When I think of virtual call centers, I think of DVDs.
Remember the time before streaming? If you want to watch a movie, you need a disc, which usually has row upon row of rarely seen movies taking place. And if you started watching in the bedroom and want to move to the living room, you’ll have to take the disc with you, put it in another DVD player, and manually fast forward where you left off.
It sounds exhausting to us now, doesn’t it? How did any of us survive?
We now have thousands of movies on demand that we can watch seamlessly on dozens of different devices. Virtualization of movies made them more convenient and flexible.
Let’s apply that logic to call centers. Before virtualization, you had a large building full of agents making and receiving calls. Agents had to be on-premises to work, and each had to use a single, specific desk phone.
It’s easy to see how virtualization can add convenience, agility, and flexibility to a call center. So what is a virtual call center, what does it look like and why should you care? Let’s dig
What is Virtual Call Center?
A virtual call center (or contact center) is a call center supported by software, not a physical location.
On-premises contact centers consist of outdated, expensive, inflexible hardware and data centers that require agents to work on-site. Virtual contact centers do the opposite, using cloud software that allows agents to work from home, in shared workspaces, or in regional offices. Also, agents in the virtual contact center can collaborate without the physical limitations of the on-premises contact center.
How do virtual contact centers work?
Using proprietary software, on-premises contact centers take months to deploy and even longer to customize to meet customer needs. Virtual contact centers, on the other hand, use cloud-based software that in-house developers can customize and deploy within days and continuously optimize and scale as needed.
Since virtual contact centers store data in the cloud, agents do not need to be on-site to access it. In fact, with a cloud-based contact center, agents can work remotely from anywhere with an Internet connection. This allows virtual contact centers to provide support across locations and time zones at a lower cost than on-premises contact centers.
This is one of the many advantages that we will discuss further.
What are the benefits of Virtual Contact Centers?
The pandemic forced many businesses to move from physical office space to a virtual workforce. Thanks to this change, businesses large and small have realized that remote work is much more possible now than it was a decade ago, and that virtual call centers provide benefits to workers, customers, and business owners alike. A virtual contact center allows you to:
reduce infrastructure overhead
A virtual call center reduces the cost of leasing office space, heating and cooling, Internet connectivity, and other expenses incurred on an on-premises contact center.
get high call quality
In a virtual call center, agents make and receive calls through Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology instead of landlines, which eliminates distortion, echo, and static from old copper wiring.
Integrate and Customize
Since virtual call centers do not rely on specific telephone models or private branch exchange (PBX) systems, it is straightforward to integrate them with customer relationship management software, analytics, and more. With the right cloud contact center software, you can integrate your virtual call center with your existing processes and optimize it for your use case.
hire top talent
Virtual contact centers can hire the best people for the job – not just the best people who live within commuting distance of the office. By offering remote work, it can also help your company stand out and attract top talent, wherever they are.
improve employee experience
Eliminating commuting, traffic jams and dress codes can help boost employee morale, which can boost productivity and reduce agent turnover.
enhance customer experience
Employees are more likely to provide excellent customer service when you can hire the best agents for the job and offer flexible employment that improves morale. Virtual call centers also make it easier for employees to share customer data internally and provide a seamless experience for the customer. Plus, you can easily track call center metrics to quickly evaluate and improve your customer experiences.
What are the disadvantages of Virtual Call Center?
Where there are many advantages of being virtual
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