Kunnect Completes Salesforce API Integration

Kunnect LogoAt Kunnect, we’re constantly looking for ways to make our cloud-based call center software even more convenient and user-friendly.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve completed an integration using the Salesforce.com application programming interface (API). Now, we can push data to and from Salesforce for potential clients who use Salesforce for their CRM system.

Why is this important? As access to good and complete customer data becomes increasingly important to customer service, business systems and applications need to communicate with one another. If they don’t – and data is stuck in silos – customer service employees are lacking the complete picture of the customer they need to provide the best service, including information about the customer’s preferences and history of interactions with the company.

Specifically, benefits of the Salesforce.com integration include:

  • Two-way data integration – Customer information is automatically synchronized from Kunnect software to Salesforce CRM and vice versa. Call center employees never have to use separate systems to access information.
  • Automatic ticket creation – When your call center employees make a new contact, receive a voicemail or miss a call, a ticket is automatically created in Salesforce. This means potential leads never slip through the cracks.
  • Detailed customer information – Call center employees have easy access to complete customer information, including previous interactions, recordings of previous calls, sales history and more. This gives customer service employees the information they need to do the best possible job, customizing their offers and interactions to customers as individuals.
  • Simple Salesforce updates – Salesforce can be updated without leaving the Kunnect interface. Customer service employees can create new tasks, events and contacts all in one system. This simplifies the process for employees, saving time. It also ensures that all customer data stays up to data across systems.

In a nutshell, the integration improves workflow, saves time and improves the quality of customer interactions. And it comes at no additional cost. Potential customers who use Salesforce.com can take advantage of all the robust features of Kunnect software for a flat monthly fee of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees.

Kunnect software also integrates with other CRM systems, including Microsoft CRM, FrontRange, SugarCRM and Vtiger. Our 100 percent cloud-based software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, includes features such as a predictive dialer, call scripting, call recording, ACD, skills-based routing, IVR, living monitoring, real-time statistics, historical reporting and more.

Interested in learning more about Kunnect call center software or our Salesforce integration? Contact us for a free demo.

About Salesforce.com Integration

Salesforce.com, through its Force.com platform, makes it simple to integrate with other systems and applications. Using one of a series of application programming interfaces (APIs), other applications can access data from Salesforce.com, which is widely agreed upon as the easiest CRM system with which to integrate. Two-way integration can be achieved with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, desktop software, phone systems, server applications and more.

Learn how Kunnect can help you, why not get in touch with us? >>>Contact us

How to Choose the Best Cloud Vendor for Your Contact Center

iStock_000043197226_SmallThe cloud has become such a popular solution for contact centers that the question is often not whether to switch to the cloud – it’s “Which vendor?”

As traditional on-premise vendors launch cloud offerings and new cloud-only vendors continue to pop up, it can be difficult to choose. There are many things to consider: features, pricing, customer service and support, flexibility, scalability, security and more. Here are some important things to consider when searching for a cloud call center vendor.

1. The state of existing systems and infrastructure – Do you have existing telephone infrastructure in place that will stay? Can the cloud-based call center software be integrated with that? What about your CRM system – can the call center software be integrated with that?

2. The features and tools you need – It’s always a good idea to make a list of all the features that are critical, as well as those that are desirable but not deal breakers. Most companies will need IVR and ACD, but do you also need features like skills-based routing, real-time statistics and historical reporting? Even if you don’t need these features now, might you in the future?

3. Customization and scalability – These two go hand in hand. You want call center software that can be customized to the needs of your business, and you also want software that can be scaled up or down as your business changes. The beauty of cloud-based call center software is that it is typically simple to add or remove agent licenses as needed, but you should get details from the vendor to be sure. Can it be done with a simple phone call? Also, are you locked into a contract or can you cancel the service and switch vendors if you’re unhappy?

4. Budget constraints – Another benefit of cloud-based call center software is that it’s affordable. Rather than shelling out tens or hundreds of thousands for on-premise software, there is a low monthly per-agent fee and little – if any – money to pay upfront. However, not all software is priced the same way, and it’s important to understand the differences in fee structures. Some vendors advertise low monthly rates but then tack on additional charges like telecom fees that can blow your budget, while other vendors offer a flat monthly rate.

5. The size of your business – Some cloud-based call center software is designed for small businesses, while others are a better fit for larger organizations. Generally, you should look for software that is designed with the size of your business in mind. Of course, if you’re a small business you should also plan for growth – which is where scalability becomes crucial.

