Call center software helps organizations control costs, develop agents, monitor and enhance the customer experience, maintain compliance with laws and regulations, and more. In this article we’re going to explore essential call center phone system features.

Call center agents often wear many hats. Businesses rely on call center agents to handle all of the incoming and outgoing communications with customers. The latest call center technology gives agents the tools they need to effectively handle a variety of inbound and outbound calls. In the past, agents were limited to either inbound or outbound calling. In fact, entire call centers may have been dedicated to providing only one of the services. However, the features  that call center phone systems bring to the table make it possible for agents to do both. This benefits the call center because businesses can rely on them as a one-stop shop. 

The blended call center

In this setting, productivity is increased as agents are consistently available for incoming calls while simultaneously also capable of making outbound calls. For example, an account manager could accept incoming calls and during downtimes make outgoing calls. Automatic dialers combined with advanced call routing make this possible. Agent productivity and efficiency is improved when they can take incoming calls while performing lead generating outbound calls.

Call center phone system features

Omnichannel

Contact centers are adopting omnichannel capabilities to improve agent productivity and customer satisfaction. Agents can initiate calls from any device and continue them on another device without losing context. They can also use in-call self-service capabilities to resolve issues before transferring a call to an agent.

Omnichannel communication allows agents and customers to interact via SMS, webchat, email, and phone. True omnichannel is unified. Every touchpoint is recorded and analyzed. This data gives agents a holistic overview of every account, and allows them to provide more personalized customer interactions. Agents are able to pick up with customers right where they left off in previous conversations and reassures the customer that they are being heard and understood. This is particularly beneficial for escalated calls and ensures that customers aren’t further frustrated with redundancy by quickly getting them the help they need. 

CRM integration for customer context

Contact center software lets you integrate information from your customer relationship management system into the contact center environment so agents have access to complete customer information while they’re on the phone with customers. This reduces operating costs because it eliminates the need for agents to perform manual research or ask customers for additional information during each interaction. It also improves efficiency by enabling agents to handle multiple calls simultaneously without compromising service levels.

Cloud-based dialing

Cloud-based contact center software allows you to manage all of your communications from one easy-to-use interface without:

Predictive, progressive, and power dialing

Predictive dialers work by making many calls at once. It dials as many numbers it can depending on the number of agents available. Agents are connected once a customer picks up the phone. These calls are back to back for an increase in agent productivity. Progressive dialers are similar, except that they make one dial at a time. They work by connecting an agent to the next customer who answers. After the agent disconnects, the dialer makes another call again. Power dialers give agents the most control. When an agent is ready to make a call, they simply click on a click-to-call button and do so. It saves them time by eliminating the need for manual dialing. Advanced dialers, such as LiveVox Four Cloud Outbound, can also bypass busy signals and voicemails, saving agents even more time.

Call routing

Call routing helps agents focus on the highest priority calls by directing inbound calls to available agents based on call volume and agent availability.

Effective call routing is an important part of the inbound call center. Without quality call routing, customers may experience endless transfers to different departments. This can have a severely negative impact on the customer experience. LiveVox’s advanced call routing solutions use existing customer data on file, IVR selections, and call routing algorithms to direct callers to the right agent. This smart router considers factors such as agent skill-sets when routing calls. For example, LiveVox’s IVR (Interactive Voice Response) solution expertly routes customers depending on their selections. Customers call in and speak their selections over the phone. If a customer needs a Spanish-speaking agent, they can request one through the IVR. The IVR’s advanced language processing ensures that customers are transferred to the right department. IVR call flows can be fully customized to suit every call center’s unique needs.

More features of call center phone systems

Call center phone systems are full of helpful features that allow centers to function in a blended manner. Agents stay engaged since it becomes much easier to do their jobs. Here are some examples of call center phone features that enhance workflows.

AI-powered support

AI has become an integral part of the way consumers engage with companies. The call center is no different. There are numerous ways that AI has become integrated into call center workflows. Virtual agents are one example. Virtual agents through IVR can have natural sounding conversations with customers to identify what they need. Virtual agents can perform multiple tasks. They can take payments, give order status updates, or update customer contact information. They can also transfer customers to a live agent. 

AI-driven chatbots are another example of this technology. LiveVox chatbots interact with customers online. Using pre-written question and answer templates, chatbots can engage with customers and answer commonly asked questions. They are also capable of transferring customers to a live agent through chat. Speech recognition technology is another form of AI. Outdated IVR systems often frustrate customers with their lack of efficiency. Customers are asked to repeat themselves over and over again. Outside noises also cause issues with older IVR systems. Tools such as the LiveVox SpeechIQ solution use natural language processing and machine learning to accurately transcribe and apply meaning to what a customer is saying. It can also distinguish between human voices and other noises. 

LiveVox has over 20 years of experience bringing quality solutions to the call center. Set your call center up for success with advanced tools designed to increase productivity and maximize efficiency. You can learn more about LiveVox by requesting a demo to see how our AI-driven technology creates seamless workflows in the call center.