Top Five VoIP Services for a Customer-Driven Business
Customers drive business success. More and more businesses are realizing a competitive advantage in their reputation for customer service. Behind every customer service victory is a strong communications infrastructure. IP communications technology offers powerful services to develop a strong customer relationship. Here’s a look at the top five VoIP services to retain customers.
Five Ways VoIP Services Help You Keep Your Customers
It costs five to ten times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one, according to Frederick Reichheld’s influential study The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits and Lasting Value. An effective contact center is the critical element to maintaining a solid relationship with customers. For best results, make sure your contact center has the following customer-friendly VoIP services:
- Routing and Remote Access. The most important VoIP services come standard with IP communications technology. Call routing features such as “find me/follow me” and Automated Call Distribution (ACD) ensure that each incoming call reaches a live agent. “Find me/follow me” can ring communications devices in succession, which allows agents to respond even when they are away from their desks. ACD technology routes calls to the best available agent according to a priority algorithm.
IP communications systems also allow agents to connect to the company’s phone network wherever they roam, via a wireless technology. Remote access supports both the agent’s reachability and call resolution times--agents can log into the VPN system and access customer information securely by logging into the company’s customer relationship management (CRM) data system. - Presence Management. Another asset for call resolution, VoIP presence management software enables agents to ascertain the availability and expertise of other company employees on the network. If a customer issue requires escalation to an IT expert or manager, the contact center agent can scan the presence management interface for an available employee and resolve the call immediately. The system avoids inefficient “phone tag” that can drag out an issue for days, wasting resources and frustrating the customer.
- Multichannel Unified Communications. VoIP unified communications software offer agents and other customer-facing employees a flexible tool to connect with customers. UC software allows users to switch seamlessly among different IP communications modalities--email, IM, voice, and conference mode. The ability to choose the optimal communications device is an asset both in connecting with customers and in collaborating with other employees to resolve a customer service issue.
- Data Integration. Good customer service depends on instant access to customer information. VoIP business phone systems can connect voice communications with the CRM system, which allows agents to automatically pull up detailed data for incoming customer calls.
- Multimedia VoIP Services. There’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction with customers. Multimedia VoIP services approximate direct communication by allowing agents to engage customers visually. Options include videoconferencing, video demonstrations, virtual whiteboard demonstrations, and screen-sharing features.
VoIP phone systems raise the level of intimacy in customer communications, which allows agents to connect with customers and resolve issues efficiently. To create a true customer-driven enterprise, start with a customer-friendly IP communications infrastructure.
Sources
Allantgroup.com (PDF)