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7 Advantages of Using Automatic Call Distribution

Posted on by Miguel Isabal

Businesses the world over have been using an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system for better call management and to enhance caller experience. Let’s review the top 7 ACD advantages to understand how your business can use an ACD system to improve customer service.

7 Automatic Call Distribution Benefits

An ACD system is a telephony service that automatically routes incoming calls based on rules input previously by the account manager. These rules are based on various factors such as the time of the call, location of the caller, agent skills, agent history, and more. By routing calls automatically, the ACD system assists businesses by sending callers to the right agent or department for customer support or sales.

Read on to learn about the top 7 ACD advantages.

1. Automatic Call Routing

The most attractive benefit of an ACD system is its ability to route calls automatically and intelligently. The calls are routed based on predetermined rules and algorithms. Some ways to use ACD for call routing include:

    • The caller or customer’s information and history with the company
    • The caller’s area code or location
    • The time of the call
    • Agent availability
    • Agent skill such as language or area of expertise
    • Voice menu configurations

By using these call routing strategies, your business can save on missed or dropped calls, wrong transfers, and wasted time. Instead, callers will reach the right agent or department quickly, leading to better customer service and call resolution.

2. Quick Response to Calls

By transferring calls immediately to the right department and the right agent, your employees can answer customer calls quickly, almost instantly. Furthermore, you can even provide users the ability to leave a voicemail or offer a callback option during high call traffic periods. This ensures that callers will not abandon their call before speaking with an agent.

Furthermore, some ACD systems even offer a service to identify VIP customers and instantly route them to the appropriate agents. All of this makes it possible for businesses to quickly respond to calls and better manage your call handling process.

3. Better Agent Productivity

By routing calls effectively, your agents are better equipped to handle incoming calls. They won’t be overburdened or under-burdened as calls will be distributed equally. Additionally, less time will be spent on transferring callers to the right department or figuring out how to help a customer beyond one’s training or experience.

4. Increased Cost Savings

One of the most attractive ACD benefits is the system’s cost-effectiveness. An ACD transfers calls automatically, reducing the need for a receptionist or for employees to transfer calls back and forth. By doing this instantly, the ACD system makes it possible for the right agent to answer the call quickly, increasing first call resolution rates. Your business can improve customer service this way as callers don’t need to wait to be transferred to the right agent who knows their history or language, and so on.

Furthermore, you can subscribe to a cloud-based ACD system which is hosted by the provider. This reduces costs that would have been spent on installation and maintenance. All your business does is use the ACD service and improve call management.

5. Benefits of Cloud-Based Phone Systems

As mentioned above, cloud-based phone numbers do not need installation or purchase of new hardware. Additionally, you do not need an experienced IT team to maintain, manage, or update this hardware or software. All your business needs is a high-speed internet connection and you can use the service without interruption.

By going virtual, your business can connect agents and employees from any location through your ACD system. This makes remote working possible as your agents can work from any location as long as they have an internet connection.

6. Streamlined Business Processes

ACD systems can easily be integrated with a business’ CRM, helpdesks, social media platforms, live chat, and lead generation tools. By doing so, agents can get a wholesome understanding of each customer’s needs, preferences, and their previous interactions with the business. Through voice over IP integration, all customer information can be viewed and tracked in one interface instead of bouncing between multiple apps and software. As such, ACD systems can streamline business processes and make it easier for agents to perform efficiently in their jobs.

7. Increased Office Efficiency

All of the above automatic call distribution benefits indicate that such an automated system can vastly improve office efficiency and agent productivity. By having calls automatically routed to the right destination, no time is wasted on providing customers with assistance and support. And by creating a comfortable and integrated workplace, employees can stay up to date in regards to their callers and collaborate better with their fellow teammates.

Using ACD in Your Business

ACD systems can greatly impact the way your business interacts with its customers and enhance caller experience. Customers do not have to wait in long lines or deal with being transferred from one person to another. You can even use interactive voice response — a component of ACD systems — to have your phone system interact with callers and provide them with multiple options and assistance. To learn more about ACD and IVR systems, speak with our cloud communication specialists at 1 (877) 898 8646 today.

SIP Response Codes: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Miguel Isabal

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#216688154 ID#27446420

Learn about SIP response codes, how they function, and the different types of response codes available. Understanding SIP codes can help you identify issues within your communication system.

What are SIP Response Codes?

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used to facilitate and control communication sessions. As such, SIP lets users make and receive calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. This paves way for unified communications by enabling the transmission and sharing of voice, video, and other files.

A SIP session is based on a request/response transaction. Therefore, each session consists of a SIP request and at least one SIP response. Response codes indicate the status of the SIP request when making a connection between two or more parties.

How Do SIP Response Codes Work?

