Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) represents an entirely new paradigm for business communications and collaboration. CCaaS solutions offer similar functionalities as an on premises contact center infrastructure (CCI). But, key differentiators of CCaaS lie within simplifying connectivity to other cloud-based applications, consumption being paid for via a monthly subscription, and a definitive focus on service capabilities rather than simply product functionality.
Nearly 7 out of 10 IT managers report that improving the experience of their customers is a top business priority (Forrester).
The expectations of customers today include brand interactions and experiences that are completely seamless and effortless no matter the location, time or touchpoint. In order to deliver on a better customer experience, companies are leveraging cloud-ready contact center technologies to drive company efficiencies, as well as customer loyalty and advocacy, which ultimately correlates to increased revenue.
When employers needed to moved their employees to a work-from-home model in 2020, CCaaS allowed contact centers to continue operations by enabling employees to work from any location via the cloud. As businesses continue to see the advantages of work-from-home and hybrid models, the demand for cloud-based solutions will only continue to grow as they seek to stay ahead of the competition and adapt to customer needs.
How CCaaS is helping businesses
- Seamless Scalability: Traditional, on-premises solutions cannot exceed a certain number of users. If more capacity is needed, a company will have to go through a several month process of procuring, building and deploying equipment on-site. CCaaS, however, eliminate these problems as the cloud allows contact centers to scale operations quickly and smoothly. Spikes in call volume due to seasonal changes, service disruptions, emergencies and other fluctuations, make CCaaS essential to ensure customer retention. Plus, new features can be implemented with far more ease via cloud than with an on-premises solution allowinng contact centers to deploy new services before the competition and remain relevant in the market.
- Reduce Costs: Making the transition CCaaS can reduce contact center costs by shifting from a CAPEX to an OPEX model. CCaaS providers host and manage the infrastructure, which save contact centers overhead and maintenance costs. Plus, cloud-based platforms allow contact centers to only pay for what they use instead of overpaying for on-premises solutions with a maximum capacity.
- Increase Mobility: Contact centers have realized that remote work model was beneficial to their operations as it allowed them to hire from a wider talent pool, as well as reduce real estate costs. With CCaaS, agents can utilize software and tools from any device, regardless of their location, making CCaaS useful for integrating contact centers with UCaaS.
- Insight Into Customer Experience: CCaaS can help business leaders better understand the challenges, concerns and commonly asked questions from customers to improve their offerings and services. Moving to CCaaS allows contact centers to increase customer retention by collecting data and analytics about customers across all communication channels – from instant messaging to telephone transcripts that provide valuable insight into customer needs and experiences.
With hybrid work increasingly more common, such advantages as a wider talent pool to reducing costs of maintenance and overhead of on-premises solutions, the opportunities CCaaS opens for contact centers are numerous.
CCaas for businesses without a contact center
Businesses that have a don’t contact center, but care about customer service can improve customer engagement and satisfaction through intelligent routing and CRM sync. CCaaS can provide solutions for businesses without contact centers that meet these scenarios:
Companies that have multiple locations and/or remote employees:
- No onsite hardware/servers or installation required
- Reduces overhead costs with less onsite employees
Companies that have adopted other cloud solutions:
- UCaaS
- SD-WAN
- MPLS
- Office 365
Businesses that have small IT departments:
- There does not need to be a dedicated person to maintain the software; the provider is responsible to keeping everything up-to-date and running smoothly
Companies that have scheduling departments:
- Medical offices (health and dental)
- Beauty salons with multiple locations
- Service providers (electricians, plumbers)
Companies that are looking for business continuity and/or disaster recovery plan:
- Call center will remain up and running in the event of a power outage
Businesses that have to meet security compliances:
- Any company that takes credit cards for payment (PCI-DS)
As your telecom and IT solutions expert, REACH takes pride in keeping you connected. Learn more about how CCaas can further enable your company’s growth and how REACH can help you evaluate and choose the best CCaaS provider. Connect with us today by calling Valerie at 715-330-4200 or filling out our contact form.