What Is a Cloud Contact Center?

 
A cloud contact center is an innovative and frictionless alternative to the traditional contact center. These agile centers offer resources and tools to help you deliver first-rate consumer experiences and make life easier for your contact center agents.

Here’s everything you need to know about cloud contact centers, including how the solution elevates customer experience (CX) and what to consider when selecting your business’s cloud contact center platform.

What is a Cloud Call Center?

A cloud call center is an online service that helps you handle all inbound and outbound calls. Agents typically receive and call consumers using their PCs, and they can do so anywhere worldwide.

This approach differs from traditional business contact centers in a few key ways. Cloud-based models provide seamless consumer communication across various channels, including phone calls, texts, messenger apps, emails and social media. This enhanced capability makes cloud contact centers the go-to solution when a centralized communication hub is a must—you can handle all inbound and outbound calls and communication across every channel. Plus, you won’t need to worry about investing in expensive hardware infrastructure like traditional call centers require.

You might hear the terms hosted contact centers and cloud-based contact centers used interchangeably, but they’re different. Hosted contact center solutions are hosted by third-party providers in a traditional data center or in the cloud. Cloud contact centers are hosted exclusively in the cloud.

Why Does Contact Center Experience Matter?

Regardless of the channel, consumers expect frictionless interactions with your business. Consider these statistics:

• 32% of consumers who are loyal to a brand will walk away after one bad experience.
• 96% of consumers say customer service is the primary reason behind their loyalty.
• More than 88% of companies prioritize the customer experience of their contact centers.

Optimizing your contact center is essential to satisfying consumers and earning their loyalty in a competitive landscape.

Key Features of Cloud-Based Contact Centers

Cloud-based contact centers offer a cost-effective way to expand your capabilities and have agents handle queries from anywhere in the world. Key features to consider include:

• Scalability: Cloud-based call centers can handle varying call volumes as demand changes. These call centers aren’t dependent on infrastructure, so you can add unlimited users as your business scales. Expansion is quick and cost-effective.
• Flexibility and mobility: With cloud-based contact centers, your agents can work from various locations and time zones—that means no more noisy call centers and agents tied to a desk and cubicle. Cloud contact centers also support omnichannel platforms, so your agents can communicate with consumers on any platform and switch seamlessly between channels without losing any information or context.
• Advanced analytics: You can monitor the consumer communication experience at every stage with real-time dashboards and customized reports. Your organization can use these advanced analytics to make data-driven decisions and improvements.

The Benefits of Adopting Cloud Contact Center Solutions

Cloud-based call center software offers a seamless system, integrating all communication platforms in one hub. The benefits of implementing a cloud contact center solution include:

• Cost savings: Cloud solutions eliminate the need for your business to buy and maintain expensive call center infrastructure. You won’t have to worry about costs associated with office space, backup generators, on-premises security audits and multiple vendor contracts. Cloud-based software comes with a pay-as-you-go pricing model, so you can scale your solution with the flow of your business.
• Improved efficiency: If your company uses several tools to manage workflows, you probably have room to improve efficiency. Streamline your processes and workflow with a cloud contact center platform that provides an enhanced dashboard. When handling queries, your agents will no longer need to switch between screens and systems. A centralized cloud system also automates routine tasks, optimizing your contact center agents’ experience.
• Enhanced consumer engagement: Traditional contact centers don’t provide the omnichannel capabilities today’s consumers expect. In contrast, a cloud call center’s unified hub enables personalized interactions across multiple channels. You can meet consumers where they are 24/7.

Challenges and Considerations

You need a cloud-based contact center solution that works for your organization. Security, compliance and integration with existing systems should be primary considerations.
 

