Call centers haven’t just changed; they’ve revolutionized. Everything from the technology to how customers expect us to interact with them has been flipped on its head, particularly in the last five or 10 years. In fact, we don’t even call them call centers most of the time anymore – they’re contact centers.

The goal is still the same, of course: To solve customer problems, offer support and make customers happy. But the way we go about it is different.

We talk a lot about technology in this blog – we’re a technology provider, after all – but this time we’re going to look at how customer interaction has changed. If you’re not already doing these four things in the call center, chances are you’re behind the competition.

1. Communicate with customers in their preferred channel

When all customer exchanges were done by phone, life was simpler. There was only one place we needed to be when customers reached out – by the phone. Then email crept its way in, and things became slightly more complex.

Enter social media, web chat, texting, mobile apps and more, and now the list of potential channels for communication is long. The tricky thing about that is, you have to be available to customers in all of them. The modern customer expects you to communicate with them in the channel of their choice. That’s means if they reach out through Twitter, they want a response through Twitter. They don’t want to be told to call instead. Problems often can’t be resolved in 140 characters, of course, but at least attempt to address the problem there and say how you plan to help. Ask for their contact info to reach out, rather than just sending yours.

2. Rethink your performance measurements

Metrics are helpful for some things, but they are no longer considered the absolute measure of success in a call center. You might have short wait times, high sales and fast call resolution, but that doesn’t always mean your customers are happy. Success in modern call centers is based on the quality of the customer experience, not just data. Other key performance indicators (KPIs) – for example, resolution on the first contact, not the second or third – are becoming more important.

3. Get customers to the right person – faster

Patience is wearing thin among consumers as a whole for being bounced around from one person to another to get a simple answer. They want to reach someone who can actually answer their question, and that’s really not too much to ask. Tools like skills-based routing and automatic callback can improve the experience for the customers. Skills-based routing sends customers to the agent best equipped to solve their problem, not just the first person available. Automatic callback allows customers to hang up when call volume is high and receive a call back when a suitable agent is available. Many cloud-based call center software providers are now offering those tools as part of their solutions.

4. Get out of the silo 

The call center used to operate pretty much in a vacuum. Not much information flowed back and forth from other departments, and functions didn’t overlap with other departments. Today, customer service is viewed as a mission of the entire company and the responsibility of all departments, to some extent. Some social media efforts, which used to be a marketing function, might be handled by customer service. Or, marketing might answer a customer service tweet. The roles of various departments are blending, and that means they need to talk.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.

You’re running a small business and you’re not at IT expert — why should you care about the cloud? Because small businesses of all kinds stand to reap big benefits from cloud computing, and you don’t have to be anything close to a tech expert to take advantage of them.

If the cloud is something of a meaningless buzzword to you, here’s the summary: It allows you to buy all sorts of IT infrastructure, from software to hardware, as a service over the Internet, rather than a physical product. That matters because the price is much lower. You have access to systems that can manage all sorts of critical business functions – data storage, invoicing, accounting, billing, marketing, lead generation, payroll, call center operations and much more — without the expense of buying and installing hardware and software on site.

Why is cloud computing so exciting for small businesses? 

Cloud computing levels the playing field between small businesses and much larger ones. It provides small businesses with access to tools and technologies that were once too expensive for them. This paves the way for small businesses to compete on a more even playing field.

Exactly what types of services are offered over the cloud? 

The tools we listed above are examples of Software as a Service (SaaS). Just about anything you used to accomplish by buying licensed copies of software in CD form and installing on them on your computers can now be accomplished by subscribing to the an online service and accessing it via your Internet connection. You can also buy infrastructure such as server space, memory and storage this way (IaaS). Essentially, you’re just renting server, memory or storage space from the vendor.

Why is a SaaS subscription better than just buying software outright? 

Two reasons – cost and flexibility. There’s very little if any upfront investment required. Instead, you pay a monthly fee for each person using the service. You can discontinue at any time, so you’re not locked in to a product or service. Also, you can access company data and business applications from remote locations — on the road, from home, even from a different country. You’re not glued to the office.

How much does cloud-based software cost? 

That depends on what you buy and how many people within the company are using it. However, even complex software products can be found for a couple hundred dollars or less per month per user. The cloud, as we’ve said, is affordable for the vast majority of small businesses.

Is the cloud secure? 

That’s a difficult question to answer because, again, it depends. Not all cloud products and vendors are alike – there’s a lot of variation out there. A critical part of choosing a vendor is examining its security practices and policies in depth. Don’t take the company’s word that the product is secure; ask detailed questions like these. Never assume you’re not at risk because you’re a small business. Hackers target you, too.

