The availability of multiple sources of information (i.e., website, Facebook, Instagram) has made customer interactions larger than before. Today, business owners try to list their businesses on all these channels in order to stay relevant and be accessible to customers.
However, customer support agents actually struggle to manage customer queries across multiple channels. Especially, when it’s only one agent, and he has to move back and forth to manage these interactions.
There’s an excellent solution to it – integrated call center solutions.
What Is an Integrated Call Center Solution?
An integrated call center solution refers to a unified system that combines various communication channels and business tools into one platform to manage customer interactions more efficiently.
Imagine you have a call center for a tech support company, ABC Tech Support. Here’s how an integrated call center solution works:
- Phone Calls: When a customer calls, they hear a friendly robot
- Live Chat: If a customer visits ABC Tech Support’s website, they can start a chat with a real person
- Email Support: If someone sends an email asking for help, it goes into a special system that organizes all the emails.
- Social Media: If someone tweets or posts on Facebook asking for help, there are tools that alert the support team, so they can reply quickly.
The support team uses a big screen or dashboard (integrated call center) that shows them how many calls, chats, and emails they have. They can see if customers are happy or if they need to improve something.
Which of the Companies Use Integrated Call Center Solutions?
While almost all big companies use integrated call center solutions, here are some of the small-medium businesses as well that utilize integrated call center solutions:
- Rover – A pet sitting and dog walking service that employs call center solutions to manage bookings and customer support.
- FreshBooks – An accounting software for small businesses, using integrated systems to assist customers with their inquiries.
- Mediavine – A full-service ad management company that utilizes integrated call solutions to support their publishers.
If you are a business owner thinking of deploying integrated call center solutions, I’d suggest you have a walk-through of the following pros and cons.
How Does Integrated Call Center Solution Benefits Businesses?
Over time, call centers have changed into contact centers to keep up with what customers want. Nowadays, people like having different ways to communicate, such as using chat or email instead of just making phone calls.
1. Multiple Ways to Reach a Business
At HiredSupport, we have multiple clients taking advantage of integrated call center solutions. As mentioned above, we used this system for a food delivery restaurant service, and the results were incredible.
For instance, customers had various options to contact the service, including phone calls, emails, live chat on the website, and messages through the mobile app.
This meant that customers could choose the method that was most convenient for them at any given time.
For example, if a customer decides to use the live chat feature to inquire about a missing order. Because the integrated system connects all communication channels, the agent can easily pull up the customer’s information quickly, just as if they had called.
This serves the following benefits:
- Better productivity for the agent
- Less resources are needed to handle customer support
- More users for the business from multiple channels
- More revenue in the long term
Also Read: 8 Steps to Craft an Effective Customer Support Strategy
2. Better Customer Experience
When customers called the food delivery service, the agents answered and immediately accessed their past orders, previous questions, and even favorite meals.
For instance, when a customer inquired about a burger they had ordered last week and wanted to change their delivery address, the agent quickly referenced that information. This allowed the agent to provide assistance without making the customer repeat details, making the conversation smoother and more personal.
We also allowed customers to reach out in different ways in order to create an omnichannel experience.
Some preferred texting instead of calling, so they sent messages through the app. The integrated system ensured that whether customers called, chatted, or emailed, their information remained connected.
Also Read: Why Customer Experience Matters in Business
3. Faster Responses to Customers
Let’s roll over the previous example of HiredSupport’s implementation of integrated call center solutions.
When a food delivery service implemented integrated call center solutions, we noticed a significant boost in efficiency. The system streamlined communication by bringing together various channels like phone calls, emails, chats, and social media into one easy-to-use platform.
This meant that agents no longer had to juggle different systems, allowing them to respond to customer inquiries much faster.
Restaurant delivery services struggle to reduce delivery timings, and they receive daily customer complaints about it. To handle these specific queries, HiredSupport implemented an automated call routing feature; the call was directed to the most qualified agent, who specialized in handling delivery issues.
This not only minimized the customer’s wait time but also ensured that their issue was resolved quickly and effectively.
4. Better Reporting Structures
When you implement integrated call center solutions, the system provides a centralized platform where all customer interactions are recorded, making it easier to gather and analyze data.
Every time a customer called, emailed, or chatted with an agent, the details of that interaction were automatically logged into the system.
This allowed the service to track:
- Common issues,
- Peak call times, and
- Customer satisfaction levels
Management could easily generate reports to see which menu items were most frequently ordered or which delivery routes faced delays, providing valuable insights into their operations.
For instance, while managing the food service client at HiredSupport, our management team reviewed the analytics dashboard and noticed a spike in customer inquiries about delivery times during certain hours.
This data prompted us to investigate further, revealing that there were indeed delays during peak dinner hours. This prompted us to add extra resources to handle the workload.
Also Read: 11 Contact Center Analytics that Helped me to Retain 100+ Clients
5. Easily Scalable as the Business Grows
Integrate call center solutions can easily adjust as the users grow for a business. For example, during a particularly busy holiday season, the number of incoming calls and messages surged for our food delivery service.
