(image credit/Pixabay/Gerd Altmann)For many businesses worldwide, the safety of their call centre agents has become a top priority in the face of increasing COVID-19 cases. That’s why more and more customer service, sales and product support representatives are now working from a remote office at home. These developments make on-premise call centres no longer sufficient for many companies’ operational requirements.

To continue to offer positive customer experiences and to provide a more convenient work setups for their employees, companies have started moving to cloud-based contact centre platforms such as odigo.com. These contact centres don’t require a business to have dedicated hardware and infrastructure, unlike on-premise ones. They also don’t need to be operated in an office space. Instead, they’re hosted in the cloud by a call centre software provider. That means users can access them through their computers or mobile devices.

But is a move to a cloud-based contact centre worth it? Read on!

Fast setup

Setting up cloud-based contact centre software is usually as simple as installing a new app on a mobile phone. It’ll take as little as 24 hours because instead of an out-of-the-box solution, most providers offer cloud call centre software as a service. In fact, the system is ready to go in most cases — a business just needs to access it.

On the other hand, on-premise call centres require the necessary infrastructure and hardware. Once those are set up, a business still has to find compatible software and handle licensing. The IT team also has to apply the needed configurations and test the technology first before the contact centre can start operating. All these processes can take weeks, if not months, to accomplish.

Global recruitment

A remote agent program provides businesses with the opportunity to expand their hiring range not only to the entire country but also globally. When you can search for talents worldwide, you can hire the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in your industry. Besides global recruitment, it’s also been found out that telework improves retention rates for most companies. About 54% of employees actually say that they would prefer a specific job offer if it offers more flexibility. This means that businesses can save on hiring costs and the expenses associated with training new employees.

Alternatively, connecting remote reps to a centralized call centre infrastructure can be difficult unless a business will deploy networking tools such as a virtual private network (VPN). A cloud contact centre offers a more straightforward option. It makes adding remote agents easier because these apps often come as a service. With cloud-based call centre software, remote employees only need a web browser and internet access to connect to the platform and see the same information as on-site reps. Once connected, they can start helping customers from anywhere.

Web-based contact centre apps also allow managers to monitor remote agents’ calls and provide coaching sessions to work-from-anywhere team members. So even if not on-site, improving a workforce’s overall performance is possible.

Reduced IT costs

Cloud-based call centres not only allow a business to save on hiring costs but also on IT spending. In fact, companies that move their contact centre operations to the cloud typically cut IT-related expenses by 15%.

Reduced IT costs are possible because companies can avoid buying, maintaining and upgrading various software apps and the hardware required to run them. Instead of significant up-front capital investments, businesses can pay modest and predictable monthly subscription fees to gain full-feature access to a cloud-based call centre platform. There’s also no need to provide system redundancy and failover, further reducing IT expenses.

An all-in-one platform

On-site contact centres utilize multiple systems. This means reps often flip from one app to another when on a call. It makes it challenging for agents to get all the information they need to provide the best experience possible to customers.

With cloud-based contact centres, the software provider has already done the necessary integration work. Thus, companies can take advantage of tools such as AI-driven interactive voice response (IVR), workforce management and data analytics — all in one platform.

Scale up or down easily

Scaling your call centre operations up or down is more straightforward with cloud-based contact centre systems. Most service providers allow companies to control costs based on factors like seasonality without affecting your operations negatively. It makes sense because cloud call centres are no longer about the hardware.

On the other hand, scalability with an on-premise call centre can be a challenge. Scaling up involves the same process as setting up a contact centre in the first place. It means that businesses have to provide new resources and make new configurations. Also, if you need to scale down due to unforeseeable events, you’ll be left with a surplus of equipment and licenses.

Final thoughts

The cloud is the inevitable future for contact centres. The advantages mentioned and discussed in this post are proof of it. Haven’t leveraged cloud-based call centre software in your operations yet?


Odigoodigo.com is a global leader in Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions. We help some of the world’s leading brands deliver memorable customer experiences (CX).

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