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Call Center Software: Your Business Guide

Call center software can increase the productivity of your company's customer service operations. It enables you to automate your workflow, track call analytics, and ultimately decrease the number of employees that you have to dedicate to the customer service process – minimizing costs and improving efficiency.

Although call center software has many benefits, the use of this type of system must be maintained with enough employee interaction to ensure that your customers don't become frustrated with the technology.

Benefits of Call Center Software

Call center software can help you increase the efficiency of your call center, better manage call data, and give your customers a better customer service experience. A study conducted by Loudhouse Research found that 69 percent of large businesses that directly serve customers think call centers are critical for generating revenue.

• Increased Efficiency: Call center software can offer an automated menu to direct customers to the appropriate department. Your customer service representatives then spend less time directing calls and more time solving customer complaints. This can decrease labor costs by reducing the number of employees you will need to answer phones.
• Call Metrics: Call center software can record calls, track metrics and forecast call volume, helping you to better schedule your employees to meet periods of high and low demand.
• Improved Employee Training: The data collected by your call center software helps managers improve employee training and identify the best and worst employees.
• Combine Call Data With Customer Service: Integrating customer information with call data allows your business to direct customers to specific representatives who are experts at solving the customer's problem.

Be sure to purchase reliable CRM software installed to get more from your reporting.

Potential Pitfalls

Installing new software is not a magical fix for your call center. There can be a number of compatibility and technical issues. The need to train your employees can cause your implementation costs to spike, and in the end, your customers may react badly to an automated system. You can mitigate these pitfalls in a number of ways:

• Compatibility Issues: Whenever you purchase new software, make sure it is compatible with your call center’s computers, operating systems, and other software currently in use. Incompatibility issues can cause your systems to work inefficiently – if they work at all.
• Technical Support Costs: If you have issues with the software, you will need to contact someone who can help you solve the problem. Software technical support may come free with the purchase; other companies may charge a fee for this service or refer you to a third party for assistance.
• Training and Implementation Costs: When you introduce new call center software into the workplace, you will need to arrange for your employees to be trained in its use; during the startup phase of implementation you may see productivity drop as you employees get used to the program.
• Customer Response: If any aspect of your call center is automated, you risk alienating your customers. Customers might feel like your service is becoming impersonal, or may become frustrated trying to navigate your automated menu. You may see a rise in call abandonment rates when you make the switch.

However, any new software platform comes with costs that go beyond acquisition and installation. If you account for those added costs in advance, and prepare your employees and customers for the changes ahead, call center software can greatly improve your company’s customer service.

If you're interested in call center software, be sure to consider CRM and Sales Software as well.