SIP responses use a 3-digit response code to outline or detail the status of a SIP request. For example, was the SIP request accepted, was it a bad request, and so on. These codes are divided into 6 broad categories, namely:

  1. Informational/Provisional
  2. Success
  3. Redirection
  4. Client error/Request failures
  5. Server error
  6. Global failure/error

These codes also contain a “reason phrase” which can be varied to provide additional information or in a different language.

Different Types of SIP Response Codes

So, what are the different types of SIP response codes and what do they indicate? Important abbreviations to be aware of:

  • User Agent Client (UAC) – initiates the requests
  • User Agent Server (UAS) – responds to the requests
  • Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) – a string of characters that unambiguously identify a particular resource

Here we will look at each response code in each category in detail:

1xx = Informational SIP Responses

1xx SIP response codes are sent at any time when a connection between two parties is being created. Common 1xx codes are:

100 – Trying: The request was received and an extended search or unspecified action is being performed.

180 – Ringing: The user agent has received an INVITE (SIP request code) and is alerting the user.

181 – Call is Being Forwarded: The call is being forwarded to another destination, receiver, endpoint.

182 – Queued: Indicates that the destination is temporarily unavailable and the server has placed the call in queue.

183 – Session Progress: Provides information about the progress of the call.

199 – Early Dialog Terminated: Indicates that an early dialogue has been terminated. Usually sent by the User Agent Server.

2xx = Success Responses

2xx codes indicate that the SIP request was received, understood, and accepted. Common 2xx codes are:

200 – OK: Indicates that the request was successful.

202 – Accepted: Indicates that UAS has received and accepted the request, but it has not been authorized or processed by the server yet.

204 – No Notification: Indicates that the request was successful. However, no response will be received.

3xx = Redirection Responses

3xx response codes inform the UAC about redirections and further action is needed to complete the request or reach the UAS.

300 – Multiple Choices: The request address returned several choices with different locations. The UA can select one of several options of endpoints to redirect the request.

301 – Moved Permanently: The user is no longer at the address used in the request. The original request URI is no longer valid. A new address will be provided in the Contact header field. This address should be saved and used in the future.

302 – Moved Temporarily: A new address will be provided in the Contact header field. The UAC should try the new address. This address should not be saved for the future.

305 – Use Proxy: To access the destination and address, a proxy is required. The proxy will be displayed in the Contact field.

380 – Alternative Service: The call failed, but alternatives are noted in the message body.

4xx = Request Failures/Client Error

4xx response codes indicate that the message was not processed due to an error. The request may include bad syntax and therefore cannot be fulfilled at this server

400 – Bad Request: Indicates that the request could not be understood.

401 – Not Authorized/Unauthorized: Indicates that the request requires user authentication.

403 – Forbidden: Indicates that the server is refusing to fulfill the request, even though it has understood it.

404 – Not Found: The user does not exist in that particular domain.

405 – Method Not Allowed: The method specified in the Request-Line is understood, however, it is not allowed.

406 – Not Acceptable: The resource can only generate responses with unacceptable content.

407 – Proxy Authentication Required: Similar to the 401 code, the request requires user authentication.

408 – Request Timeout: The server couldn’t find the user within a suitable time frame.

409 – Conflict: User already registered (deprecated).

410 – Gone: The user is not available here anymore.

411 – Length Required: The server needs a valid content length before accepting the request.

412 – Conditional Request Failed: The given precondition has not been met.

413 – Request Entity Too Large: Indicates that the request message body is too large.

414 – Request URI Too Long: The server refuses to accept the request. This is because the request URI is longer than the server can interpret or understand.

415 – Unsupported Media Type: Requested message body is in a format that is not supported by the server.

416 – Unsupported URI Scheme: The request URI is unknown to the server or not supported by the server.

417 – Unknown Resource-Priority: Indicates that a resource-priority option tag was present, but without a Resource-Priority header.

420 – Bad Extension: Bad SIP Extension was used. The SIP extension is not understood by the server.

421 – Extension Required: The server requires a specific SIP extension that is not listed in the supported header.

422 – Session Interval Too Small: The request contains a Session-Expires header field with a duration or interval that is too small or below the minimum.

423 – Interval Too Brief: Similar to 422, the expiration time of the resource is too short.

424 – Bad Location Information: The request’s location content was unsatisfactory or “bad.”

428 – Use Identity Header: An Identity header field is required by the server policy and one has not been provided.

429 – Provide Referrer Identity: The server has not received a valid Referred-By token on the request.

430 – Flow Failed: A specific “flow” that was sent to a user agent has failed. However, other flows may succeed.

433 – Anonymity Disallowed: The request was rejected since it was anonymous.

436 – Bad Identity Info: The request has an Identity-Info header filed and the URI contained cannot be identified.

437 – Unsupported Certificate: The server could not validate a certificate for the domain that signed or sent out the request.

438 – Invalid Identity Header: Server obtained a valid certificate used to sign a request. However, the server could not verify the signature.

