Check out this statistic I read recently: The cloud-based contact center market is expected to be worth $10.9 billion by 2019, compared to just $4.15 billion last year. (source: http://blogs.aspect.com/real-impact-cloud-contact-center/)
That’s loads of people shifting to the cloud! And yet, it’s not too surprising. A few of the benefits of cloud contact center are:
- Better customer experience
- Cost-effective
- Scalable
- Able to unify with existing phone systems
- Relatively simple to install and keep up-to-date
So, if it’s clear that it’s worth the investment, why are so few contact centers fully integrating their service channels with cloud? According to the same article, right now only 18 percent of contact centers that have fully integrated their service channels with cloud-based software!
Even though there’s a long laundry list of reasons why cloud contact centers are beneficial for business, there are also a few considerations that may be holding them back. Organizations who are heavily regulated and have stringent security requirements may be understandably hesitant to risk releasing their “need-to-know basis only” info into the elusive cloud. Or businesses that have on-site data stores integrated with contact centers are also often questioning the suitability of the cloud. Every situation and business need is unique. I’m proud to say that’s where my team really shines. At Inflow, we’re up to our elbows in this stuff all day, every day, so we are prepared to help you decide what’s right for your situation.
Whether you choose cloud contact center or on-site contact center, keep these in mind during your decision-making process:
If your technology platforms are not being built on, or constantly improved with the sole purpose of improving the customer experience, you’re making a mistake. In addition to receiving phone calls, there are about a zillion business reasons to implement the right contact center for your organization.
You can’t just “set it and forget it” with a cloud-based or on-site contact center. It’s a living, breathing entity. It requires love and care. It requires agent/supervisor training, call flow changes, data integration changes, reporting tune ups, etc. This is why you must go with a provider that understands contact center.
Phone systems and contact centers are completely different animals. Just because your phone system vendor is good, it doesn’t mean they’ll provide the business value you need with the contact center. Partner with a specialist that understands both cloud-based and on-site options, and someone who takes a customer-centric, proactive approach to your particular needs.
If you’re considering moving to cloud but can’t be sure what the impacts would be to your business, then you definitely need to check out our upcoming webinars covering all things cloud contact center. At Inflow we design, deploy and maintain on-site and cloud contact centers every day. We address the common concerns I’ve brought up in this post, but we’ll also show you how our customers have used cloud contact centers to increase customer satisfaction, save money, and make their businesses more efficient from the inside out.
See you there!
Register for Complimentary Certified Webinar Training
https://inflowcx.com/upcoming-complimentary-webinars/
Posted by Travis Dillard, Inflow Communications
