Optimizing Customer Interactions Through The Contact Center

Transcription

WHITE PAPEROptimizing CustomerInteractions through theContact CenterAn efficient Contact Center reduces costs and drivesbusiness value

Table of Contents1.Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.Supporting multichannel environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43.Minimizing hardware requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Multiple server vs. single server installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4IP telephones vs. softphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.Streamlining integrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Start with an integrated solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Use open standards to expand the solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Include unified communications in the integrated solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75.Design for business continuity rather than disaster recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Eliminate single points of failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Use tried and true hardware redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106.Help contact center manager reduce costs and agent turnover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Use at-home agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Simplify Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127.Conclusion: reduce complexity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Figure 1.Cost comparison between hardphone and softphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Figure 2.Distributed contact center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Figure 3.Business continuity with at-home agents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Optimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 2

1. IntroductionEnterprises now serve a new type of consumer. Today’s consumer is more demanding,expecting the freedom of choice in how and when they communicate – via the device oftheir desire. This multi-device, multi-channel consumer expects communication optionsfrom the organizations that they do business with. This calls for contact center agentsthat can handle emails, chats and voice calls, both inbound and outbound, withoutforced dedication to a single channel.In addition to serving a more-demanding consumer, today’s businesses rely heavily onthe technical infrastructure supplied by the company’s IT professionals. In the past, smalland midsized businesses (SMB) could stay competitive with fewer systems and a minimalreliance on technology. However, those days have passed and SMBs are faced withemploying a whole regiment of complex IT solutions to keep up with their rivals.While large companies sometimes have the luxury of specialized teams to handle thevarious types of technology (for instance, telephone systems, desktop hardware andapplications, servers and enterprise software, networks, and so on), the IT departmentsof most SMBs must wear multiple hats. In addition, large companies may outsource theIT support of a specific technology (for instance, a finance application), while small andmidsized companies tend to use in-house personnel.Customer service is becoming a mission-critical operation in many companies, inparticular SMBs, and the contact center is the critical element of any customer serviceoperation. However, contact center technology can be complex and has to interoperatewith several other applications and solutions.This white paper explores ways in which IT managers of small and midsized companiescan manage more complex customer interactions while at the same time reducing thecomplexity and cost of maintaining the contact center solutions, Doing so requires focuson the following topics: Supporting a multichannel environment Minimizing hardware requirements Streamlining integration with other solutions Reducing risk Using at-home agentsOverall, the key to IT sanity is to generally reduce complexity by finding solutions thatcombine significant functionality with simplicity. This paper targets specific contactcenter technologies that can assist IT managers in maintaining a smooth-running andcost-effective operation.Optimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 3

2. Supporting a multichannel environmentConsumers now expect companies to be reachable 24/7. As more consumer transactionsoccur over online channels, customers also expect enterprises to be readily availableto engage the organization via the same modes. The contact center can be used topersonalize customer service and increases customer satisfaction by building a windowto the customer – a portal that directs communications to the most appropriate resource.Handling multiple channels efficiently calls for the use of a ‘universal queue’ – allowingthe enterprise to service their customers and prospects with standard business rulesregardless of the channel the customer chooses to contact the enterprise. Voice, chatand email contacts are routed via the standard mechanisms and routing rules and agentscan answer any contact based on system-wide resource matching rules configured by thecontact center administrator.3. Minimizing hardware requirementsMultiple server vs. single server installationContact center solutions are composed of several separate but interconnected functions.The main task of any contact center solution is to ensure customers connect to selfservice applications and appropriate agents, and that the agents and self-servicesolutions have access to the appropriate information. Many contact center vendorsdistribute the functionality over separate servers. Even solutions designed for midsizecontact centers may need to use more than one server. While this topology works inmany contact centers, it requires additional support efforts from the IT department,which may strain many IT departments. Making matters worse in many cases,components such as IVR or even email/Web components have a separate managementor reporting interface, further increasing the IT overhead.Most contact center solutions designed for the small and midsized business market canbe operated on a single server, but few are designed as a single server solution. ShoreTeldesigned the ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center as a single server solution. ShoreTelprovides all features needed to operate a fully functional contact center, including ACD,IVT, CTI, outbound dialer, inbound/outbound call blending, multimedia interactions,and reports and reporting database, on a single rack-mountable server. In addition, thesolution offers significant scalability to the company as it grows. ShoreTel EnterpriseContact Center offers IT management opportunities to lower the hardware costs ofsupporting a contact center, and saves the IT staff time and effort, because only oneserver requires backup and maintenance and it takes up minimal space in the data center.Optimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 4