439 – First Hop Lacks Outbound Support: The first outbound proxy doesn’t support the “outbound” feature.

440 – Max-Breadth Exceeded: A client that received a 440 response can interpret that its request did not reach all possible destinations.

469 – Bad Info Package: A 469 response indicates that the receiver is not willing to accept this Info Package.

470 – Consent Needed: The source of the request did not have the recipient’s permission to make such a request.

480 – Temporarily Unavailable: The recipient is currently unavailable.

481 – Call/Transaction Does Not Exist: The server received a request that does not match any dialogue or transaction.

482 – Loop Detected: Server has detected a loop.

483 – Too Many Hops: Max-Forwards header has reached the value ‘0.’

484 – Address Incomplete: The requested URI is incomplete.

485 – Ambiguous: The request-URI is ambiguous.

486 – Busy Here: The recipient is busy.

487 – Request Terminated: Request has terminated or canceled.

488 – Not Acceptable Here: Parts of the session description of the request URI are not acceptable.

489 – Bad Event: The server could not understand an event package specified in an Event header field.

491 – Request Pending: Server has some pending requests from the same dialogue.

493 – Undecipherable: The request contains an encrypted MIME body, which the recipient can not decrypt.

494 – Security Agreement Required: The server has received a request that needs a negotiated security agreement.

5xx = Server Errors

5xx response codes indicate that there’s an issue with the server and it has, therefore, failed to fulfill a valid request.

500 – Server Internal Error: The request could not be fulfilled due to some unexpected condition.

501 – Not Implemented: The SIP request method is not implemented here.

502 – Bad Gateway: An invalid response was received from a downstream server while trying to fulfill a request.

503 – Service Unavailable: The server is in maintenance or temporarily overloaded. Therefore, cannot process the request.

504 – Server Time-out: The server tried to access another server while attempting to process a request. However, there was no timely response.

505 – Version Not Supported: The SIP protocol version in the request is not supported by the server.

513 – Message Too Large: The length of the request message is longer than the server can process.

555 – Push Notification Service Not Supported: The server does not support the push notification specified in the SIP URI parameter.

580 – Precondition Failure: The server is unable or unwilling to meet the constraints specified in the request.

6xx = Global Failures/ Global Error

The request cannot be completed at any server.

600 – Busy Everywhere: All possible destinations are busy.

603 – Decline: Destination cannot participate in the call and there are no alternative destinations.

604 – Does Not Exist Anywhere: The requested user does not exist anywhere.

606 – Not Acceptable: The user’s agent was contacted successfully. However, certain aspects of the session description are not acceptable.

607 – Unwanted: The call is unwanted by the recipient. Future attempts are likely to be similarly rejected.

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Related: SIP Trunk Pricing Breakdown (2020)

IVR versus ACD: What is the Difference?

Posted on by Miguel Isabal

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#247580390 ID#27446420

Both interactive voice response (IVR) and automatic call distribution (ACD) can help your business deal with high call volume more effectively. Both automated systems can direct callers to the right employee and also ensure a proper distribution of calls. You must understand the differences between IVR and ACD in order to choose the right solution for your business.

Read on for a detailed comparison of IVR and ACD.

IVR Versus ACD: Definitions

Interactive voice response and automatic call distribution are telephony automation tools that facilitate efficient call management. Both IVR and ACD can answer calls, distribute calls, and assist the callers. Both systems also provide assistance to employees and agents to help boost productivity.

Let’s discuss how these systems work and how they differ from each other.

how does ivr work

How Does IVR Work?

Many businesses use IVR to streamline their business calls and facilitate effective call management. Interactive voice response is a voice menu that automatically answers incoming calls and assists callers. More specifically, an IVR welcomes the caller and offers menu options to identify the purpose of their call. For example, Welcome to [company name], Press 1 for Customer Support, Press 2 for Sales, and so on.

Callers select the option by either entering a number through the dial pad. Then, the IVR directs them to another set of options or transfers them to the right department or agent. In fact, some advanced IVR menus may even allow callers to complete predetermined actions such as:

  • Activate a service or account
  • Process payments
  • Send callers to voicemail
  • Record a complaint
  • Provide company and product info

The IVR system ensures that callers reach the right department or can resolve issues by themselves. In fact, some callers may not even need to interact with an agent or employee. This frees employees up to work on more complicated issues and concerns. It can also help businesses save money on hiring staff as customers can resolve most issues on their own through the voice response system. Lastly, advanced IVR systems can even record and deliver real-time stats needed for tracking and studying important KPIs.

What is ACD?

ACD works similarly to IVR. However, automatic call distribution routes calls to the right agent or department based on pre-determined rules. These rules can be based on a variety of parameters such as area code or location of the call, the time the call comes in, skills required, and so on.