With the integrated solution in place, the service was able to add more agents to the team seamlessly. The system supported this expansion by allowing new agents to be trained quickly and integrated into the workflow without the need for complicated setup processes.
They could access all the necessary tools and information from day one, enabling them to assist customers right away.
What Are the Challenges of Using a Call Center Integration Solution?
1. High Initial Costs
Implementing a call center integration solution often requires significant upfront investment. This includes purchasing software and hardware and potentially hiring consultants for setup and training. For small businesses, the initial cost can be a huge barrier.
Here’s the cost breakdown:
Annual Costs:
- Software: $18,000
- Training: $10,200
- Ongoing Support: $18,000
- Internet Upgrade: $3,000
One-Time Costs:
- Data Migration/Setup: $7,500
- Additional Hardware: $2,000
2. Slows Down Productivity Temporary
Imagine hiring a group of experienced agents who have been doing their jobs the same way for years. Suddenly, everything changes! The new system is different, and they need to learn how to use it.
To help them succeed, the company will need to invest in training programs. This means spending time and money to ensure that every agent understands how to navigate the new system.
Training might include workshops, one-on-one coaching, or even online courses. All of this adds up to a significant cost for the business.
While training is necessary for a smooth transition, it can temporarily slow down productivity.
3. Over-Reliance on Technology
Picture this: if the entire system goes down for any reason—like a power outage or a software glitch—customers can’t get the help they need. This could mean frustrated customers waiting for their orders or unable to get answers to their questions.
If the business depends on just one technology to assist everyone, it can cause major problems when that technology fails.
Suddenly, there are no calls being answered, no chats being responded to, and no emails being sent. It’s like being stuck in a traffic jam with no way out!
On the other hand, if a service uses multiple ways to assist customers—like phone calls, live chat, and emails—then the impact of a failure is much less severe.
If one channel stops working, customers can still reach out through another way. This variety helps keep things running smoothly, even when unexpected issues pop up.
Top 3 Integrated Call Center Solutions Providers
1. HiredSupport
HiredSupport is a California-based integrated call center solutions provider established in 2010. Over the past decade, it has worked with more than 100 clients worldwide, serving industries from eCommerce to the home improvement sector.
How does HiredSupport help business owners integrate call center solutions?
HiredSupport is one of the top-rated integrated call center solutions provider companies in the USA, offering affordable plans starting at just $7/hr. This allows small businesses to get up and running without stretching their budget.
Trusted by companies like Healthy Stuff, FIXD, and Cointree, HiredSupport has boosted customer satisfaction scores by 37% and cut response times by 41%.
HiredSupport has been featured in major outlets such as CNN, HubSpot, and Zapier for its quality data cleansing services.
With a 4.9/5 rating on Clutch, it’s a reliable choice for small businesses looking to integrate call center solutions, which would eventually help them reduce costs.
Does HiredSupport Provide Call Center Integration Solutions
Yes, HiredSupport integrates call center solutions, along with the following:
- Appointment Setting
- Technical Support
- Back Office Support
- Phone Support
- Email Support
- Data Processing
- Data Entry
- Answering Service
Free Trial and Pricing
HiredSupport’s pricing starts from $7/hr. This is one of the few call center integration companies that offers a 7-day free trial to businesses which can be canceled anytime.
2. Genesys
Founded in 1990, Genesys has established itself as a frontrunner in the call center industry, serving businesses across various sectors including finance, healthcare, and retail. With decades of experience, this integrated call center solutions provider focuses on providing innovative cloud-based contact center solutions that prioritize customer experience.
Their powerful platform allows companies to harness integrated data effectively, ensuring every customer interaction is personalized and meaningful. By leveraging AI and advanced analytics, Genesys helps businesses anticipate customer needs, resulting in improved satisfaction and loyalty.
Services Offered
- AI-driven analytics
- Omnichannel support
- Customer journey mapping
- Workforce optimization
Free Trial and Pricing
Genesys doesn’t disclose its pricing strategy on the website. This integrated call center solutions provider doesn’t offer a free trial.
3. Avaya
Avaya has been a key player in the communication solutions space since its founding in 2000. They serve diverse industries, including financial services, education, and healthcare, providing integrated communication and contact center solutions.
Avaya’s commitment to innovation is evident in its AI-driven technologies that enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency. By focusing on unified communications, this integrated call center solution helps businesses create seamless interactions across all channels.
Services Offered
- AI capabilities for predictive insights
- Multi-channel engagement
- Real-time performance monitoring
- Customizable reporting
Free Trial and Pricing
Avaya doesn’t disclose its pricing strategy on its website. This integrated call center solutions provider doesn’t offer a free trial.
Conclusion
If you are unsure about which integrated call center solutions provider to choose, I recommend going for HiredSupport. This integrated call center solutions provider has a 4.9/5 star rating on Clutch. This means that it is trusted by businesses across the world for its quality services.
This agency offers a 7-day free trial, and you can start with a payment plan once you are fully satisfied with their services. Pricing starts at $7/hr which is the most affordable call center integration solutions provider in the industry.
You can also request a quote from their sales team (1 (800) 655-5891, email: [email protected]) to measure how much you can save by outsourcing to HiredSupport.
