a good customer experience. And, brainy businesses are taking note. According to Salesforce, Google searches for “customer experience” have tripled in the last decade.
The customer service industry has gone through a paradigm shift in terms of expectations and technologies. In a cluttered market, the differentiating factor for businesses becomes the connection they build with their customers. This is often developed through service delivery and sophisticated experiences.
We recently had an opportunity to chat with Steve Towers, a customer service expert and business transformation leader. With over 40 years of success in driving and achieving organisational goals, both in the private and public sectors, he sheds light on the changing dynamics of customer service expectations.
Apart from being a successful leader in customer service, Steve Towers is also the founder of the BP Group, a not-for-profit firm. A six-sigma black belt master and a best-selling keynote author, Steve has helped many businesses transform their CX operations.
Ask Steve how his journey of CX started, and he draws you into a story about starting off as an industrial engineer where he was involved in the re-engineering of their business process. “I worked on projects that required a lean six-sigma methodology and approach. I even wrote a book on reengineering back in 1993. The methodology then being implemented was eight-omega—eight being greater than six and omega being better than sigma”.
However, he adds, “there were a few people who mentioned that the eight omega approach, which included: discovery, analysis, design, validation, integration, implementation, control and improvement, (and) missed an important element—the customer.” Steve believed that the customer was not just missing but was, in fact, a major stakeholder in everything that they did.
This was the turning point in his career. And it led him on a journey of becoming a customer experience expert.
Steve’s favourite approach towards a strong customer service strategy is the “outside-in” approach.
This approach focuses on original ideas on customer experience being moved from the outside-in. In other words, one should look at things from the customer’s perspective rather than an organisation’s. The company should understand customer needs and accordingly design strategies that deliver.
“This is how you achieve a successful customer outcome,” says Steve. “Instead of focussing on what companies should do, focus on what they should deliver. And, in doing that, becoming outside-in by paying attention to customer-centricity and customer experience,” he adds.
He further explains that this strategy is the result of embracing modern, tech-savvy customers who are eloquent in terms of the products and services they seek, and rebellious when it comes to the offerings. Thus, the status-quo did not cater to these growing needs.
1. What defines a good customer experience?
“Here is the definition I use—customer experience is the sum of the thoughts, feelings and interactions a customer has about and with different products and services during the achievement of a goal or outcome.”
Steve brings up Shep Hyken, another customer experience expert, into the conversation, “The two terms—customer service and customer experience—get interchanged if you ask Shep”. Steve begs to differ. He believes that customer experience is a much broader term and its definition should include all related factors.
Steve believes that “customer experience doesn’t start when customers first contact your organisation and (it) doesn’t end when you finish doing business with them.”
It actually starts much before the first contact and ends only after the customer is satisfied.
“Customer experience embraces all interactions you have with customers throughout their journey. And, the interactions customers have with your organisation is just a part of their overall customer experience, which includes other organisations and interactions as well.”
According to Steve, the key is to work in a customer-centric environment to deliver favourable customer outcomes.
Anyone who wants to improve their customer experience knows that it’s a rocky road. When we asked Steve about how he tackles situations where obvious resolutions to customers’ issues are not available, he answered briefly but pointedly, “explain, manage their expectations and revert PDQ.”
That (read: PDQ) was surely a new term for us, which he clarified as “pretty damn quick, a fancier version of ASAP.” We agree.
Steve further explains, “If you find yourself in a situation where you have already identified customer needs but are not aligned to serve them at the moment, you need to start building that capability and step up to the challenge! Moreover, to manage customer expectations, always communicate your potential at that moment and be clear on what you can and cannot deliver.”
He emphasised the same using an example of an insurance company he was working with, in Texas, an area prone to tornadoes. As the city warned of an oncoming storm, the company had a choice to warn customers too. However, that would have been counterproductive to the number of claims that could come from the damage.
Therefore, the insurance company decided to deal with the damage the following day. “So, my suggestion was to let the customers know that you are operating on a 4-5 day turnover. Now, the customer might get upset and ask for early repairs. But, you can simply dodge their anger by saying that you are prioritising older and disabled people first,” he explained.
“The honesty of your answer would keep customers from calling for at least 4-5 days which would give you enough time to get back on track. On the other hand, if a company is dishonest just to get the customers off the phone line, it would create unrealistic expectations.”