An ACD distributes calls based on rules input by the account manager. These rules and conditions determine how the calls will be routed. Some common routing strategies include:

  • Round robin: Distributes calls equally among agents so no one is over- or under-burdened.
  • Least-occupied agent: Sends calls to the least-occupied agent to ensure everyone is putting in the same amount of work.
  • Simultaneous ring: Routes incoming calls to simultaneously ring multiple phone numbers within a hunt group to ensure no call goes unanswered.
  • Programmed distribution: Routes calls based on specific rules such as location of caller, time of call, customer-agent history, language skills, etc.

IVR versus ACD: Difference

The terms IVR and ACD have often been used interchangeably as if they are the same systems. However, they are not. More specifically, IVR is a part of ACD and can conduct a variety of tasks within the system. So, how do they differ?

Interactive Voice Response Automatic Call Distribution
This technology allows users to receive information from the phone system. Users need to input preferences. This technology automatically routes calls to employees, agents, or departments based on predetermined rules.
Upon receiving a call, the IVR provides the caller with options and menus. Upon receiving a call, the ACD system uses the Dialed Number (DNIS) system to check the rules for processing the call.
This system can perform a variety of application functions such as activating services, customer info look-up, etc. The IVR system works within the ACD system.
Interaction with employees is not needed. If interaction with an employee is needed, then the ACD kicks in to transfer the call to the right employee.
Offered by phone service providers as well as virtual phone service providers. Offered by phone service providers as well as virtual phone service providers.
Available as a hosted service as well. Available as a hosted service as well.

Which Do You Need?

More than their differences, IVR and ACD systems complement each other. Together, both systems can provide a robust business phone solution. They can help you manage calls and high call traffic while ensuring you do not lose valuable clients. After all, a well-managed phone system can help you provide prompt and efficient customer service. A cloud or virtual call center software can help you utilize both IVR and ACD within your office phone system. Call us today to learn how you can use a cloud IVR system to offer better customer service!

8 Powerful Applications Built Using WebRTC

Posted on by Miguel Isabal

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#103222742 ID#27446420

Want to know how powerful Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) can be for an app or browser client? Here are 8 great applications built using WebRTC that are currently being used by millions around the globe.

WebRTC Applications: 8 Powerful Examples

First, what is WebRTC? Web Real-Time Communication is a communication framework that is open-source for web browsers and phones. It is a free project that gives websites real-time communications capabilities, making audio and video communication possible. WebRTC applications can be accessed through most web browsers like Chrome, Mozilla, Safari, Microsoft Edge, etc. Additionally, they can be accessed on Android, Samsung, and iOS devices.

webrtc softphone

Let’s look at 8 powerful applications built using WebRTC and how they work.

1. Google Hangouts, Google Meet, Google Duo

Since 2011, Google has been using Web Real-Time Communications and has developed multiple communication apps for personal and business use. These apps include: Google Hangouts, Google Meet, and Google Duo.

Google Hangouts was the first to offer voice and video calls as well as online messaging and SMS. Google Meet developed as an extension to Google Hangouts as a premium video conferencing tool. It supports more users as well as speech-to-text transcription. Google launched the video calling app, Duo, in 2016 for Android and iOS users. Its use of WebRTC has led to peer-to-peer connectivity and end-to-end encryption, making it secure and reliable.

2. Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s mobile app and web client (accessible through a web browser) are both powered by WebRTC. By using Web Real-Time Communications, Messenger has brought voice and video calls to its users, and more recently, allows for co-broadcasting via Facebook Live. Additionally, Facebook has also incorporated WebRTC in VR Chat for video calls in Oculus, Workplace by Facebook, and IG Live Video Chat.

3. WhatsApp

Started as a simple messaging service, WhatsApp has grown into a global messaging platform connecting users from around the globe quickly. WhatsApp’s Android and iOS apps heavily use WebRTC as well as utilize SIP calling for fast and reliable virtual communication.

Since its inception, users can now send voice notes as well as make voice and video calls over the internet. Additionally, more recently, WhatsApp became web-accessible through its web client. Users log into web browsers and use a QR code to access their messages through the browser.

4. Amazon Chime

Amazon, like the many apps and services it has offered over the years, also has a video conferencing tool called Chime. Chime is an internal video conferencing tool that uses Web Real-Time Communications in its services including Kinesis Video Streams, and Alexa’s smart home integration (cameras and doorbells). It seems that these applications have integrated WebRTC with existing communication technology such as VoIP and SIP systems.

5. Houseparty

Houseparty, the app of 2020, is a group video chat that became popular during Covid-19 lockdowns. The pandemic led to social distancing and a desperate desire for social interactions. As such, people started to look for online services that would help connect them with their loved ones. Enter: Houseparty. Using WebRTC, Houseparty provides real-time group communication and peer-to-peer video chat. Even though the rise of this company can be attributed to the pandemic, its services and popularity are here to stay.

6. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting had used various VoIP technology and WebRTC functions in their web client video conferencing. Most of their customers and users have largely utilized the desktop client (non-WebRTC). However, growing popularity with the easy-to-use web client is drawing more users to use the browser tool.

7. Discord

Originally developed for the online gaming community, Discord combines Web Real-Time Communications and VoIP to bring voice calls and in-app messaging to its users. Discord’s engineering blog details how they have used WebRTC to serve more than two million users concurrently. They have over 87 million registered users and about 14 million active users daily.

8. Snapchat

A social media favorite, Snapchat is an app used by millions among the younger generation. Originally a platform for sharing ‘snaps’ of everyday life, the app now also boasts a video chat feature. This feature comes after Snapchat acquired AddLive, a WebRTC company that provided voice and video chat to the app.

What Can You Do with WebRTC?

As you can see, companies have used Web Real-Time Communication to develop stronger apps and browser clients. And as a result, they have made communication across boundaries quicker and more reliable. Your business can also improve its overall communication system and provide customers with better communication with these applications. To learn more, speak with our experts today!

Understanding Voice Over IP Jitter, Latency, and Packet Loss

Posted on by Beny Mouen

The key to good VoIP call quality depends on a few factors such as jitter, latency, and packet loss. We discuss these elements below so you can ensure your business has strong and reliable VoIP quality for customer calls.

Understanding VoIP Call Quality: The Basics

Voice over IP (VoIP) calls use the internet to transmit voice or data packets from one user to their destination. On VoIP calls, your voice is transformed from analog to digital signals in data packets and is sent to your destination. Upon arrival, these packets are converted back to analog and the audio is heard. Data packets generally contain about 20 milliseconds of audio and this whole process occurs at lightning speed.

And while this process seems simple and straightforward, there are a few factors that can affect the quality of the call, interrupting it. Good VoIP call quality depends on keeping the following elements to a minimum:

  • Jitter
  • Latency
  • Packet loss

Let’s look at these issues more closely and ways to troubleshoot them.

Voice Over IP Jitter

For a VoIP or SIP call to take place successfully, data packets must be transmitted from one user to their destination. And these data packets travel through different paths before they reach the destination. As such, all data packets may not take the same path or time to arrive.

VoIP jitter refers to the data packets being delivered to the destination at irregular intervals instead of being delivered at the same time. In other words, one packet is delivered after the rest of the packet. This can lead to low VoIP call quality with missing or jumbled audio.

How to fix network jitter?

Generally speaking, 30 milliseconds (or less) jitter is acceptable. However, more than that can lead to serious call quality issues, affecting your calls and customer care efforts. And so, to fix jitter issues, you must first check your network and ensure you have a good internet connection.

Another way to fix network jitter issues is by using a jitter buffer. This is a space where packets are collected and stored. Then, they are sent out at regular intervals ensuring they move in the right order.

get cloud phone service

VoIP Latency

Voice over IP latency refers to lag or delay within the call. More specifically, it’s the delayed time between a caller speaking and the receiver hearing the audio. This lag or delay can lead to speakers talking over each other or echoes in the middle of the call.

It is also important to note that international calls may experience more latency than domestic or local calls. And while it is not desirable, users generally tend to accept latency in long-distance calls more than local ones.

How to fix this issue?

Latency does not necessarily affect VoIP call quality. However, it does make the caller experience less desirable, giving way to frustration and miscommunication.

Most of the time, latency is a result of network congestion, which also contributes to jitter. To combat this, you should prioritize voice over IP data ahead of other data transmitted across your network. And a high-quality VoIP router can help with this as well as other issues that may crop up within a VoIP phone system.

Voice Over IP Packet Loss

Understanding packet loss is pretty straightforward. It refers to data packets lost during transmission from one user to their destination. Packet loss occurs when:

  • Data packets are lost and never arrive at the destination
  • Packets arrive late and are discarded as a result
  • Packets contain errors and are discarded
  • High data packet loss which results in low VoIP call quality or missing pieces of audio.

When data packets go missing, communication between two parties is incomplete or unclear. Troubleshooting this issue is similar to fixing network jitter and latency: check your network. Congested networks where multiple and large files are downloaded or uploaded or transferred can lead to packet loss. Therefore, to ensure low to no packet loss:

  1. Make sure you have enough bandwidth.
  2. Minimize network congestion (don’t stream videos or download music or send large email attachments).

Get a Reliable VoIP Provider

To ensure you do not suffer through these issues, it is important to find a VoIP number provider that can handle your voice over IP traffic. Learn more about our VoIP service by speaking with one of our experts today. Call us at 1 (877) 898 8646 or chat with us online for more information!

What are the Different Types of Contact Centers?

Posted on by Nadine Sampson

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#199689480 ID#27446420

Can’t decide which of the different types of contact centers is right for your business communication needs? Here we highlight 7 types of call centers to help you understand which is ideal for your purposes.

