Turn your cell phone in to a call center with an App.
Common Asked Question
The phrase “call center” brings up an image of a warehouse-sized room with 200 people sitting in cubicles answering the phone. In these times, a picture of a large crowd in a room brings shudders because of social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19. Companies are actively looking for ways to continue operations safely now and to cut unnecessary expenses as we face the post-pandemic future. One of these ways is through the use of mobile apps.
These apps can turn mobile phones into full-service centers that are just as professional as brick-and-mortar ones. They allow users to set up greetings, such as “Hello, thank you for calling the Western Widget Company.” They also enable companies to set up rules to determine what happens when calls come in; for example, the callers are sent to a menu from which they choose the next step or to one of several team members set up on a round-robin. If companies choose a menu, they can tell the system which team member to automatically forward the call to based on the customer’s menu selection; for example,
- Sales
- Billing
- Customer Service. Many also provide on-hold music, voicemail-to-email, fax-to-email, and audio caller ID.
Some apps also provide a whisper or similar warning that tells the team member as they answer that the call is business-related so that they greet the caller appropriately. The apps also allow the team member to indicate whether or not they are available and will forward calls only to available team members. Some also provide statistics that analyze call flow to enable managers to determine staffing levels and understand the most popular menu choices or updates to customer relationship management systems. Pricing is most typically through a monthly charge.
Examples
The mobile call center industry is growing, and new mobile app companies are being founded throughout the world. Also, companies that have provided traditional business phone systems are branching out into mobile apps. Here are a few examples.
Grasshopper
LogMeIn acquired Grasshopper in 2018. Grasshopper also is a business communications suite that works with both landlines and mobile phones. It offers more basic call center features such as call management, forwarding, texting, on-hold music, and some reporting, and but still gives the customer the sound of a larger company with a PBX system. It also is priced monthly.
Dialpad
Dialpad, founded in 2011 and investor-financed, claims 70,000 customers, including some well-known ones such as Uber, Motorola, and Quora. It also works with desktop and mobile phones. Its artificial intelligence coach provides suggested answers to agents based upon trigger words and brings up customer details quickly for each call. It also boasts flexible call routing that can be based on skill or agent availability and says it works with a variety of other platforms, such as Salesforce. It has flexible monthly pricing that is discounted for companies that pay annually.
Mobile call centers provide several benefits over traditional large-room call centers.
Ability to Work Remotely
In the pandemic, the ability for employees to work remotely has been a business saver. But remote working will provide benefits to businesses long after the pandemic. Companies will be able to hire the very best people, regardless of where they live in the world. Employees will save the time and expense of commuting, which also could be a recruiting draw. Infrastructure costs even drop dramatically, as well, meaning that a company can focus its money on talent, product, sales, and customer service rather than buildings, furnishings, and networking.
Apps
Mobile phone call center apps also work with other apps, such as interactive chat apps and apps providing customer service updates. The apps themselves also provide for searchable call records and analytics.
Access to Geographic Information
Mobile apps provide access to the customer’s location, which allows the remote call center to direct the call to someone located near the customer. This geographic routing can improve customer service because the local agent will be more familiar with local customs, and can personalize his or her answers based on knowledge of the location.
Texting
Millennials make up a large chunk of customers for many businesses. An Open Market survey indicates that this generation strongly prefers texting to talking on their cell phones. About 75 percent would prefer to receive appointment reminders, delivery and payment reminders, and surveys via text. Mobile call center agents have the option to text rather than call customers. By engaging with customers in their preferred way, customer service improves.
Remote working is a trend that is likely here to stay. Mobile call center apps can help remote businesses be as professional as brick-and-mortar ones, but also offer added tools to help them engage better with modern customers.
