The effects of COVID-19 lockdown have created an unprecedented crisis for many customer-facing operations in recent months, who have struggled to maintain consistent, effective communications with their customers. In many cases, organisation’s phone lines have seen significant downtime, or unbearably long call queues, ultimately deterring customers from returning for future purchases.
With further uncertainty ahead, the popularity of the ‘Contact Centre as a Service’ model has risen exponentially as organisations strive to create a more robust contact centre environment that can continue to operate through a crisis.
What is Contact Centre as a Service?
Contact Centre as a Service, or ‘CCaaS’, is a subscription-based approach to cloud-based customer experience, with the business paying a monthly fee to gain access to the software and hardware assets they require to effectively run their contact centre. This ultimately removes the requirement to purchase expensive hardware outright and avoids lengthy and complex implementation periods that can otherwise occur.
Agility and Efficiency for your Contact Centre
One of the most challenging elements of the recent pandemic has been connecting agents and customers while unable to operate from the office. Thankfully we’re optimistically due a partial return to normality in the coming months, but creating an infrastructure that can stay resilient through a crisis is conducive to facing future challenges with confidence.
CCaaS gives you resilience and agility for your cloud contact centre solutions, providing a level of flexibility only available through the cloud. Onecom’s world-class cloud architecture is interconnected with leading contact centre platforms, providing you with an agile and efficient contact centre from any location. Not only does this give you the flexibility to offer a more reliable service, but empowers your agents to work from anywhere.
The UK’s best-loved charity, the British Red Cross, recently worked with Onecom to successfully implement an agile cloud contact centre environment in the midst of lockdown, allowing volunteers to receive calls via an easy-to-use application while working from home. Andrew Finlay, British Red Cross’ Head of Service Delivery, commented:
"Having a simple, agile solution in place is not only allowing us to operate throughout the pandemic, but means we are more than prepared for any challenges yet to come, continuing to support the British public in their time of need.”
By embracing the cloud, British Red Cross gained access to a robust contact centre that is truly future proof, while remaining a simple and intuitive experience for volunteers.
Truly Scalable
Peaks and troughs in demand can be challenging for contact centres who don’t have the capability to scale their operation to meet fluctuations. As a result, customers may struggle to quickly make contact with agents during busier periods, while during quieter times of the year you’ll be paying for technology that isn’t really being utilised.
With the use of CCaaS solutions, you only pay for the technology you need to consume, with the ability to flex the contact centre operation up or down at will to meet seasonal peaks. You can remove or add seats easily to optimise your costs, which are delivered at a predictable cost-per-user every month.
True Digital Enablement
The customer experience space is only becoming more competitive as expectations of service continue to rise, and the use of intelligent tools has become essential for staying competitive. CCaaS is by nature a cloud based solution, giving you access to a wide portfolio of digital-first services that can transform the way you interact with your customers.
Onecom offer a suite of tools and technologies to support your contact centre. This includes omni-channel enablement which gives your customers the freedom to make contact via their channel of choice, whether it’s social media, phone, SMS, chat, or WhatsApp. It’s also possible to integrate AI technologies such as intelligent chatbots, Google CCAI analytics and virtual agent assistants to further support and expedite the work of your agents.
A Trusted Provider
CCaaS solutions can offer countless benefits, but without the right technical expertise to guide you on your journey, it can be difficult to implement a solution that closely aligns with your business’s personal circumstance and desired outcomes. By working with Onecom, we’ll help guide the process and maximise the benefits to your business. You’ll receive access to world-class CCaaS technology that is truly digital-first, with a predictable cost-per-user model and the flexibility to scale up or down your operation when required. The cloud is the future of the modern customer experience, and we’re here to help you make the transition.
