Are You Hindering or Helping the Call Center Achieve Your Goals?
Not too many years ago, the call center business was perceived as a master-slave relationship. The client told the call center what to do and it was done. The call center was viewed as a necessary evil rather than a key contributor. Thankfully, the relationship has shifted to a mutually beneficial partnership. The call center business has become complex. Clients, internal and external, need to rely on call center experts to manage the day to day operations and get the work done right…the first time. The client is an expert on their product, the call center is an expert on [...]
5 Benefits to Nearshore/Offshore Outsourcing
Over 20 years ago, offshore outsourcing of call centers became a popular solution to high labor costs. Many jobs at home were eliminated which created large scale ill-will and language challenges, but brought knowledge, access, and influenced customer preference. There were legitimate concerns and even though it was cheaper, the total cost could not be measured in dollars. Fast forward two decades and there has been a shift in thinking and experience. Some of the challenges of the past are now manageable. With new call center solutions, we are better equipped to address challenges and capitalize on the benefits of [...]
Dialing Up Success: Is Free Really Free? Six Questions to Help You Decide
From the time I was small, I can remember hearing, “Nothing is free.” You have heard it too and more often than not, in all walks of life, it’s the truth. Free is not free and we don’t always invest the time to discover the real cost. In business, we have to choose how to allocate our budgets. Often there are more demands than dollars, increasing the importance of determining value when considering price. What is the most expensive part of your business? Is it the predictive dialer? The media? The sales agents? Estimates indicate that for most businesses, at [...]
The Power of A Dialer Software For Call Centers
Dialing from legacy call centers is out and predictive dialer systems are in. This software can increase productivity in outbound call centers by interfacing with the Cloud, thus eliminating extra expenses including hardware maintenance and upkeep, pricey software and licensing, brick and mortar office space rent and other in-house charges including hardware. This software can be run virtually as long as there is an internet connection. This means a vast selection of agents with specialties geographically and globally, a huge increase in outbound calls, increased production and a definite jump in company sales revenue. Basically, the entire efficiency of [...]
DIY Dialer—No Programming Needed!
How would you like a dialer that did not require a programmer to do everything for you? A do-it-yourself dialer that allowed you to do the scripting, set the parameters, do data capture and data validation, set up the reports you need, and allowed you to set up custom export files yourself? Wouldn't that be a dream come true? As a call center operations manager, programming has always been a bottleneck. Now you don't have to wait for them, you can start up your own campaigns, you can make real time changes to your current campaigns, all without technical support! Here is what you can expect: [...]
What should you pay for your dialer?
In today’s competitive market, you should not overpay for your dialer. Typically, there are two components to your dialer costs, the monthly subscription costs, and the telco costs. Sometimes, these costs are bundled together into one monthly subscription cost based on a certain amount of telco usage. The total costs for your dialing platform should be approximately $150 per month per user including both the subscription and telco costs. Be aware of hidden costs: Startup costs Training and support Feature upgrades Cancellation fees Extra telco costs Programming costs Recording fees Data storage fees Look for a dialer that has no [...]
International Labor Pool for Call Centers
Can you imagine running your call center without having to struggle to find and retain talent? This would be a game-changer! The Call Center industry is highly dependent on human capital, the low unemployment rate in the US is making it harder and harder for the call center industry to maintain profitability. Call center jobs are usually not considered desirable. Recruiting can be challenging, as people want more money, and turnover is high. Recruiting and training costs are through the roof. Consider having an international labor pool at your fingertips. With advances in technology allowing for high-speed internet and cloud-based [...]
How Call Center Software Features Can Benefit You
As with any fine craftsmanship, the tools that are used are essential to the success of the artist. The same holds true for call center agents seeking company revenue. In order to produce the best sales results and provide stellar customer service, call centers should be equipped with the best in call center software solutions. Did you know… 72% of consumers say that when contacting customer service they expect the agent to “know who they are, what they have purchased and have insights into their previous engagements.” Microsoft Call center software solutions help call center agents by equipping them the correct [...]
Top KPI’s Needed to Run a Productive Call Center
Operating a productive call center is best measured in key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the agents, their processes and the call center software. KPIs are defined as measurable values that demonstrate how effectively a company, department, team or individual is achieving business goals. Before managers select the most relevant KPIs for their call center, they must first identify which KPIs line up best with the corporate strategy and business objectives. Then with the overall company goal in place managers are able to make informed decisions on the accurate KPIs needed to track performance. [...]
The Benefits of A Call Center SaaS
In order to gain and sustain economic benefits from your call center business, taking advantage of every possible opportunity to keep things simple, yet reliable, is key. You and your agents need to be reassured that areas of communication are accessible, secure, cost-effective and reliable at all times, especially for call centers that are run virtually and globally. That is why it is pertinent for you, as a business owner, to consider the benefits of Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS, software that is utilized over the Internet in lieu of being a computer installed software, benefits call centers by [...]
Managing A Virtual Call Center
CallShaper has a vision for a more efficient, more profitable call center industry. By utilizing technology, call centers can rely on automation to optimize performance and help better manage the workforce from virtually anywhere in the world. This virtual model allows us to transform the call center industry from a highly capital-intensive environment to an almost exclusively variable cost model. This migration to a virtual environment will improve call center industry efficiency and help optimize performance through technological advances and automation. The call center business has traditionally functioned as a brick and mortar model with a physical location where all [...]
Implementing Call Center Software
How Call Center Software Can Drive Your Business In our ever-changing world of business, the ability to conform to changes is pertinent for success. This does not necessarily mean “doing what everyone else is doing”, but rather taking those changes and making them your own. And in the world of software call centers, this is particularly true. Long gone are the days of agents typing in phone numbers, tracking leads on paper and jotting down things like, disconnected line, not interested or call back later. Now, successful marketing businesses have implemented call center software. In addition to increasing productivity and [...]
Contact Maximization Strategies
You probably spend a lot of money on media to get the leads and calls to come into your sales agents. Making sure you contact as many of those leads as possible is essential to your success. New call blocking technology and call verification regulations are making it harder for your calls to get through. CallShaper is here to help! The following CallShaper features are important for helping you maximize your contact rates on your campaigns. These capabilities are where we outshine our competitors, because a lot of what you are required to do manually on other systems to manage [...]
Improve Customer Service with a Cloud-Based Call Center Software
In today’s world of technology, it can be tough keeping up with the challenging nature of business, let alone finding your competitive edge. Running into seemingly endless brick walls that are limiting your sales revenue can be more than frustrating. However, these brick walls can prove to be positive. That’s right. Positive. Sometimes stagnancy leads to realizing that it is time to make a change in order to increase your sales revenue. If you want to continue running a successful call center, it is time to get creative. How does running a full-featured, state-of-the-art call center, equipped with the most [...]
The Power of a Call Center Scripting Software
How A Call Center Scripting Software May Be The Answer If your business utilizes a call center with live agents and you are unsure of why your agents are not reaching company sales goals, here is a note-worthy tip that may help: a recent study shows that up to 72 percent of customers or prospective customers will switch to (or choose to work with) one of your competitors if your agent is unprepared or cannot answer their questions. It’s true. That is why having Call Center Scripting Software, software that works in conjunction with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and [...]