6. Upgrades – Is the software automatically updated when there are improvements, and does that come at no additional cost? This is typically the case with cloud-based call center software, but it’s wise to make sure.

7. Reliability and customer service – Can the vendor guarantee a certain amount of uptime vs. downtime? What happens if that is not met? If there are unexpected outages, how quickly are they resolved? If needed, are customer service representatives available at all hours, both by phone and email?

8. Security – How does the vendor protect your company’s sensitive information, including customer data? What security tools, policies and procedures are in place? Does the software integrate with your existing security tools?

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. 

Learn how Kunnect can help you, why not get in touch with us? >>>Contact us

How To Gain a Competitive Advantage From Amazing Customer Service

Customer-ServicesPeople who have a poor customer service experience tell an average of 12 people, according to research from CX Act, and those people tell some 72 more. Factor in social media and those numbers multiply quickly.

Amazing customer service, on the other hand, is what sets companies apart in this social age, creating a lasting impression and building brand loyalty. Companies like Amazon, the Ritz-Carlton, Nordstrom and Zappos and have mastered the art of exceeding customer expectations, and the good publicity from that has managed to further enhance the brands.

Great customer service has the ability to give your brand the edge over competitors, but it’s crucial to understand the difference between just good customer service and the kind of customer service that knocks the socks off your customers, so to speak, making them want to come back for more. Here are the traits that set the most beloved consumer brands apart.

Flexibility (Say Yes!)

Brands that excel in customer service are flexible. They give their agents and employees the ability to do what is needed to please customers without rigid standards. Rather than pushing back if a customer is upset, they offer the customer some sort of discount, freebie or solution that goes above and beyond what the customer expects. They do whatever they can to say yes to the customer.

A Company-Wide Customer Service Culture

Great customer service extends far beyond the call center. The companies that get it right have created a culture that celebrates excellent customer service. Employees in all departments – from marketing and sales to IT – understand what makes for good customer service and how to deliver it. Employees from all departments will come in contact with customers, and every interaction matters.

Getting Ahead of Problems

Savvy companies anticipate customer problems and attempt to resolve them before the customer becomes upset. In a restaurant, this could mean bringing out an unexpected free appetizer when the food is taking longer than expected. For an online retailer, it could mean covering the shipping charges and offering a coupon for future purchases when an order takes longer than expected to arrive. By getting ahead of problems, companies avoid negative customer experiences and, in the process, often end up impressing customers.

Anticipating Needs Before the Customer Does

Sometimes, it’s the small things that count. A hotel might leave a fresh pot of coffee outside the door of guests who have an early-morning checkout. For an online retailer, this might mean sending an email notification when a product is anticipated to run out and offering a 20 percent off coupon for a reorder. Customers are surprised and impressed when you anticipate what they need before it dawns on them. (Big disclaimer: unless the anticipation turns creepy, as was the case when Target figured out a teen girl was pregnant before her parents.)

Making an Emotional Connection With the Customer

Modern customers expect to be treated like individuals, receiving highly personalized service. They expect you to know their preferences and purchase histories. More than that, however, customers expect you to empathize with them and treat them like real human beings. This means understanding and relating to their situations, and remembering personal details about them. The days of sticking to a script are over – modern customer service is about making a real human connection with the customer.

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. 

Learn how Kunnect can help you, why not get in touch with us? >>>Contact us

Don’t Call Us: The Rise of Email-Only Customer Service

No callsRecently, I checked my bank statement online to find two unauthorized and unexplained Uber charges. I hadn’t used the service in weeks, so I knew they couldn’t be valid. A couple days later, three more showed up.

I went to the Uber website to find the customer service contact information, and I was surprised to find that email was the only option – no phone number is listed. I Googled “Uber customer service phone number” in hopes of getting around that, but when I called the number I heard this automated message before being automatically disconnected:

Thank you for calling Uber. More often than not, phone messages are incoherent and can slow down our ability to provide timely support. Please email support@uber.com with your issue, feedback or billing question and one of our community managers will respond in a timely manner. Thank you.

I was eventually able to resolve the issue over email (although it took a few days and lots of back and forth before a refund was issued), but the experience got me thinking: Is email-only customer service the wave of the future? If so, is that a bad thing for customers?

The Pros and Cons of Email Support

From a company’s perspective, I can understand why email-only customer service is an attractive option. There’s no expensive phone system infrastructure to buy, and customer service employees have only one channel in which to communicate, simplifying the process. It seems likely that email-only support requires far fewer agents, and thus costs far less.

