Contact centre as a service is a type of cloud-based solution that allows businesses to manage multichannel customer interactions effectively. It provides scalable SaaS applications that enhance customer and employee experiences, reduce IT demands and integrate flexibly with vendor technologies.
Customer care is everything for modern businesses, but there are also modern challenges that sometimes stand in the way. Purchasing and maintaining customer-service software is often a major investment, and scaling that technology to meet current (or future) demand is likewise a constant concern. To offset these issues and ensure the best possible support for the people who drive their success, many customer-focused businesses turn to contact-centre-as-a-service (CCaaS) solutions.
CCaaS makes it possible for organisations to manage their customer interactions without the need for traditional, physical contact centres infrastructure. By working with external vendors, usually through a subscription model, these companies gain the tools they need to provide high-quality customer service through advanced contact centres while limiting the strain of major upfront investments.
The vendors provide a centralised platform and take on the cost of the hardware, software and other resources, while the company pays only for the time and bandwidth it needs. This gives organisations access to multichannel customer service capabilities, including phones, websites, email, SMS, live chat, social media and even review platforms.
There are a wide variety of features that help streamline customer service operations. Whether it is improving the efficiency of contact centre personnel or the customer experience, these different components often make a CCaaS worth it.
This core feature routes incoming calls to the appropriate agent based on predefined criteria such as skill set, availability and customer priority. This helps create efficient management of customer inquiries.
IVR systems guide customers through a series of automated menus and options, allowing them to solve simple issues or route their calls to the correct department without human intervention.
This feature automates outbound calling processes, optimising the time agents spend on the phone. Then there are predictive diallers, which can anticipate when agents will be free and automatically dial numbers—which also helps maximise efficiency.
These tools help forecast call volumes and schedule the right number of staff with the appropriate skills at the right times to meet expected service levels.
Monitoring tools provide real-time analytics and historical data to oversee and enhance agent performance and customer satisfaction.
IVAs use AI to handle basic customer interactions or assist human agents, freeing up agents for more complex issues and helping customers quickly handle easy issues.
Omnichannel integrates the entire range of communication channels (such as voice, text, email and social media) into a single interface, making the customer experience even more seamless.
Comprehensive analytics tools help track and report on various metrics, allowing managers to make data-driven decisions and improve operations.
NLP enables more effective understanding and processing of human language in voice and text communications, enhancing both IVR and IVA functions.
This feature ensures that all transactions processed through the contact centre meet Payment card industry data security standards, which is critical for operations that handle sensitive financial data.
Advances in AI allow for more natural interactions between customers and virtual agents. The less robotic the interactions are, the more likely companies can improve engagement and resolution rates.
This feature encourages customers to use digital and self-service channels, reducing the load on live agents and accelerating resolution times.
The distinction between a call centre and CCaaS primarily lies in the scope of services provided and the infrastructure used to deliver these services.
A call centre typically refers to a centralised office used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. It focuses mainly on voice communication and is often used for telemarketing, customer support and other telephone-based services. Call centres can be either in-house, where the business owns and manages the operations, or outsourced to a third-party service provider.
On the other hand, CCaaS provides businesses with the software and services necessary to run a contact centre. Unlike traditional call centres that primarily focus on voice communications, CCaaS supports omnichannel communication. As we have mentioned, this includes voice, email, text, social media and more integrated into a single platform.
While traditional call centres are more focused on managing voice interactions and may require significant on-premises resources, CCaaS offers a more flexible, scalable and technologically advanced approach. Using cloud technology to boost the customer experience has made CCaaS more and more popular for businesses.
"Cloud-based" and "on-premises" refer to the infrastructure and the deployment model of the contact centre solutions. Each has distinct features, benefits and considerations that can influence an organisation's decision based on its specific needs and strategic goals.
Cloud-based CCaaS solutions are hosted on the vendor's servers and accessed over the internet. This model leverages cloud computing to offer contact centre functionalities as a service. Its key features include:
- Scalability: Easily scales to accommodate fluctuating call volumes and organisational growth without the need for physical infrastructure expansion.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Typically operates on a subscription model, which reduces upfront capital expenditure and shifts costs to operational expenditure. Organisations pay for what they use, which can be adjusted as needs change.
- Maintenance and Upgrades: The vendor is responsible for maintaining the software and hardware, performing updates and ensuring system security and reliability.
- Remote Accessibility: Agents can access the system from anywhere with an internet connection, facilitating remote work and distributed contact centre operations.
- Speed of Deployment: Deployment is quick since it does not require physical infrastructure setup or extensive on-site installations.
Some considerations for businesses include:
- Dependence on Internet Connectivity: Requires reliable and high-speed internet access to function optimally.
- Data Security: Data is stored off-site, which can be a concern for organisations with stringent data privacy regulations or security requirements.
On-premises CCaaS solutions are installed and run on a company's own hardware and servers, typically managed within their physical business premises. Key features here include:
- Control and Customisation: Offers greater control over the configuration, security and management of the infrastructure and software.
- Data Security: Sensitive data remains on-site, which can comply better with specific industry regulations and corporate policies regarding data handling and privacy.
- Performance and Reliability: Performance is often more predictable because it relies less on external factors like internet bandwidth and external data centres.