Understanding the 7 Types of Contact Centers

There are a few different types of contact centers that exist with different focuses and purposes. This ranges from centers that have it all or centers that focus on incoming or outgoing calls, those that use specific virtual call center software to centers offering multichannel communication options, and so on. You can also outsource your communication needs to some centers. On the other hand, other types of call center software can give your business access to contact center tools to use in-house.

However, which type of call center or call center software that will work for you depends on your specific needs. So, let’s look at the 7 types of contact centers:

  • Call centers
  • Contact centers
  • Inbound centers
  • Outbound centers
  • On-premise centers
  • Cloud-based or virtual centers
  • Multichannel or omnichannel centers

Let’s look at each of these types of contact centers individually.

1. Call Centers

The terms call center and contact center are often used interchangeably; however, there are a few differences between them. A call center, for instance, is a centralized center where reps answer incoming calls from potential and current customers of various businesses. Some call centers handle only incoming or outgoing calls while others handle both, also called ‘blended’ centers. Additionally, a business can have an in-house or on-premise call center or they can outsource their needs to a company specializing in call center services.

2. Contact Centers

Contact centers are similar to call centers except that they are more multichannel or omnichannel. This means that along with receiving calls, these centers also offer email, SMS, live chat, and social media communication channels. Call centers usually stick to phone conversations only while contact centers offer more channels and modes of contact.

3. Inbound Centers

Inbound contact centers focus primarily on incoming calls. This means that they have trained agents and reps to answer calls and provide sales or customer support services. Most inbound contact centers are generally customer service-oriented. Customers generally call a business for a few reasons:

  1. Inquire about a product or service
  2. Ask for technical support
  3. Receive assistance with a purchased product or service

Usually, an IVR system answers the call and interacts with the caller by offering menu options. Then, it proceeds to help the caller via pre-recorded messages or by transferring the caller to the right department.

The goal of inbound centers is to handle customer calls and concerns quickly and efficiently. This means answering and resolving calls professionally. This helps retain more customers by increasing customer satisfaction.

4. Outbound Centers

Outbound contact centers do the opposite of inbound centers. That is, they focus primarily on outgoing calls and lead generation. These contact centers call lists of potential clients or leads in an attempt to make new sales. Outbound centers use customer relationship management (CRM) systems to keep track of contacts, leads, and calls. Some outbound centers offer additional outbound calling services such as fundraising, collecting customer feedback and surveys, outreach efforts, and more.

5. On-premise Centers

Many types of contact centers work on-premise or in-house. This means that the call center works within your office and all the hardware and software are operated and managed by your in-house IT team.

On-premise centers are known for their high level of data security and therefore tend to be more reliable and have better call quality. Additionally, you will have total control over your communication system and you can use it according to your needs. However, running your contact center on-premise means that your business will be in charge of purchasing and maintaining hardware, hiring a highly-skilled IT team, and paying other upgrade costs. All of this can lead to higher costs for your business.

And so when deciding whether you need an on-premise center, consider this: do you have the budget, infrastructure, and IT team to handle the system in-house?

6. Cloud-Based or Virtual Call Centers

Cloud call centers are an alternative to on-premise centers. They work virtually and are hosted by your provider. In other words, your provider runs and manages your call center software while you simply use the service.

A cloud-based contact center gives you less control. However, your business is not responsible for any hardware or maintenance costs, which can save substantially on expenses. Your teams can access the software from any location or device as long as they have a good internet connection. Most businesses that manage remote teams use virtual call center software to provide their teams with the right tools needed for excellent customer service.

7. Multichannel or Omnichannel Centers

Multichannel and omnichannel centers are one of the most effective types of contact centers that offer not just voice but other communication channels as well. This includes video, email, SMS, live chat, and social media engagement. One thing to note is that multichannel centers may not offer all communication channels while omnichannel centers do.

Having multichannel support can help your business reach more customers across different channels. Interested customers who do not prefer phone conversations can use other means to connect with your business, which helps you increase your customer base.

Choosing the Right Call Center Software for Your Business

Businesses of every type can use call center or contact center software to improve the way they interact with their customers. You can enhance caller experience, increase customer satisfaction, and in turn, improve your business’ overall sales. Reach out to us today to learn more!

What Does a Systems Administrator Do?

Posted on by Beny Mouen

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#418050720 ID#27446420

Think being a systems administrator is the job for you? Learn what systems administrators do and what is expected of them. This way, you can prepare appropriately for the job and your interview.

Systems Administrator: Job Description

A systems administrator takes care of a business’ network and computer systems. From installing new equipment to maintaining the network and software used. These professionals work for businesses of all types and sizes; from small businesses to large enterprises and they work for public, private, and governmental organizations.

The salary range for a systems administrator in the US ranges from $23,000 to $182,000 per year, with the average salary sitting at $83,620 per year.

What do Systems Administrators Do?