Steve believed that if the insurance company would have informed the customers about the storm, they would have had a long-lasting relationship with the company. That is because they would be able to control the damage. At the time of policy renewal too, this would have added to the recurring revenue of the insurance company.
2. Does employee satisfaction impact customer experience?
“100%!”, Steve exclaims.
“It is not just the satisfaction that matters, employee experience as a whole is key and critical to the success of any organisation. If not given the right tools, techniques and technology to serve the customers, we will all collectively fail. Empower employees with information and enable them to meet customer expectations fast.”
He also advises that the current work-from-home scenario is tough, given the global catastrophe and terms it as “hybrid work culture.”
He adds, “If we can distribute the right tools, technologies and techniques to remote employees, we can build a sustainable infrastructure. The importance of social interactions, however, can still not be underestimated. We should try and bring teams together periodically to communicate and collaborate behind the screens too. So, it is important to have a collaborative tool in place to enable the same.”
We also asked Steve to give us some insights from his book, Dare.
“Dare was written just before the pandemic hit us and is the story of a very successful business transformation of an organisation named Veolia in France. The book tells the story of a project that was designed from the start with the quest for excellence as an objective—it was envisioned to be globally recognised as one of the best business transformation initiatives, not just within the utility sector, but across all industries.”
“We are also planning to release the second part of this book very soon,” he said with a grin.
When asked about a customer experience that inspired him, he said this, “Before the pandemic, I was traveling frequently between the US, the UK and India. So, I have a lot of experience with airlines, of course—the good, the bad and the ugly, if you want to put it like that.”
Steve recounts, “The best experience was being with people at Emirates and Singapore Airlines, who always devote themselves to a successful customer experience. They do everything in their contribution to achieving the best customer outcome…Can’t wait to fly again!”
Shifting his focus to the Indian market, he adds, “World’s smallest car, Nano, is another discovery that impresses me a great deal.” Steve also insists that, from an “outside-in” perspective, it checks all the boxes.
“The primary motive behind Nano was road safety. In India, it is a common sight to see a family of seven people riding on a motorcycle. So, Tata created an experience in and around Nano as a direct replacement to get more motorcycles off the road. So, that was a terrific customer experience to watch,” he said.
Steve then brings out a smart comparison between Uber and black cabs in London and how Uber added comfort and convenience over noise and pollution. He says, “It’s been a privilege to be a part of such business transformation.”
3. Role of personalisation in CX
When asked how personalisation affects customer experience, he says “From the point of view of customisation or personalisation, we need to be clear on who our target audience is and whether it is profitable to do business with them. Only then, we can gain clarity on successful customer outcomes and work towards them.”
He goes on to cite another example. BMW has 24 categories of customers, each divided in terms of needs, requirements and other important metrics. Something the customers might not be aware of, but it gets them the right customer service.
Steve adds, “My book Outside-in, which enters reprinting this year, is also based on how organisations, who can customise and personalise through the customer experience, will achieve so much more as opposed to companies who seek to remove variations and seek to standardise everything. It’s the old industrial era approach where everyone should have similar experiences.”
Steve concludes the conversation by throwing some light on UCaaS and how this latest technology can influence customer experience.
“The software connects all processes to customer experience. The UCaaS system basically connects all the dots and aligns the processes such that if things go wrong at any point, we can see it,” he says.
Lastly, he says, “communication and collaboration should be the ecosystem and with the help of tools like UCaaS, we should use them to the optimum level”.
Wrapping Up
Steve Towers has been through the changing landscape of customer service expectations.
Seeing the changing needs of the modern consumer, Steve encourages businesses to use new strategies that focus more on customer’s desires than just aiming to fulfil the goals of the organisation. He believes, solving one will start showing results in the other.
If you are looking at improving your customer service offerings, then the cloud is the way to go. For more information on how you can utilise the power of the cloud in your business, write to us at [email protected] or call us at 1888-859-0450 .
If you're interested in improving your business communication solution
Reviews
Your Managers aren’t the Only Ones That Can Give You Real-Time Feedback. Here’s How Your Contact Centre Solution Can Do It Better
Author
Managers are the eyes and ears of a business. They are responsible not just for their team, but for moving the business ahead.
With their tight schedules, managers are unable to give real-time feedback constantly to their employees. But, feedback is crucial to improve the workings of a team. So, when managers are too busy, how do you provide real-time feedback to your employees?
The answer: new technology!
