What is the cloud?
The “cloud” has changed how we approach computing in our everyday lives. This system is aptly named because much like the fluffy mounds above us, it is very much a ubiquitous part of the day-to-day.
What is it? The cloud is a system that allows users to access and store data, software and computer technology using a WAN network. There are currently a few types of cloud computing; Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS); or Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Included in this list is Communications-Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS).
33%
of Contact Centers plan to invest in robotics and process automation in the next 2 years
86%
of consumers are willing to pay more for an upgraded experience
48%
by 2020 digital-care channels will account for 48 per cent of customer-care interactions.
17.3%
Gartner predicts that Worldwide Public Cloud Revenue will grow by 17.3 Percent in 2019. – Gartner
6x
Cloud computing spending is expected to grow at more than 6 times the rate of IT spending from 2015 through 2020. – Forbes
€209
Public cloud platforms, business services, and applications will reach €209 billion by 2020. – Forrester
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 1
What is a cloud contact centre?
A private cloud or enterprise cloud is server – based, meaning a larger company’s infrastructure can just move to it. Private cloud providers don’t offer any maintenance, data centre updates or management, everything is controlled by the company using it. It also comes with a higher level of security as data is stored behind a firewall and not shared with another organisation.
With a public setup, users would not be responsible for managing a public cloud service. Usually, the cloud provider handles data storage, maintenance and management. Security-wise, all data is kept separate from other users and the provider is responsible for securing it. An example of a public cloud is Amazon’s AWS, which is currently the largest.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 2
What are some benefits of a cloud contact centre?
On-premise (capex) rents are high and developing a physical contact centre means considering hardware purchasing and licensing costs. A cloud-based system (opex) usually only needs a strong internet connection and an IT budget.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 3
What kind of contact centre do you need?
Hybrid
Cloud
If moving strictly to a cloud-based service, there are few variables to consider. If your enterprise is looking for a capital free investment in communication technology then this is the solution for you. However, that means handing over the control of your contact centre to a provider who implements and maintains the centre. Cloud centres are hosted on an internet server and data transfer is usually taken care of by the provider.
Data storage depends on what you need from your centre. Larger enterprises require a more secure network line (VPN) and usually, go for a private cloud set up with a centralised data centre for a singular enterprise. Others might prefer a SaaS (software as a service) solution delivered via a public cloud which has its own data centre that is shared but siloed.
Integrating an existing CRM (customer relationship management) system with a cloud contact centre can positively change how call data is managed. However, a company’s CRM should support open API connectivity in order to reap the benefits.
Figure out which channels are the most important to brand communication. Sometimes social channels have more impact than voice. Configure the contact centre so that these channels are prioritised and enquiries sent to the right agents.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 4
Implementing a cloud contact centre
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 5
Features in a cloud contact centre
Call Routing
One huge benefit of using cloud contact centres is call routing. This feature increases agent efficiency by routing calls based on the digital context. This method saves time by bypassing IVR and matching calls to the best agents that can help. Routing reduces call abandonment rates significantly and improves customer satisfaction.
Analytics
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 6
Managing a workforce in the cloud
Performance management
Cloud centres manage data from multiple channels and can be plugged into a dashboard with metrics able to both improve the customer experience and help agents and managers make sense of agent performance.
Since 79% of channel volumes are calls, metrics such as call quality scoring, call through rate and first contact resolution can help centre management determine how well their agents are performing.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 7
Cloud contact centre reporting
Data reports
Reports in cloud-based centres can help teams measure real-time and past performance metrics against their specific performance goals. Reporting should also provide the ability to link both web-based and conversational performance.
There are multiple reports available within a contact centre environment, the cloud has storage and database solutions that make data available in perpetuity. Meaning that all forms of reporting (user actions, call history, recordings, billing) are available for specific customers, allowing agents to connect faster with more real-time information at hand.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 8
Call centre vs contact centre
Today’s call centre uses a phone-based system to connect customers with company representatives trained to both, offer answers to their queries and technical assistance if needed.
In terms of hardware and software, call centres often use interactive voice response systems (IVR). They are also restricted to on-premise hardware including; a local area network (LAN) desktop computers for agents, an automatic call distributor, a predictive dialer – which automatically connects to groups of numbers for outbound calls. Additionally, IVR, voice logging, voice recording and messaging systems.
Cloud-based contact centres use the internet highway to function and offer omnichannel support, meaning that they recognise and communicate with customers coming from both phone and other channels such as mobile, email, social media and SMS. Often contact centres are integrated with a company’s customer relationship management system (CRM), making it easier to track and analyse interactions so that all channels can be optimised for better service.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 9
Cloud contact centre security
Here's what contact centre security should consist of
A reputable cloud contact solution should be PCI compliant.
Full certification: SOC 1 Type II, ISO 27001 and/or PCI DSS Level 1
Comply with data privacy regulations as specified by the Data Protection Act 1998
Consistent password replacement
Good firewall
Two-factor authentication
Most important, cloud contact centre security systems are constantly updated to meet technological threats head-on.
The Ultimate Guide To Cloud Contact Centres: Chapter 10
The future of cloud contact centres
Everything will be IP based
The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) switch off is coming, which means any telephony based business using telephone lines or integrated digital services will have to future-proof and rely solely on the internet to communicate with customers.
Artificial intelligence
While it will be a very long time before humans don’t want to speak to humans, artificial intelligence is and will help agents do their jobs better by almost eliminating the phone tree system. How? Machine learning can read customer history and online activity so that they can be routed to the right agent faster based on specific information.