How popular is the cloud among small businesses? 

The cloud is gaining serious momentum among small businesses, and that is only expected to accelerate. A recent study by Emergent Research, a consulting firm, and Intuit, which makes financial software, said 37 percent of small businesses in the United States use cloud computing. They expect that number to reach 80 percent – more than double – within the next six years.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.

Security concerns have long been the single greatest barrier to cloud adoption. Companies have been leery – and rightly so – of letting a third-party vendor store and manage their data, particularly when it includes sensitive data. They were hesitant to jump to the cloud knowing there could be risks.

However, the tide of public opinions in changing because cloud security has greatly improved. That is, in part, because vendors are well aware of security concerns and have taken significant steps to boost security. But there are other factors at work, too. We’ll examine all of them here.

What vendors have done 

For cloud vendors, their success depends heavily on security. If they can’t keep a company’s data secure, they’re not going to succeed in this market. The good vendors – including most of the large ones – have realized that. Many of them now provide better security than most on-premise systems.

The best vendors have complex security strategies that include:

• Encryption – Most providers offer some form of encryption, but the key here is who owns the encryption keys. You should have control of who accesses the data and when, not the provider. The best providers give you the tools to encrypt but allow you to be in control.

• Multi-factor authentication – More advanced providers require two or more factors of identification to verify log-in credentials for administrative access. This includes something you know (a password or pin), something you have (a USB device or secure mobile app) and sometimes something you are (biometrics). Be wary of providers that one require only one factor of authentication – that’s a huge security risk.

• Tight physical security – The vendor keeps their servers heavily protected with access controls, surveillance and more.

• Data loss prevention – This is no supplement for your own internal policies on data loss, but many cloud vendors are now offering this as a service to alert you to potential violations of security.

• Strict firewall controls to secure cloud-based servers.

These security tools and procedures have made the cloud a much safer home for data. However, keep in mind that no solution is foolproof. And you should always read a complete copy of the vendor’s security policy before agreeing to trust them with your data. Every vendor will tell you they’re secure, but not all vendors are equally secure. It’s up to you to get specifics and hold them accountable.

Need more info on how to approach vendors about security issues? Here’s a good article on 10 security questions you should ask.

The rise of third-party security vendors

Third-party security vendors are popping up that specialize in cloud security, and many of them are very good at what they do. Many third-party encryption services leave the keys completely with you so that all the encryption and decryption is done internally on your own systems. This means the keys are never in the cloud, so they can’t be compromised by the provider. It’s impossible.

The difficulty here is deciding what kind of third-party security you need and choosing a vendor. There are many options, and different vendors address different types of security risks. Here’s a rundown of 20 vendors that are making waves – along with a description of the services they provide.

How companies have contributed

Finally, some of the improvement in cloud security can be attributed to the users themselves. Companies are getting smarter about security, and they’re doing their research before working with a vendor to make sure the product is secure. Companies are also rethinking and reworking their internal security policies. They’re realizing that data breaches are sometimes the result of an internal mistake, not an outside factor. They’re developing policies on things like who can use sensitive data and when, whether emails should be encrypted and how data should be stored and protected on laptops and mobile devices.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.

Small businesses tend to be nimble and agile. They can adapt to changes quickly, and implementing new technology is fairly easy because there are not as many burdensome and expensive systems already in place. For those reasons, small and medium-sized businesses were early adopters of cloud software.

Big businesses don’t always have the same luxuries. Transitioning to the cloud is more complicated when you have legacy systems in place. In many cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars have gone in to on-premise hardware, systems and data centers. Large companies don’t want to just throw all that away, despite the benefits of moving to cloud software.

When Is It Time to Transition to the Cloud? 

For large companies, transitioning to the cloud is often a slow process. A lot of serious decision making goes in to when and how to start making the transition, and how to carry it out. For most enterprises, the transition starts with adopting cloud business applications here and there. When it’s time to introduce a new application, most of the time it’s in the cloud. But that doesn’t mean abandoning existing business applications that run on your own hardware.

Where the decision gets more complicated is: When is it time to transition existing or legacy software, applications and infrastructure to the cloud? How do you know when the existing tools have outlived their useful lives or fulfilled their ROI? If you’ve invested heavily in data center technology, will it ever make sense to switch over to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

There are no simple answers to these questions because no two companies have identical IT infrastructure. Most enterprises are still in the early stages of cloud adoption, and most are focusing on hybrid cloud for now to combine the best qualities of both – the control and security of private cloud and the flexibility and efficiency of public cloud. (More on that here from TechTarget. As you’ll read, there are multiple ways to go about that, too.) Yet, very few big companies are running a large portion of their IT in the cloud now.

