If we’re being honest, some days it feels impossible to keep up with all the latest technology. It often seems like just when we’re starting to get comfortable with a product, app, or software, a newer version comes out that claims to be better, faster, and more efficient. That’s when the common internal debate commences: I want to be better, faster, and more efficient, but do I really need this new technology? Is it worth the cost, the time, and the learning curve?

When it comes to the technology used in call centers, the answer is yes, it is worth it. Here, we’re sharing the reasons why older, more traditional call center technology may be holding you back and why newer, cloud-based platforms can help you increase efficiency, power sales and more.

Reason 1: It Lacks Flexibility

 

Traditionally, call center platforms were premise-based, meaning you had to be in a specific location in order to access the software and do your job. This worked fine when all call center agents were expected to work side by side in an office and when prospective agents expected this going in, but that is no longer the case. Now, call center agents are looking for the flexibility that comes with a cloud-based platform that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. This flexibility can also be a boon for the company running the call center, as it gives them access to a larger pool of agents, increasing the likelihood that the agents they hire will be motivated, skilled, and more likely to stick around.

 

Reason 2: It Makes Integration Difficult

 

When people call inbound call centers, they expect to wait a bit to reach a live agent. But when they do reach an agent, they expect the call to move along quickly and efficiently and with little downtime. The way this is achieved is through the use of a call center platform that seamlessly integrates all the apps and systems the agent might need to fulfill the caller’s inquiry. When this integration capability exists, there is no downtime during which the agent is toggling between apps or pulling up information because they can access everything from within the call center platform. Today’s call center software has the ability to integrate hundreds of useful apps that older technology simply could not.

 

Reason 3: Quality Assurance Suffers

 

The biggest concern for most call centers is customer satisfaction. We want customers to have a positive experience every time they interact with the call center, which is why quality assurance mechanisms and reports are so crucial. Newer, more advanced call center software has fully automated QA mechanisms built in, so that reports are generated and data is tracked and gathered with virtually no effort on the part of the agents or supervisors working in the call center. Instead, supervisors just need to review reports at intervals to check on the performance of agents, whereas older call center technology required a more hands-on approach to QA that cost supervisors valuable time and effort.

 

Reason 4: Compliance is More Complicated

 

Keeping your call center fully in compliance with all federal and state rules and regulations is hard. These rules are constantly changing and growing and can be really difficult to follow, especially when some of them may only apply to some of your customers. With older call center technology, the onus fell on the agents and supervisors to make sure that they were remaining compliant, which proved to be an incredibly challenging task. But today’s newer call center platforms do all of the compliance work for you, tracking leads and customers and organizing them in ways that will ensure you aren’t calling anyone you shouldn’t be at any given moment.

Have we convinced you that it’s time to level up? For more information, request a demo from CallShaper today.