IP telephones vs. softphonesBusiness-quality IP telephones cost between 250 and 450. In addition, the headsetsused by most contact center agents cost anywhere from 50 to 150. Extrapolating thecost across the board of handsets in a contact center with 50 agents, the IT departmentcan expect to pay between 15,000 and 30,000 for IP handsets and headsets. For ITmanagers who have to watch every penny, paying 250 to replace a telephone may behard to swallow.In recent years, contact center vendors have developed softphones. These softwareapplications are part of the agents’ desktop and eliminate the need for physical handsetson the agents’ desks. All call controls supplied by a physical handset are also supplied bysoftphones. The applications use either a standard or USB telephone headset.Softphones provide opportunities for IT managers to reduce hardware costs anddecrease the effort needed to support telephone and contact center solutions.Softphones also eliminate the need for hardwire telephones (hardphones) and theassociated costs. The following table illustrates the cost difference between usingphysical telephones and softphones in a contact center of 30 agents.HardphonesTelephoneHeadsetLicensePer AgentNumber of AgentsTotalSoftphone 300 0 75 50 0 150 375 200 30 30 11,250 6,000Figure 1 - Cost comparison between hardphones and softphonesFurther advantages that softphones offer over hardphones include: Streamlined provisioning process: softphones are provisioned when the IT personnelcreates the agent’s PC and eliminates a separate process to provision the telephone atthe agent’s desk. Increased available work surface on the agents’ desks. Simplified business continuity: agents do not need reserved workspaces and canreceive calls anywhere as long as there is a network connection. Reduced cost of at-home agents: since softphones operate through a VPN, theyremove the reimbursement cost to agents for additional home office telephone lines.ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center with unified communications provides softphonesas part of the agent’s desktop and supports standard USB headsets. The ShoreTelsoftphone supplies the same call-control as physical telephones. The solution is IPbased and operates through a VPN as effectively as within a company’s internal network.The agent softphone is part of the ShoreTel unified communications (UC) system andprovides access to multiple communications channels.Optimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 5

4. Streamlining integrationsStart with an integrated solutionContact center solutions come in one of two designs: interconnected solutions(sometimes called unified solutions) and integrated solutions. Interconnected solutionshave all the pieces (i.e. IVR, ACD, dialer, and so on) coupled together through APIs,middleware, and other external methods. Integrated solutions are built from a commonsoftware foundation. Both types of solution have advantages and disadvantages andboth have environments where that solution works best.Integrated solutions, because they have less “moving parts,” are typically moresuited to the small and midsized business world. The components of these solutionsshare interfaces and structure, making maintenance and upgrades simpler. Commonfoundations let integrated solution vendors streamline installation and upgradeprocesses. Users, partners, and field engineers typically install all features at onceand turn on the feature the customer has purchased. Future maintenance and featurereleases are installed to all modules, even those the customer is not using. If thecustomer purchases a new module, it is ready to go and can be initiated withouthaving to upgrade first. Finally, integrated solutions have common interfaces, a singlemanagement interface and the same look and feel throughout all its screens. This has theadvantage of decreasing the learning curve and improving administration efficiency.ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center is a totally integrated contact center solution andincludes ACD, IVR, top-to-bottom historic and real-time reporting, and outbounddialer. Users operate the solution from a single administration interface, which includesan interaction flow designer and campaign manager. The integrated solution allowsShoreTel resellers to thoroughly train their support and installation personnel in allaspects of the solution, requiring fewer professionals to install and maintain the solution.The close integration of the components allows the user to take full advantage of itssingle administration interface to streamline training and decrease the learning curve.ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center is also very closely integrated with ShoreTel UC. Thisenables IT managers to improve the return on investment of the UC solution as well asthe contact center solution through shared hardware. Customers calling into contactcenters are routed using the same hardware components as customers calling into thecorporate switchboard. The close integration eliminates the need for a set of mediaservers and voice switches specifically to support contact center traffic. Using ShoreTelCommunicator, ShoreTel Contact Center agents and supervisors access the same userinterface as other users, reducing the training and management costs for IT.Optimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 6