The decision to move mission-critical systems to the cloud is a juggling act because it involves many considerations: estimated cost savings, difficulty of the transition, lifespan and usefulness of existing systems, security, reliability concerns and more. If it were an easier decision, more companies would already be almost exclusively in the cloud. However, it can be done. If you’re skeptical, check out this CIO Journal piece on a large company that did it. Despite some challenges, the company said the value of cloud made it worthwhile.

When Will Cloud Be the Norm? 

No one knows exactly how long it will take for cloud to become the norm, but a recent study suggests the transition is well underway. This is not the first study, by far, to make that claim, and the results won’t be shocking to most. But it’s another data point that confirms what most of us see coming.

Verizon’s State of the Market: Enterprise Cloud 2014 incorporated data from a variety of sources: Verizon’s enterprise cloud customers, outside analyst firm 451 Research, and other third parties like Gartner, IDC, Accenture and Forrester.

The data from 451 Research showed that 65 percent of enterprises are deploying some form of cloud computing now. Spending on those services has increased 38 percent over the year. More than 70 percent of enterprises said they plan to use cloud for external-facing operations by 2017.

Also telling: Companies that are already using cloud in some capacity said they planned to spend 54 percent of their IT budgets on cloud services over the next two years. That does suggest a clear shift to mainstream.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.

Experts will tell you over and over again that customer service must be provided over social media. But the advice has been ignored, in large part. There are varying statistics on the subject, but it is widely agreed that the vast majority of customer service inquires via social media go unanswered. Some studies say 70 percent; others say 80 percent or more.

That’s problematic because customers want you to talk to them via their preferred channel. If they tweet about a problem, they want you to tweet back. If they post a Facebook comment, they want you to reply via Facebook. Often, even when companies do reply, they simply tell the person to call or email customer service. That places the burden back on the customer, which is frustrating.

The good news? Social media and customer service can peacefully coexist. Making that happen involves a slight change in strategy and a shift in resources. Here, we’ll share a brief case study of a company that has been widely praised for getting it right, along with some tips on where to start.

Zappos: Getting Social Customer Service Right

In a 2012 study examining social customer service behavior of the top 25 online retailers, Zappos was one of two companies who answered all – yes, 100 percent – of social media customer service inquiries. Zappos has since been the subject of countless case studies, and for good reason: They get it right.

Zappos has developed ways to connect with customers across many social media platforms, in some cases creating its own unique tools. The company’s social media efforts are too broad to discuss in detail here, but one of the biggest successes in terms of customer support has been the company’s use of Twitter. While other brands are ignoring Twitter mentions, Zappos has a Twitter account that is dedicated to customer service and monitored 24/7. At least 25 people from customer service help run the account, but only one person at a time directs the conversation. All Zappos employees, even outside of customer service, are trained on how to use Twitter and encouraged to use it to connect with customers.

The result has been a high level of customer satisfaction and praise from customer service experts. A lot of positive brand value came just from using Twitter for customer service. Zappos has become something of a leader in social media customer service and a model for other companies to follow.

How to Merge Social Media and the Contact Center 

So where to start? It’s best to start with just one – or two at the most – social media platforms. Once you get the process down and develop a rhythm, then it’s time to tackle other platforms. Twitter and Facebook are usually good places to start because they are commonly used for customer questions and complaints. There are many ways to go about starting, but here are some tips:

• Determine your goals. Is your plan just to start integrating customer service and social media, or will you go the Zappos route and address every customer comment? (Hint: if you can, do.)

• Set your strategy. Will you address customer service inquiries and complaints through the company’s pre-existing social media page, or will you create a separate account just for customer service? Zappos and many other big brands have separate customer service accounts, but you don’t necessarily have to. (And even if you do, that doesn’t mean it’s OK to ignore customer service-related posts on the main account.) What is the brand image you want to convey to social media users, and how will you pull that off? Will responses be scripted (usually not a good idea) or more authentic?

• Select your team. Who will manage the account, and when? This needs to be clearly defined to avoid confusion. Perhaps you divide the task among existing customer service employees and supervisors, splitting the job into one or two-hour time slots. Once you have a team in place, train them on social media best practices and how to address customers, just like you would for telephone agents.

• Consider investing in tools. There are countless social media monitoring and listening tools on the market that make it easier to track social media mentions. In fact, your CRM system might already have those capabilities. If not, look in to whether it makes sense to invest in one. These save resources and make it easier to communicate with customers in real time.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.

As cloud computing continues to grow and take off, we’re seeing all kinds of reports, surveys and predictions about what the IT landscape will look like three, five or even 10 years from now. While no one has a crystal ball, it’s interesting to see what’s predicted for the future of cloud growth.