However, we’re living in a world where customers want to communicate in the channel they prefer – whether that’s phone, email, social media or web chat. And different types of interactions lend themselves to different channels. For any situation where there’s a sense of immediacy, email is not ideal for the customer.

To be fair, my exchanges with Uber over email were all pleasant, and the response time was decent – usually within a few hours. But it did take five emails with two customer support people over several days to resolve the issue, and that was frustrating because I wanted a more immediate resolution. The first four responses did not include an offer for a refund, and I had to continue to write back and push for one. In the end, it felt like a 10-minute phone conversation could have resolved what ended up taking several days.

The Importance of a Multi-Channel Approach

Despite the benefits – from a company’s perspective – of email-only support, the approach isn’t an ideal way to deliver customer service. Modern customers expect to be in the driver’s seat, and they are frustrated when they cannot communicate in the channel they prefer. The same goes for when a customer tries to interact with a company via social media but is told to call or email instead.

Email is an important component of call center communication, no doubt. Some people – in some instances – prefer to communicate this way. But relying solely on email leaves customers without the options they crave.

Will people continue to use Uber despite this? Sure. The service has proved to be a reliable and far more convenient alternative to taxis. But the limited customer service doesn’t exactly send the message to Uber users that the company is doing everything it can to address their needs, concerns and questions.

We’re living in a world where multi-channel customer service has come to be expected. If a customer wants to chat via phone – which, by the way, some 80 percent still do – they expect phone support to be available. If they want to chat via social media, they expect a response on social media. And so on. Companies that want to excel in customer service need to communicate on the customer’s terms.

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. 

Learn how Kunnect can help you, why not get in touch with us? >>>Contact us

How to Choose the Best Cloud Vendor for Your Contact Center

iStock_000043197226_SmallCloud software has become such a popular option for contact centers that the question is often not whether to switch to the cloud – it’s “Which vendor?”

As traditional on-premise vendors continue to launch cloud offerings and new cloud-only vendors continue to pop up, it can be difficult to choose among them. There are many things to consider: features, pricing, customer service and support, flexibility, scalability, security and more. Here are some important things to consider when searching for a cloud call center vendor.

  1. The state of existing systems and infrastructure – Do you have existing telephone infrastructure in place that will stay? Can the cloud-based call center software be integrated with that? What about your CRM system – can the call center software be integrated with that?
  2. The features and tools you need – It’s always a good idea to make a list of all the features that are critical, as well as those that are desirable but not deal breakers. Most companies will need IVR and ACD, but do you also need features like skills-based routing, real-time statistics and historical reporting? Even if you don’t need these features now, might you in the future?
  3. Customization and scalability – These two go hand in hand. You want call center software that can be customized to the needs of your business, and you also want software that can be scaled up or down as your business changes. The beauty of cloud-based call center software is that it is typically simple to add or remove agent licenses as needed (but you should get details from the vendor to be sure). Can that be done with a simple phone call? Also, are you locked into a contract or can you cancel the service and switch vendors if you’re unhappy?
  4. Budget constraints – Another benefit of cloud-based call center software is that it’s affordable. Rather than shelling out tens or hundreds of thousands for on-premise software, there is a low monthly per-agent fee and little – if any – money to pay upfront. However, not all software is priced the same way, and it’s important to understand the differences in fee structures. Some vendors advertise low monthly rates but then tack on additional charges like telecom fees that can blow your budget, while other vendors offer a flat monthly rate.
  5. The size of your business – Some cloud-based call center software is designed for small businesses, while others are a better fit for larger organizations. Generally, you should look for software that is designed with the size of your business in mind. Of course, if you’re a small business you should also plan for growth – which is where scalability becomes crucial.
  6. Upgrades – Is the software automatically updated when there are improvements, and does that come at no additional cost? This is typically the case with cloud-based call center software, but it’s wise to make sure.
  7. Reliability and customer service – Can the vendor guarantee a certain amount of uptime vs. downtime? What happens if that is not met? If there are unexpected outages, how quickly are they resolved? If needed, are customer service representatives available at all hours, both by phone and email?
  8. Security – How does the vendor protect your company’s sensitive information, including customer data? What security tools, policies and procedures are in place? Does the software integrate with your existing security tools?

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 and historical reporting.

Learn how Kunnect can help you, why not get in touch with us? >>>Contact us