So, what is the day-to-day like for a systems administrator? As the backbone of a company’s IT team, the systems administrators are responsible for:

  • The installation, configuration, and maintenance of all computer systems
  • Identifying and correcting issues
  • Making the necessary updates to software and equipment
  • Providing technical support
  • The daily monitoring of all systems, processes, and equipment
  • Resolving and handling help desk requests
  • Reviewing application logs and keeping track of backups, and more

Additionally, a systems administrator is skilled in understanding what types of technologies can be implemented and utilized for a particular business’s benefit. For example, in regards to communications, they may consider using VoIP to develop a customized business phone system, which can be tailored to the company’s specific needs. They will also be knowledgeable of different automated systems, such as interactive voice response, as well as other tools like simultaneous ring to streamline that calls that come into the business.

How to Become a Systems Administrator?

To apply for a systems administrator position, you will need to have the necessary prerequisites and experience. Here we will look at what education, licenses, and certificates are needed for this position.

Education

Some employers only ask for a postsecondary certificate or associate’s degree. However, some employers will also require a bachelor’s degree in a computer or information science-related field. A degree in computer or electrical engineering may work as well since the job requires you to work closely with computer systems.

Additionally, you can obtain a degree from programs that focus specifically on computer network and systems administration. Furthermore, many administrators go on to take additional IT courses and attend computer network conferences to stay up to date on the latest technology. Keep in mind, some companies may require a master’s degree as well, so it may be a good idea to be prepared.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registration

Licenses and certifications indicate that a potential hire has the required knowledge and skills needed to do the job efficiently.

As a standard, businesses require their systems administrators to be certified in the products used by the company. You can get certifications through product vendors or vendor-neutral certification providers. You may even look at getting your certifications from Microsoft or Cisco.

You can also get certifications from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a worldwide provider of IT certifications. Popular certifications they offer include CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA Security+.

Field Experience

Obtaining experience is an important part of landing your dream systems administrator job. Typically, employers expect or prefer to see at least 2 or more years of experience. Start by seeking internships or part-time opportunities right after you complete your bachelor’s degree. You can start out as a help desk rep or an IT specialist and gradually advance into the systems administrator role.

Desirable Qualities

Along with network and computer skills, you will also need personality skills and traits to be a good systems administrator. Here are some desirable qualities employers look for in systems administrators:

  • Technical and Analytical skills — the ability to evaluate and analyze networks and processes and identify issues.
  • Multitasking skills — the ability to work on multiple tasks, issues, and concerns at the same time.
  • Problem-solving skills — the ability to quickly and efficiently resolve issues.
  • Communication skills — the ability to describe goals, standards, issues, and solutions to IT and non-IT employees.

Is Being a Systems Administrator Right for You?

If networks and computer systems dominate your life, then you should find a job that lets you apply your skills and love for technology. And being a systems administrator can help you achieve this. So what are you waiting for? Get the right education, the right certifications, and build your professional experience to position yourself as the ideal candidate for these types of positions.

6 Ways to Analyze Your Call Center Data

Posted on by Nadine Sampson

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#74605379 ID#27446420

Want to analyze your call center data to improve agent performance and customer service? There are a few different ways to analyze cloud call center data. In this post, we will outline 6 ways to gather valuable data about the functioning of your contact center so that you can determine ways to improve performance.

Analyze Your Cloud Call Center Data: 6 Methods

Tracking and call center analytics continues to be important as contact centers can use these insights to offer better service, find valuable leads, and increase sales. And once your company has this information, you can identify areas of strength and weakness and then improve your service and increase customer satisfaction. Here are some useful and practical ways to track and collect call center data:

call detail records

1. Watch Your Call Detail Records

Call detail records list down all incoming and outgoing business calls. This means that you can get insights into how many calls your business makes and receives per day. You can identify patterns such as what days in the week or times of the day your business receives the most calls. This information can help your call center prepare for high call traffic periods by having more agents on call during those times.

Additionally, you can use call tracking to identify where your calls are coming from. For example, you can assign different local numbers for different geographical regions or advertising channels. And as calls come into specific numbers, you will be able to determine which location or marketing channel this customer came through. This information will help improve marketing efforts in areas responding well to your services.

2. Track Call Center KPIs

Track call center KPIs to see how your cloud call center is performing. Tracking these KPIs should be the focus of your business as they can help you maintain desirable performance. Six of the most popular contact center KPIs include:

1. First Call Resolution: Measures how often a caller’s query is resolved on the first call itself. This means, no follow-up calls or emails were required.

2. Average Time in Queue: Measures the time callers wait in the queue before being helped. This KPI gives you a good idea of how efficiently your agents respond to customer calls. Track the response time for various channels like live chat, email, or social media.

3. Average Handle Time: Measures the average time spent on handling a call (talk and hold time). A delicate balance must be struck between keeping low handle times and effective customer service. If you cut down on the handling time, you may negatively affect customer service quality.

