Consider These Five Points Before Choosing a CCaaS Provider
For enterprises looking for ways to improve the customer experience while cutting costs and boosting the satisfaction of customer service agents, contact center as a service (CCaaS) offers a solution. A report by Gartner, “Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service, North America,” reports that by 2022, CCaaS will be preferred by 50% of all contact centers – a drastic increase from 10% in 2019.
CCaaS isn’t just appropriate for customer service; it can be a way to support customer interactions, employee service and support, help desks, and other communications roles.
One of the hallmarks of a CCaaS solution is its subscription-based pay model, a welcome switch from investment-heavy on-premise hardware and software solutions. In general, CCaaS offers:
- Customized, brand-specific customer service.
- Support of complex, personalized customer conversations.
- Encouraging and engaged contact center staff, with agents equipped to handle more-complex customer interactions.
- Analysis and reporting of insights, with recommended changes for enhanced service.
Before choosing a CCaaS provider, it’s important to consider whether it’s a good fit for your enterprise. Make sure they have experience with organizations similar in size and within your industry so that your deployment will not present formidable surprise challenges. If workforce management is part of your plan, find out whether it is native to the solution or if it will be available through a third party.
You should also examine the integration of third-party solutions and whether the provider will support that integration. Take time to talk with customer references to gauge their satisfaction with the provider’s support and product.
Five Considerations
Before you choose a CCaaS solution, include the following five considerations in your evaluation of each solution and provider:
Total Cost of Ownership: While CCaaS should be less costly than an on-premise solution, you should be aware of factors like recurring monthly charges and whether there is a fee for seasonal variations in agent headcount. Ask to see a sample of an invoice for a current customer.
Level of Customizability: Customization can make or break the customer experience. Find out which parts of the solution are standard and which can be customized.
Work-From-Home Quality and Scalability: Many agents are utilizing home internet for customer interactions, which may compromise voice quality and other performance elements. In addition, many enterprises are frequently scaling up and down to meet variations in customer service and support. Find out how the provider is prioritizing the needs of enterprises in these situations.
Work-From-Home Security: What role will the CCaaS provider take in terms of security, particularly given that many agents are handling sensitive customer data. If you are impacted by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), how will your CCaaS provider accommodate compliance?
Redundancy: When the contact center is down or performing poorly, it reflects on your company. Find out how the provider supports redundancy and whether resiliency matches the solution you are using on-premises.
These are just the beginning of the considerations you should include when choosing a CCaaS solution. Contact us at One Connect to get started exploring options for your contact center.