1. Security and Compliance

Choose a cloud-based contact center solutions provider with up-to-date, robust security measures that comply with industry regulating bodies. You should be able to count on it to:

• Ensure data privacy: Your cloud-hosted contact center must safeguard consumer information. Select a provider with advanced data encryption capabilities to protect information during transmission and storage. Verify that the provider has strict access controls, defining the permissions and roles of agents, administrators and supervisors.
• Meet industry regulations: Your industry is governed by regulatory bodies, and a cloud-based contact center must operate in compliance with their standards. CSG’s solution complies with ISO 27001:2013, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and other regulatory requirements. CSG also has a comprehensive security program to protect administrative, technical and physical information.
• Establish audit trails: A cloud-based call center platform should deliver extensive audit trails and logs, monitoring who accesses what information and for what purpose. These trails will simplify compliance audits and help you instantly identify unauthorized action.

2. Integration With Existing Systems

Upgrading your traditional contact center to a cloud-based model can boost efficiency and simplify communication. To minimize disruption, you need a system that will easily integrate with your existing tools. A contact center platform should offer:

• Compatibility with CRM and other tools: A cloud-based call center needs to work with your customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, call recording and monitoring systems and workforce management tools. Integrating all your systems into one solution will streamline efficiencies and help your agents serve consumers better and faster. Plus, you’ll be able to track performance, view real-time metrics and get an overview of the consumer journey.
• A seamless transition: Moving from your legacy call center system to a cloud-based contact center solution should be seamless. With the right solutions provider, you won’t need extensive infrastructure investments and IT support. Cloud-based contact center solutions are optimized for sales and support teams, reducing the need for comprehensive manuals, months of operational training and endless technical support requests.

Elevate Customer Experiences With CSG

Investing in cloud-based solutions can significantly impact your bottom line. A Microsoft publication reports that organizations that shift to cloud solutions typically:

• Save 37% on overall costs.
• See a 30% reduction in hardware expenses.
• Experience a 16% drop in utilities and facilities costs.

 
Switching from analog to digital systems can save your organization up to 65%. To get the maximum benefit, you need a reputable partner that will make the transition frictionless. That’s where CSG comes in. Our advanced, intuitive systems will streamline your operations and improve your CX and agent experience.
 

CSG’s Advanced Solutions

CSG is a purpose-driven software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider. We’ve worked with organizations around the world, helping them optimize their efficiency and deliver exceptional consumer experiences.

We leverage over four decades of experience to provide cloud-based solutions that drive consumer loyalty with each interaction. CSG Xponent will work with your cloud-based contact center to wow your consumers with personalized experiences and empower your team to deliver frictionless support.
 

Enhanced Features and Capabilities

Xponent is the ultimate support for a thriving contact center. From one dashboard, you can manage interactions with consumers on multiple platforms. Previous interactions are available, making engagement seamless and personalized. From the moment clients call, Xponent can send them to the right representatives for their concerns. You can view the entire consumer life cycle and monitor key performance metrics in real time.

Xponent also delivers:

• Advanced integration: Forget rip-and-replace implementation. Xponent integrates with your current engagement systems to sharpen your capabilities. It connects with existing data and tools to deliver unmatched personalization and performance.
• Complete customization: Tailor your solution to your needs. You can also scale services with demand and without hassle.
• Actionable insights: Your organization can leverage the platform to get real-time insights and fine-tune consumer interactions.
• Enhanced security features: CSG’s robust security infrastructure safeguards data. You can trust that your contact center adheres to relevant legislation and stays up to date with the industry’s best practices for data encryption.
• Scalable and reliable engagement: Xponent ensures all your communications are responsive, scalable and reliable.

Service and Support for Your Organization

CSG has helped thousands of organizations solve their biggest challenges and deliver delightful consumer experiences. Our dashboard for cloud-based contact centers is entirely customizable to your unique requirements. We’ll help you take your place among the world’s CX leaders with tailored solutions.

You can also expect comprehensive support. We take a consultative approach, partnering with you to simplify the process of switching to our innovative solutions. Our knowledgeable, responsive team delivers extensive support and training when you need it.