4. Average Abandonment Rate: Measures how often customers leave or abandon a call. Customers may abandon calls after waiting for too long. Short wait time and easy-to-navigate IVR systems can help reduce the average abandonment rate.

5. Customer Satisfaction or CSAT scores: Tracks how satisfied your customers are with your company. Use surveys, feedback portals, and forums to gather CSAT scores.

6. Response Time: Measures the percentage of calls answered. This helps your team understand the goals and standards set so they can work towards them.

7. Agent Absenteeism: Measures the amount of time agents are not at their desks. Productivity can be impacted by missing agents. Therefore, you must identify this issue and resolve it.

8. Agent Turnover Rate: Measures call center turnover rates so that you can identify reasons why agents leave and how to make them stay.

analyze call center data

3. Study Customer Preferences

It’s no secret: good customer service leads to good sales. In order to offer better customer service, you need to understand your customers and their preferences. This is where it is important to listen to what your customers need, pay attention to and understand their emotions, study their preferences, and so on.

Likewise, adopt and empathetic active listening, ask for their opinion, and offer service that complements their preferences and expectations. For instance, some customers may prefer email or live chat over phone conversations. Having email and live chat as alternative communication methods can help satisfy these customers.

4. Make Quality Assurance a Priority

Quality assurance (QA) is the process of offering good, effective, and high-quality customer service. Cloud call center QA is often achieved by:

  • Training agents to offer high-quality service
  • Listening in on calls — also called call monitoring — to offer agents feedback and help as needed
  • Reviewing recorded calls to train agents on appropriate and inappropriate behaviors
  • Studying customer preferences

By conducting call center QA, you are not only monitoring agent performance and employee-customer interactions but also improving your overall client relations.

5. Key into EX Metrics

EX refers to employee experience and this is one of the call center analytics that does not get talked about enough. While businesses focus on improving the experience for customers, not many focus efforts on creating a good and healthy work environment for employees. EX metrics are important to measure since low EX rates can lead to more attrition and agent turnover, which in turn will cost your company more.

Some ways to improve EX and reduce turnover rates include:

  • Training new agents and offering refresher training for current agents on a regular basis
  • Equipping employees and agents with the right cloud call center tools to do their jobs effectively
  • Making sure management is approachable
  • Offering incentives for good and successful results
  • Helping employees maintain a good work-life balance
  • Keeping remote working as an option
  • Asking for feedback from employees

6. Collect Customer Feedback through Surveys

Lastly, another piece of call center data is collecting customer feedback. Feedback can help you identify how customers view your service and what they need from you. And you can use this information to make your service better and improve customer satisfaction.

Use Call Center Analytics to Reach More Customers

Call analytics and virtual call center software can help your business attract new customers across the world as well as increase the retention of current customers. Set high standards and track metrics to ensure your teams maintain those standards, and watch your business grow locally and internationally.

What is WebRTC and What is it Used for?

Posted on by Beny Mouen

Source: DepositPhotos.com - Lic#182873428 ID#27446420

WebRTC is a communication program that enables real-time and effective communication on different devices. And by doing so, it gives users — individuals and businesses — the tools they need for high-quality voice and video calling.

WebRTC Explained

WebRTC or Web Real-Time Communication is a free, open-source project for web browsers and web phone apps. More specifically, it is an HTML5 specification that adds real-time communication to browsers by working inside web pages.

In other words, this program provides browsers and apps with RTC through APIs making audio and video communication possible without the need for plugins. And since 2011, this project has grown popular with video calling as an excellent and desirable addition.

You can get Web Real-Time Communication for most modern browsers including Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

How Does WebRTC Work?

Before the age of Web Real-Time Communication, creators needed C/C++ to build programs for voice and video calling. This meant long development cycles and higher costs. However, WebRTC replaces C/C++ with an API which can be used from inside a browser. This resulted in the cost-effective and easy development and integration of unified communications in real-time.

The purpose of Web Real-Time Communication is to make live, real-time interactions possible. With WebRTC, users gain access to various devices or parts of your device. For example, you can access and use your laptop, phone, or computer’s microphone, camera, etc. Furthermore, you can even capture or record the screen and share your screen remotely.

4 Benefits of WebRTC

Web Real-Time Communication is used widely because of the many benefits of such a feature. Here is a list of the top reasons to use WebRTC for unified communications:

  • It is an open-source program that is free for personal and business use.
  • It is available for all modern and commonly used browsers so you can access it no matter what operating system you use.
  • WebRTC is not only available for browsers but also mobile and smartphone apps.
  • Along with voice and video calling, you can use Web Real-Time Communications to create calling groups, record VoIP calls, and more.

Improve Business Communications

Web Real-Time Communication enables users to access voice and video calling from any device, thereby, making business communication easy and accessible. To learn more, speak with one of our experts today!