Switch to a Cloud Contact Center: Best Practices and Pitfalls to Avoid

Cloud contact centers, also known as virtual or hosted contact centers, are customer support hubs that operate entirely in the cloud. Unlike traditional on-premises contact centers, these centers do not require physical infrastructure or equipment within the organization’s premises. Instead, all the necessary components, including software applications, telephony systems, and data storage, are hosted and managed by a third-party cloud service provider.

The global cloud contact center market is forecasted to grow to $54.7 billion by 2027. This rise has been driven by the need for agile, cost-effective, and scalable solutions that can adapt to the evolving demands of modern customer service operations. This blog will provide an overview of the best practices you must follow to enjoy the maximum benefits of these centers. 

Key Takeaways:

» In a cloud contact center, customer interactions are handled using Internet-based technologies, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for voice calls and Internet messaging protocols for chat and email. 

»Cloud-based contact center solutions offer significant advantages, including scalability, cost efficiency, rapid deployment, remote support, and advanced features, leading to optimal customer support.

» When switching to a cloud contact center, carefully select a reliable service provider, plan for data migration, prioritize security, optimize network infrastructure, empower agents with training, and integrate communication channels to ensure a unified CX.

» Exotel’s cloud contact center solution offers a centralized solution for contact center applications and telecom services, with AI-enabled automation and insights for improved processes.

Reasons for Switching to a Cloud Contact Center

Switching to a cloud contact center offers numerous benefits for improving CX and optimizing contact center operations. Here are some compelling reasons to make the switch:

⇒ Scalability and Flexibility

As customer demands fluctuate, cloud contact centers allow you the flexibility to easily add or reduce resources, such as agents and communication channels. You can thus expand or scale back the contact center operations as per the business needs.  

⇒ Cost Savings

Your business can attain cost savings with cloud contact centers. These centers eliminate the need for costly on-premises infrastructure and maintenance. Moreover, with a pay-as-you-go model, you can pay only for the resources you use. This reduces the upfront capital expenditures and lowers overall operating costs.

⇒ Rapid Deployment

Implementing a cloud contact center is quicker compared to traditional on-premises solutions. The cloud’s virtualized nature allows for swift resource provision, faster deployment, and immediate access to advanced features.

⇒ Remote Support

Since the pandemic, remote work has become the new normal. CX leaders have also adapted to this evolution with the help of cloud contact centers. Even now, a lot of businesses are adopting the hybrid model. In such cases, cloud contact centers empower agents to work from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility supports remote and distributed teams, ensuring seamless collaboration. 

⇒ Advanced Features and Innovation

Cloud-based contact center providers continuously update their platforms with the latest features and technologies. To drive personalized customer interactions, you can access cutting-edge tools such as AI-driven chatbots, sentiment analysis, and real-time analytics.

⇒ Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Every technology runs the risk of failure. Though this risk can never be eliminated, you must prepare for it to ensure data safety. Cloud contact centers consider this reality by offering built-in redundancy and disaster recovery capabilities. In the case of system failures or natural disasters, business operations can quickly recover, ensuring continuity of customer service.

⇒ Customer Data Centralization

Cloud-based solutions centralize customer data, interactions, and communication history in a unified system, giving a holistic view of customer interactions. Data in a centralized dashboard can also be processed for enhanced analytics and reporting. This can uncover valuable insights into customer behavior, agent performance, and operational efficiency, ushering in a culture of continuous improvement.

Cloud Contact Center Best Practices and Common Pitfalls 

The above section has made it clear that adopting a cloud-based contact center offers numerous benefits. However, you require careful planning and attention to detail to use such centers to their full potential.

The following points will educate you on the common mistakes committed by businesses during the migration process and how you can avoid them:

⇒ Neglecting Data Migration

Develop a Clear Migration Strategy

Customer data holds answers to critical business problems. Without sufficient data, contact center agents can fail to deliver omnichannel CX. That’s why data migration is crucial when shifting to a cloud-based solution. Overlooking data migration can result in data loss, inconsistencies, or delays in accessing customer information.

Create a migration plan that includes each transition phase’s steps, timeline, and responsibilities. Collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, including IT teams, contact center agents, and management, to ensure a seamless migration process.

⇒ Overlooking Security Measures

Ensure Data Security and Compliance

As discussed, data is a currency that can bring significant returns. But what happens if that data is compromised? Data breaches and security incidents can severely damage customer trust and brand reputation. 

Data security is thus paramount when moving to the cloud. Implement robust encryption, access controls, and authentication mechanisms to safeguard sensitive customer data. 

⇒ Insufficient Bandwidth

Optimize Network Infrastructure

Operating a cloud-based center is a technologically-intensive project, as huge volumes of data are handled virtually. Network infrastructure is the foundation of the entire process. It determines how many customers you can handle and how efficiently. Inadequate network bandwidth can lead to call drops, poor call quality, and delayed response times. 

Conduct a network assessment to ensure sufficient bandwidth, low latency, and a stable connection for voice and data transmissions. Ensure your network infrastructure can handle the increased demands of a cloud contact center to avoid disruptions in customer service.

⇒ Insufficient Training

Train and Empower Contact Center Agents

Customer support agents are the ones who represent the business in front of customers. Their behavior influences how customers perceive an organization. As cloud contact centers involve the use of a new operating model, employees may wait to warm up to it. They may resist the change, leading to increased mistakes and decreased productivity. 

Provide comprehensive training to contact center agents on the new cloud platform. Familiarize them with the features and functionalities and address any concerns they may have. Empower agents with the knowledge and tools they need to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

⇒ Disjointed Communication Channels 

Prioritize unified CX

The main purpose of contact centers is customer satisfaction. But if such centers are not integrated with other communication channels, like email, SMS, chatbots, social media, etc., this purpose ends up getting defeated. Disjointed interactions can frustrate customers and slow down response times. Failing to address integration challenges can lead to data silos and inefficiencies.

Adopt an omnichannel strategy, centralize customer data, and implement intelligent routing for multi-channel proficiency. Moreover, the cloud contact center must also be linked with existing systems, such as CRM and workforce management, for seamless operations. 

⇒ Choosing the Wrong Service Provider

Conduct Thorough Research and Evaluation

Various organizations in the market offer contact center software. It can sometimes become confusing to choose the best among them. But, it is an important decision that can substantially influence the success of your contact center operations.

Before making the switch:

1. Conduct comprehensive research on various cloud contact center providers and their offerings.
2. Evaluate the features, scalability, security, and pricing models to find a solution that aligns with your business needs.
3. Consider factors such as integration capabilities with existing systems, customer support, and compliance requirements specific to your industry.

Exotel’s Enterprise Could Contact Center Solution

Exotel’ Ameyo XTRM, becoming the only player in the market to provide both a contact center application and a telco in one place. Based on the one vendor-one SLA (Service Level Agreement) principle, this centralized solution leads to an uptime of 99.5%. It takes into account the growing needs of a business and can be scaled to accommodate up to 20,000 users. Ameyo XTRM is an AI-enabled platform that automates contact center processes as well as provides insights to help improve them.

By choosing Exotel’s enterprise cloud contact center solution you not only harness cutting-edge technology but also benefit from Exotel’s vast experience of working with 7,000+ businesses. This facilitates a successful transition to a cloud contact center while avoiding the common pitfalls along the way.