Tag Archives: click-to-call

[eBook] Mastering #CX in the Contact Center: 7 Tips to Follow

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Mastering #CX in the ContactCenter: 7 Tips to FollowPicture this: Rows upon rows of cubicles, bright fluorescent lights flickering on the ceilings, a host of customer service agents answering calls robotically from frustrated customers. That’s what we normally envision when we think of the contact center. We see it as a cost center rather than a service center.

Now, let’s paint a different picture; one where the call center is used to harness the customer experience and build lasting relationships. Seem impossible? It’s not! Using these seven tips, we can creatively transform your customer service vision and turn your contact center into a haven for great customer experiences. Continue reading →

5 Reasons You Need Call-Backs in Your Contact Center

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5 Reasons You Need Call-Backs in your Contact CenterContact center call-backs are an under-used and under-appreciated technology. The basic concept has been around for decades, but only in the last few years have we learned how beneficial it can be – for both the call center and the caller.

There are two reasons for the renewed interest in call-backs. First, adding call-backs used to require expensive, equipment-based solutions. Thus many call centers were priced-out or scared by the long deployment time. Today, call-backs are within reach for most companies either as part of a “pure cloud” solution (e.g. Five9, InContact, LiveOps,) or as a cloud-based service like Fonolo that works on top of legacy call center platforms. Second, call-backs are an elegant solution for moving a customer conversation between channels, which is a central and growing issue in the contact center industry.

Read on for 5 reasons you should consider call-backs for your call center. Continue reading →

Real Life Examples on How to Creatively Use Multi-Channel Call-Backs

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Real Life Examples on How to Creatively Use Multi-Channel Call-BacksVoice, email, Twitter, Facebook, web chat… at this point, a vast majority of contact centers (88% according to one study) are using multiple channels to interact with their customers. Each channel has its strengths, but the voice channel has a place of distinction. Below, we’ll share some data that explains why. But even without considering any hard evidence, we know, at an instinctive level, why a live agent conversation stands apart. When you have a tough issue to discuss, when there is an urgent matter, when the other options have left you frustrated, we want to talk to another human to cut through it all.

The problem is, companies often don’t make it easy to talk to an agent. Partly because of cost, and partly because of the technical challenges in transferring a conversation from web to voice. That’s where call-backs come in. Continue reading →

How to Maximize the Benefits of Call-Back Technology

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How to Maximize the Benefits of Call-Back TechnologyInvesting in a call-back solution is a strategic way to lower abandon rates, smooth out spikes in call volume, improve the customer experience and lower telco costs. When implemented correctly, companies can quickly realize a positive ROI.

Call-back technology covers a broad spectrum. At the call center, “virtual queuing” or “virtual hold” allows callers to replace hold-time with a call-back. On the web, “click to call” or “click to call-back” makes it possible for customers to trigger a call-back, from an agent, directly from a company’s website. And “mobile click to call” or “tap to call-back” extends this same functionality to the mobile phone.

Given the many ways companies use call-backs, there’s not a single one-size-fits-all approach for all call centers. But there are a number of key ways companies can maximize the benefits of call-back technology. Continue reading →

3 Mega-Trends Defining the Contact Center’s Future

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3 Mega-Trends Defining the Contact Center’s FutureI just returned from Frost & Sullivan’s Contact Center Executive MindXchange, where I had the pleasure of interacting with many leaders in our industry. Over three days, vendors showed off their newest features and executives shared what issues challenge them today and what they worry about down the road.

On the flight home, I spent the time looking through my notes trying to find larger patterns. We cover “trends” on this blog quite often (e.g. Top 10 Customer Experience Trends, Top 10 Contact Center Trends). What I want to talk about today are “mega-trends”, which I define as bigger strategic patterns that drive multiple, more focussed, trends.

These 3 mega-trends are the most powerful forces in our industry today. Continue reading →

Taking Questions on Call-Backs, Visual IVR, Cost-Per-Call

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Taking Questions on Call-Backs, Visual IVR, Cost-Per-CallLast week, we had a terrific joint webinar with our friends at Parature. John Seeds (Parature’s Marketing Director) joined me to talk about “4 Trends to Watch in 2014: Multi-Channel Customer Service.” The whole thing is available on demand here. Thanks to everyone who attended!

We had a lively audience that asked some great questions at the end of the presentations. Since we try to keep a quick pace in these events, I kept my answers fairly short. I’m going to use this blog post to elaborate on some of those questions:

  1. How does Visual IVR relate to call-backs?
  2. What are some ways to reduce cost-per-call?
  3. How is Fonolo’s call-back solution different from other offerings on the market?

Continue reading →

Case Study: Adding Call-Backs to an Avaya Call Center in 15 Days

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Call-Backs are More than Just Eliminating Hold TimeCall-backs are a much under-appreciated feature of the call center landscape. As I mentioned in last week’s post, Call-Backs are a Call Center Cure All, adding this one feature can really “power-up” your call center, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and lower cost-per-call. Over the past few years, many companies have used Fonolo to do rapid and successful call-back deployments, but the deployment we discussed in last week’s webinar really stands out as an amazing success story.

The setup: Bright Horizons (NYSE: BFAM) is a provider of child-care services, operating over 800 centers around the world. Their Avaya-powered call center handles 31,000 calls per month and often sees volume spikes which can overwhelm their staff and leave callers on hold for unacceptably long times. The executives there wanted to give callers the option of a call-back instead of waiting on hold.

The solution: Bright Horizons deployed In-Call Rescue, a cloud-based service from Fonolo.

The jaw-dropping punchline: The whole deployment, from signing the deal to taking the first call, took only 15 days!

Continue reading →

Video Break: Credit Union Adapts to Younger Members by Adding Click-to-Call to its Website and Mobile App

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Credit Union Adds Click-to-Call to its Website and Mobile AppToday’s video talks about connecting a call center to a company’s website and mobile app through call-backs and visual IVR.

Comscore confirms the steady gains of smartphone domination: 234 million Americans age 13 and up use mobile devices and 47% of them use a smartphone. For companies concerned with attracting younger consumers, providing great mobile customer care must be a top priority.

Traditional IVRs rarely provide a good experience for collecting information from callers or for navigating them to the right agent. Visual IVR, whether it’s through a website or mobile app, is a great way to eliminate one of the top reasons people dislike the call center experience.

This is the second of two customer testimonials from Mark Edelman of 1st United Services Credit Union. The first one focused on In-Call Rescue and we wrote about it here. Continue reading →

Call-Backs and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”)

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Call-Backs and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”)On October 16th, new rules from the FCC went into effect in an attempt to further curb telemarketing calls. The TCPA (originally passed in 1991) allows consumers to file lawsuits for receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls, faxes, texts, autodialed calls, etc.

What’s changed is that “prior express written consent” is now required by companies, even if they have an “established business relationship” with consumers. That is, unless the calls are purely informational, in which case they’re exempt. (I’m sure we can all breathe a sign of relief that politicians can continue to invest in robocall campaigns …) Continue reading →

Why People Don’t Trust Call-Backs

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Why People Don't Trust Call-BacksMy company develops call-back solutions, so I’m biased towards the positive customer experience they can help companies deliver. But I’ll say it – not everybody trusts companies when they offer a call-back. (This was most recently discussed on LinkedIn’s Contact Center Technology Experts group.)

In essence, call-backs seem like a great idea: Don’t want to wait on hold? We’ll call you back. But in practice, the experience hasn’t always been so smooth. Let’s talk about why people don’t trust call-backs. Continue reading →

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