Enterprise Phone Systems For Call Centers

Call centers are the number one choice for handling large volumes of customers, offering the big benefit of centralization. The point of centralization, however, is to make businesses more efficient for both employees and customers, so it's important to have a phone system with features that keep efficiency in mind.

The below six features are vital for keeping a call center going in the right direction, and should be considered necessary and part of basic business phone system features.

#1: ACD - Automated Call Distribution

ACD allows a caller to be automatically routed to the next available agent as chosen through the call routing system (see #5). This, of course, cuts down on queue build up and inappropriate waiting times. ACD is directly tied in to call routing - so these features should be mutually inclusive.

#2: Call Recording and Monitoring

Call recording and monitoring is vital for internal quality control measures, and important for potential legal issues or emergency situations. Some recording and monitoring systems can allow the supervisor to take control of a call, or, on a lesser scale, allow the supervisor to coach a representative as needed during a call.

#3: Conferencing

Call conferencing should be a basic, whether it is for internal services or external customers. Conference calls can help resolve issues quickly, which is especially important for inbound call centers that act as "tie-ins" between customers and other agencies (such as a shipping company needing to connect a customer with a US Customs Agent).

#4: IVR - Interactive Voice Response

This is becoming more important as a feature for companies that are operating at lower staff volumes - but are also good to have for other call centers. An automated voice menu can be presented to the caller, and the caller can speak his or her choices and be served accordingly. IVR can also be tied into ACD and Remote Agent Call Routing (see #5).

#5: RACR - Remote Agent Call Routing

RACR can work by routing calls to agents telecommuting as well as in-house agents - and the routing system can be used with IVR and ACD for the best agent queue available. For example, the caller can select "technical support" or "accounting department" from the IVR menu.

#6: BCP - Blended Call Processing

BCP allows an agent to make an inbound and outbound call simultaneously - which is ideal for conferencing, as well as handling internal issues on behalf of customers, and for performing warm transfers. Warm transfers are one of the best ways to give the "special touch" to customers, making them feel as important as they are to the company.

These six features are the most important for running a smooth inbound call center. When exploring potential systems, choose business phone system features that are listed above that are included as basic features rather than up-sells.


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