One of the latest reports makes some big predictions for the future of the cloud-based contact center market. A report by research firm MarketsandMarkets expects it to reach $11 billion by 2019, nearly triple its $4 million size now. That’s a growth rate of more than 20 percent each year, which is huge.

We don’t know exactly why or how MarketsandMarkets came to that conclusion – a copy of the report costs $4,650 – but we’ve got some good ideas, since this is what we do everyday. Here’s why the cloud contact center market is poised to not just take off, but to explode in growth over the next five years.

1. Do more, spend less

Cloud call center software offers greater functionality than the vast majority of existing on-premise software, but it costs less. Very few things in life work that way, which is why the cloud has taken off. Rather than paying tens or hundreds or thousands upfront for call center software, you can can pay a low monthly per-agent fee with no long-term commitment.

2. Flexibility 

With the cloud, you’re not committed to one software vendor for years, as is the case with on-premise software. Obviously, you don’t want to change vendors all the time and constantly have to learn new software. But if a product doesn’t work for your call center or doesn’t offer all the features you want, there’s no reason you can’t switch.

3. Aging IT infrastructure

Contact center leaders, CIOs and IT experts have long known the benefits of cloud software. But many are still tied to legacy on-premise systems. They haven’t wanted to abandon expensive systems that are still functional. However, as more of these systems finally age out and become obsolete, contact centers will be ready to make the move. This should spur growth year after year.

4. Remote agents 

Contact centers are increasingly warming to the idea of remote and/or home-based agents. When there are no geographical limitations, the pool of talent from which to choose is much broader. And studies have shown that home-based agents are happier and more productive. Allowing agents to work from home also keeps facilities costs down. With cloud-based contact center software, people in remote locations can work together seamlessly. On-premise software, on the other hand, means they need to be in the same building.

5. Changing perceptions 

For many years, call centers were hesitant to make the switch to the cloud. As with anything that’s relatively new, there was some fear of the unknown. Would cloud software be reliable? Is it secure? What are the pitfalls of handing over system control to an outside vendor? Those fears are easing as the IT world becomes more comfortable with the cloud and more companies make the switch. People better understand the advantages of the cloud now, and they realize it’s not a passing fad but here to stay.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more. 

Security has long been one of the greatest concerns in the transition to cloud computing. Many companies, particularly those who haven’t adopted any cloud technology, are afraid their business and customer data will be at risk.

In truth, some of that fear is overdramatized. Most cloud computing providers are highly secure. They have to be: Even one small slip-up can erode trust and chip away at their customer base. In fact, many cloud vendors offer products more secure than those on in-house servers, particularly for SMBs. They have greater resources than smaller businesses to invest in IT security. Because of all that, cloud data breaches are currently very few.

However, the concern has always been – and remains – that relying on cloud vendors means a loss of direct control when it comes to security. It is impossible to know for sure that your business information is properly secured when it’s in another company’s hands. That requires trust, which can be scary. However, there are steps you can take to make sure that data is as safe as possible.

Research the vendor’s security policy

You can’t expect to feel safe if you don’t know exactly how your business data is both stored and secured. When you’re shopping for cloud vendors, make sure you find out exactly how the company addresses security. What measures are in place to keep your data safe, and how are they enforced? Who has access to your company data and when? What happens if a breach does occur?

Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt

Many vendors offer data encryption as part of their service. They make sure your data is encrypted on your own devices and in the cloud. Some vendors offer encryption so secure that they can’t even access your information. However, keep in mind that there’s no way to completely guarantee your data has been properly encrypted. The best way to feel good about this is to choose an established and reputable vendor.

Use multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication provides a second or even third layer of security when employees log on to business applications, secure networks, web portals and the like. Rather than just entering a username and password (something they know) employees also have to provide something they have (a token or secure mobile app) and perhaps something they are (biometrics) to be authenticated as a legitimate user. Security experts have long emphasized this as absolutely crucial, but many companies have not heeded the warning.

Set limits

Sensitive data should only be in the hands of those who absolutely need it – both internally and externally. Make sure the cloud vendor has strict rules around who can access your data and when. Then develop your own in-house policies. Who needs what sensitive data, and when? How can sensitive data be shared among employees? Do sensitive emails need to be encrypted?

Regulate the use of devices

Do your employees use their own smartphones, tablets and laptops for work purposes? If so, what kind of information can be stored on these devices? If a device is lost, how is the data protected? Even with business devices, you need to ask these questions if they’re taken out of the office. You might be surprised by how often data breaches occur from stolen devices.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees. In addition to the predictive dialer, features include: inbound and outbound calling, CRM integration, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, live monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.