90% of companies see cloud technology as essential for driving growth and staying competitive. Cloud contact center solutions offer cost-efficiency, flexibility (and scalability), and the potential for a better customer experience via improvements in productivity and efficiency.
But with so many vendors and solutions out there, it can be a nightmare to find a platform that fits the needs of your business. Maybe it’s lacking key features, it’s too expensive, or it doesn’t integrate with your existing tech—there are plenty of potential barriers to success.
In this article, we’ll give you ten tips to help you find the right cloud solution that fits your business and takes the friction out of your operations.
Choosing the right cloud contact center solution starts with a clear understanding of what your business needs. Ask important questions, like:
What channels are we using (and which ones do we want to use?)
Will our agents need more (or improved) training?
What features are we looking for in the software?
How does adopting this new tool align with our existing business goals?
Then, start answering them! Evaluate the scale (and reach) of your operations, the volume of interactions you’re handling, and what you’re missing from your existing infrastructure.
The features that come with a call center platform can make or break its impact on your organization. Look for essential features that make sense for your business needs, such as:
Skills-based routing
Call recording
Omnichannel support
Personalization options
Self-service
Picking a solution that offers more than the basics can set you up for success down the line, especially as new AI-powered tools like AI call center technology and sentiment analysis see widespread adoption.
With the average cost of a data breach exceeding $4.88 million, security and compliance are now more crucial than ever. Your call center handles sensitive customer data daily, so your solution needs to have:
Strong encryption
Role-based access controls
Rich auditing capabilities
Depending on your industry, compliance with regulations like GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA may also be a requirement. Working with potential vendors to see their documentation, policies, and how they comply with regulations is key to aligning with your own security and legal obligations.
Cost is always a factor, but it’s important to think beyond the initial price tag. The total cost of ownership is more than just initial costs. It includes:
Implementation
Customization
Training
Support
Scaling
Subscriptions
Plus anything else required to get the solution up-and-running (and keep it that way).
At the same time, you can’t neglect scalability. Your cloud call center solution should grow alongside your business, accommodating seasonal peaks or long-term expansions without the need for an expensive overhaul.
Look for flexible pricing models that allow you to add or reduce capacity as needed, and ones that fit within your budget (with or without special features).
Contact center downtime is more than just a frustrating experience for customers—it costs your business money. Ergo, it’s vital that you include questions about reliability when selecting a contact center tool. Be sure to request service level agreements to back these claims, too.
This should also include their plans for what happens when downtime occurs, with documented steps in place for disaster recovery or major outages. Knowing how the vendor plans and prepares can help your call center minimize risk—and limit negative CX—in these scenarios.
A cloud contact center solution should fit seamlessly into your existing tech ecosystem, not force you to overhaul it. Evaluate how well the platform integrates with other technology like:
Customer relationship management (CRM) software
Workforce management (WFM) tools
Quality assurance (QA) platforms
And more
Poor (or nonexistent) compatibility can create bottlenecks and siloed data, while smooth integrations boost efficiency by ensuring data flows through your network with ease.
Agents are at the forefront of every customer interaction, and how well they use their tools directly impacts the quality of your service. If the tech you provide is clunky, hard to navigate and difficult to use, they’ll be less engaged (and less able to take care of customer issues).
Look for a solution that simplifies workloads with intuitive UIs, easy navigation, and rich training resources. Features like targeted coaching, gamification, and personalized feedback can drive agent engagement while also making the day-to-day easier.
Reliable vendor support is essential when transitioning to (and maintaining) a cloud contact center platform. Look at their customer support track record:
How quickly they respond to issues
What their availability is
Their expertise when resolving issues
A responsive, knowledgeable support team ensures you can address disruptions right away, minimizing downtime and mitigating any impact on your operations. Check reviews (both first and third-party), testimonials, and case studies to see how reliable they truly are.
63% of service professionals agree that AI would help them better serve customers. AI-driven tools can boost efficiency through automation, text and speech analytics, better self-service and intelligent routing, and even virtual agents.
If your chosen vendor offers artificial intelligence, how is it implemented? Do they have a product roadmap to include some of these timesaving features, and if so, are they future-proof? These are the first questions you need to ask.
Finally, trying out the product before you commit can tell you everything you need to know about it—without the hefty investment. Ideally, your chosen vendor should offer some sort of provisional access to their tool, whether it’s through a free demo, trial period, or product tour.
Then, you should use this time to explore key features and functionality, and assess how it performs in real-world scenarios. Get your agents and IT teams involved too, make sure they have the option to weigh in on how it’ll affect them (and what challenges might crop up).
Picking your first (or next) cloud contact center solution isn’t a cakewalk. You have to know what features you’re looking for while also prioritizing security, compliance, and reliability—and that’s before we even consider pricing.
Scorebuddy is your all-in-one contact center solution, scaling as you grow so you can deliver an exceptional experience for every customer using:
GenAI Auto Scoring
Customizable scorecards
Seamless integrations
And more
Ready to get started? Try a fully-featured two week trial and see Scorebuddy in action.
