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Thu, Aug 6, 2009 6:08 EDT
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Posted by: Gerard Szatvanyi in Best Practices Topic: Partner/Vendor Management
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The growing number of call centers on numerous market verticals proves that call centers have become more complex. They have a more diverse customer base and particular needs regarding customer management, as well as multiple products and marketing channels to manage.
That’s why integration is important, as a call center solution needs to bind together multiple systems such as ACD, CRM, Financials, and other business specific systems.
Perhaps the main reasons to integrate CRM solutions with your ACD and other IT systems in your call center would be the fact that major operational savings can be achieved, as well as greatly improved customer satisfaction.
See what it can do for you!
Most CRM solutions for call centers offer a wide range of functions that ensure integration with all business departments, and provide valuable insights on the status of calls. These are the most important features that make CRM solutions a great asset for a call center:
• Configurable workflow;
• Integration with ACD systems;
• Business Integration;
• Contact objective and history;
• Automated disaster recovery;
• Collaboration with the sales team;
• Real-time dashboard.
What are the benefits of CRM integration?
Call center CRM, when properly leveraged, can provide a competitive advantage for a call center organization looking to differentiate itself from the competition.
• A call center CRM allows callers to be intelligently routed to CSRs based on a series of customer handling rules - for example, the customer’s tenure, profitability, status, etc.;
• Another benefit of a call center CRM is the CSR’s access to multiple databases relating to the customer’s current and previous transactions;
• Aside from helping make transactions more efficient, a call center CRM can help boost revenues. After a customer’s issue has been addressed, the CSR has the necessary tools to better understand the customer’s needs and possible up-sell or cross-sell opportunities.
Checklist for choosing a CRM implementation partner.
In choosing the right CRM implementation partner, here are a few key points to consider:
• Look up things such as past implementation success rates for that tool;
• Your collaborators should be willing to help you with issues that may arise after the key deliverables have been achieved;
• You should have prior information on the personnel that will be assigned for your project;
• Have the provider sign an SLA (Service Level Agreement).
Here's an interesting white paper that includes more information on this subject.