With a hosted phone system your business can do much more than just communicate. Apart from enabling collaboration between teams, you can run a hosted solution that gives real-time data and information on the running of your contact center. From call information to recordings, everything you could need is right at your fingertips with your online portal.
Here, we will explore how contact center solutions can help you with feedback for your employees.
Access feedback for each agent
With a Contact center software, business owners can help support agents by viewing their individual statistics. You can access detailed analytics on each agent’s call waiting time, the number of calls they make per shift and get an insight into their overall productivity and performance. This ensures that each agent is performing to the best of their ability.
Alongside this, your hosted phone system’s online portal gives you access to call recordings. This gives you a unique opportunity to hear how your agents are dealing with customers, and praise any great customer interactions. You can also use these recordings for training purposes. Similarly, if an agent is struggling, you can pinpoint exactly what the problem is and work with them to rectify it.
This data can also be accessed in real-time, enabling you to better manage the flow of calls. Real-time data on an agent’s work can also help you track their progress and identify what tasks they have been doing to the best of their abilities.
These contact center solutions help managers to keep their employees in check and even give them the option of training. Having data on agent performance also lets managers maintain the overall quality of the call center, while allowing them to focus on more priority tasks.
Access detailed call analytics in seconds
With a hosted contact center it is easy to access detailed call analytics. By simply connecting to your hosted phone system’s online portal, you can bring up real-time data on all aspects of your contact center – so you’re always on top of any changes.
Having call analytics at your fingertips means that you are able to identify possible issues well in time. This can help you make changes to your staffing or procedures accordingly.
For example, you might find that there is a certain time of call surges everyday. Then, all you need to do is rotate more staff to be on the phones during this busy period. This prevents long wait times and enhances the customer experience.
Detailed call records for each customer
With a hosted contact center, you can access detailed call records for each customer. This means that, in the event of any query or complaint, you can retrace the call history.
This can help you see detailed information on when each call took place and who took the call. Additionally, you can use call recordings to help sort issues out quickly and efficiently.
The best thing about this is that all this data can be accessed from anywhere in the world, provided you have an internet connection. Having access to this information in real time means that you can take immediate action if something isn’t working as it should.
Access reports on each of your business numbers
You might choose to add a custom number to your hosted contact center or have a specific number on a new marketing campaign. In such cases, accessing real-time feedback is important to monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns and see which numbers customers are more likely to contact.
By having access to this feedback from your online portal, it is easy to keep track of the days and times when you receive the highest number of calls. This information can then be used to make business decisions on when to schedule your advertising to have the most impact.
Similarly, if one number is bringing in significantly more calls than the others, you can invest more money in that marketing campaign with the number. As a business owner, it is important to know when and where are the callers coming from.
A hosted contact center makes this information easily accessible.
You can also get real-time feedback on each extension number in your business. This will help you see which teams are getting the most enquiries, or which agents are making the most calls.
Having this feedback in real-time means that you get an accurate view of the productivity and can implement any changes that might be needed to ensure your business continues to run efficiently.
Access call queue reports
Hosted contact centers can also give you access to call queue reports. This information goes a long way in finding out how your business, and more importantly your agents, are performing.
You can use this particular report to identify trends in call queues. This enables you to know about not only wasted resources but also ensure that you have enough manpower during busy hours.
By analysing these reports, you can increase staff satisfaction and ensure better management and workflow. Additionally, these reports can also help you understand how you can save money by removing redundancies.
Monitoring and making changes based on call queue reports is also a great way to boost customer service. Call centers can do this by taking steps to ensure customers aren’t left waiting for a long time to speak to a member of staff, or that agents have enough time to provide quality customer service.
Schedule email reports while you’re on the go
With reports delivered directly to you, you can keep track of everything going on in your business. With all the information you need on the go, you can stay on top of the daily work of your managers and agents. Automating email reports can also give you a detailed analysis of the workings of your call centers.
Get real-time feedback, wherever you need it
Cloud contact center providers provide a great way to run a business.
By automating several metrics, you can focus entirely on delivering great customer service. Monitoring and acting on data and feedback from your cloud system is an important way to ensure that everything is running as efficiently as possible and that your staff have all the tools and training they need to be a success.
To find out more about how your organisation can benefit from cloud contact centers and accessing real-time data, call us today at 1888-859-0450 or drop an email at [email protected]
If you're interested in improving your business communication solution
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