Use open standards to expand the solutionOpen standards are commonly used and agreed-upon communication protocols. Theyenable diverse solutions to exchange information, commands, and controls without theneed for proprietary translators or specific programming languages. Common openstandards include Session Initiated Protocol (SIP), Web Services, and Open DatabaseConnectivity (ODBC).Open standards, being almost universally accepted, are easy to implement and simpleto maintain. While some programming has to occur, most solutions that support openstandards also supply graphical workflow designers. In addition, the skills neededto support open standards are easily found in the market or can be learned throughnumerous training facilities. IT managers can hire the most appropriate and qualifiedcandidate or send a current employee to training.ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center supports open standards such as SIP, JavaScriptObject Notation (JSON), ODBC, Web Services. IT managers can use open standardsto integrate ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center with other solutions, providing contactcenter agents with a rich assortment of customer information. ShoreTel’s use of openstandards provides the IT managers with choices. They can support the integrationsthemselves, shop around for a qualified third-party contractor, or hire a fully qualifiedShoreTel reseller.Include unified communications in the integrated solutionUC enables the contact center to better support customers and provides multiplecommunication channels, such as voice, text, and chat, in one interface. Agents whoneed assistance can find an available supervisor or expert agent through presence andsend an instant message with a question or a request for help. In addition, UC allowsagents to easily conference in a supervisor or expert agent with the customer or to createa video conference between the agent and the expert.However, if not integrated into the contact center solution, UC solutions can be difficultand complex to implement. Interconnected solutions couple a third-party UC solutionwith the contact center solution. While this works well, it requires constant care and canrequire special skills and additional hardware. For IT departments with limited resources,using a solution with UC features already integrated may prove to be a more effective useof resources. Integration removes the external component and uses internal structuresto exchange data. Furthermore, an integrated UC solution does not require additionalhardware or third-party middleware. In short, an integrated solution is cleaner and morestreamlined.Make sure you determine components that are manufactured directly by the vendorsince increasing the touch points, even if not directly, increases costs for the ITdepartment. Components such as phones, conferencing, gateways, desktop clients, andso on, are some of the key components that you may want the vendor to manufacture.Optimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 7

ShoreTel offers customers an integrated UC solution. Its solution provides multiplecommunication channels, including voice, instant message, Web chat, and video. TheShoreTel UC system uses the same user interface as ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center,maximizing the space on the user’s desktop. The solution operates from the samehardware as the ShoreTel telephone solutions, streamlining maintenance and installation.Contact center solutions can be a complex web of hardware, software and middleware.Incorporating external solutions, such as CRM or ERP, into the contact center systemadds complexity and risk. Integrated solutions and open standards provide significantbenefits to IT departments with limited resources. Integration reduces the resourcesneeded to install and maintain the system by incorporating all features and functionalityinto a single entity. Open standards reduce costs by reducing the need for specializedtraining on proprietary software, or the use of consultants to create connections betweenthe contact center solution and external systems. IT managers with a limited budget andrestricted resources are advised to investigate integrated solutions.5. Design for business continuity rather than disaster recoveryEliminate single points of failureContact centers are becoming mission-critical operations for businesses and more effortis being placed into keeping the center operational during emergencies. Snowstorms,hurricanes, and even fire drills can have an impact on revenue and customer satisfaction.Depending on the call volume received, a period of inactivity for a little as 30 minutescan take a significant chunk out of a company’s revenue. In addition, businesses operatein a fast news market and news spreads quickly through social media. A small outage mayturn into a revenue and marketing nightmare as customers tweet that they cannot getthrough to a company.IT managers must work with the contact center manager to design a business continuityplan, rather than a disaster recovery plan. Disaster recovery means that the contactcenter was unavailable for a time while business continuity means that the contact centerwas operational during the crisis.When it comes to business continuity, sometimes the old truths are the simplestsolutions:Never keep all your eggs in one basketThe goal of a business continuity plan is to keep interactions coming into the contactcenter and to have agents available to answer the interactions during an emergency.The key to a successful business continuity plan is to remove single points of failureby distributing agents into two or more locations. Distributing agents reduces the riskof a complete outage due to a building closure, fire drill, or other event affecting theOptimizing Customer Interactions through the Contact CenterPAGE 8

single location. The following figure is an example of a distributed contact center. Notethe separate contact centers. For business continuity purposes, these are dispersedlocations but connected through the corporate network.Media GatewayPSTN/ISTPRemote Contact CenterData Center- IP Phone Switch- Voice Mail- Contact Center Server- Main Telephone LinesCORPORATE LAN/WANMediaGatewayRemote Data Center- Fully Redundant IP Phone Switch- Fully Redundant Voice Mail- Fully Redundant Contact Center Server- Backup, 911 and Local Telephone LinesMain Contact CenterPSTN/ISTPFigure 2 - A Distributed Contact CenterWhen selecting solutions with business continuity in mind, IT managers are advisedto look at systems that are designed to be distributed and fulfill most of the followrequirements: Each location must be able to accept and route interactions independently, as well asdependently. The contact center must be operational even when the data center is offline. Each location must be able to house all or at least 75 percent of agents. The solution must be able to recognize agents, regardless of location, and route calls totheir extension with no reconfiguration or definition changes. Distribution should be accomplished with the minimum amount of hardware andsoftware. All components must be

ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center is a totally integrated contact center solution and includes ACD, IVR, top-to-bottom historic and real-time reporting, and outbound dialer. Users operate the soluti