Businesses can take these considerations into account:
- Higher Upfront Costs: Requires significant investment in hardware, software licences and the physical space to house the infrastructure.
- Maintenance and Upgrades: The organisation is responsible for ongoing maintenance, updates and security, which can require dedicated IT staff and additional resources.
- Scalability Constraints: Scaling up often requires additional hardware purchases and can be time-consuming.
So how do companies decide which model to use? Choosing between cloud-based and on-premises CCaaS solutions depends largely on the organisation's priorities, such as cost, control, security and flexibility.
It's clear that cloud-based solutions offer modern, scalable and cost-efficient options ideal for many businesses, especially those with variable demand and limited IT resources. On-premises solutions, while more resource-intensive, provide enhanced control and security. This makes them suited for enterprises with specific compliance requirements or those who prefer full control over their technological assets.
There are also some different types of cloud-based communication services, which may suit some companies over others. Here's a basic breakdown.
UCaaS integrates multiple communication and collaboration functionalities into a single cloud-based platform. It typically includes services like voice and video calling, messaging, conferencing and presence information. The key features include:
- Unified Interface: Provides a seamless user experience across multiple communication methods.
- Collaboration Tools: Integrates various tools such as video conferencing, instant messaging, file sharing and email.
- Mobility: Users can access services from any device, enhancing flexibility and supporting remote work.
- Scalability: Easily scales up or down based on organisational needs without significant infrastructure changes.
UCaaS is ideal for organisations looking to enhance internal communication and collaboration across dispersed teams.
This platform allows businesses to add real-time communication features to their own applications without needing to build backend infrastructure and interfaces. It provides APIs and SDKs to integrate various communication features like SMS, voice and video into existing business applications or services. These are the key features:
- Developer Tools: Offers APIs and SDKs for integration into existing software and mobile apps.
- Customisation: Highly customisable, allowing businesses to tailor the communication features to specific needs.
- Cost-Effective: Reduces the need for extensive in-house development of communication capabilities.
- Enhanced Customer Interaction: Facilitates direct communication with customers through embedded real-time communication features in apps and websites.
CPaaS is suitable for businesses that need to integrate communication functionalities directly into their digital platforms or who are developing custom communication solutions for customer engagement.
As we've discussed, CCaaS is a cloud-based solution that allows companies to manage multichannel customer interactions, such as voice, email, chat and social media, through a single interface. It focuses primarily on enhancing customer service operations. Compared to the other cloud-based options, CCaaS's key features are:
- Multichannel Support: Supports various customer communication channels in one platform.
- Scalability: Scales according to the volume of interactions and seasonal fluctuations. Ï Advanced Analytics: Provides tools for monitoring and improving customer interactions.
- Integration Capabilities: Often integrates with CRM systems and other business applications to provide a comprehensive view of customer interactions.
CCaaS is designed specifically for businesses that operate customer service or contact centres and need powerful tools to manage customer interactions efficiently.
- More agility. Quickly adapts to market changes and operational needs without extensive infrastructure updates.
- Cost-effectiveness and improved profit margins. Reduces capital expenditures with a pay-as-you-go model, improving profit margins.
- Scalability & flexibility. Can scale up or down based on real-time demand. This scalability ensures that businesses pay only for what they use, whether they need to ramp up operations during peak periods or scale down during slower times.
- Improved customer experience. Offers multichannel support for seamless interaction across voice, chat, email and social media. Advanced features like intelligent routing and analytics ensure that customer inquiries are handled more efficiently and effectively.
- Increased agent productivity. Automates workflows and provides tools that reduce repetitive tasks and enhance issue resolution.
- Improved security & reliability. Features reliable security, including data encryption and compliance with industry standards, ensuring data protection and service reliability.
While there isn't a singular way to put your CCaaS into practice, these are the core steps companies need to take to get things up and running.
First, understand your specific needs, such as the volume of interactions and types of customer communication channels required to meet your customer service goals. This evaluation should also consider customer demographics, peak service times and any compliance requirements. Embracing this step is what will help you build a foundation that best aligns with your strategic objectives.
Next, it's important to gauge the best cloud format—which largely comes down to the level of control that your contact centre operations need. You will need to choose between a private, public or hybrid cloud.
- Private cloud: For businesses needing exclusive control over their environments.
- Public cloud: Utilises shared resources for cost-efficiency and scalability.
- Hybrid cloud: Combines both private and public clouds for flexibility and optimised security.
Pinpoint crucial functionalities needed for your operations. This may include multichannel support to ensure consistent service across all customer touchpoints. You may be focused on IVR systems for efficient call management. Or there is seamless CRM integration, great for a unified view of customer interactions. You might also consider advanced analytics to drive decision-making and improve service quality. Whatever the case, this is when you get into the details and decide your core functions.
Next, assess and possibly upgrade your network infrastructure to handle the additional load of cloud-based services. It's important to ensure strong internet connectivity and internal network stability to support high-quality, uninterrupted customer interactions. Consider redundant connectivity options to mitigate potential downtime.
These days, it's also critical to implement automation across common tasks and workflows to streamline operations and reduce manual errors. Automation can help prioritise customer inquiries, assign tickets to the most suitable agents and trigger real-time alerts for urgent issues. Be sure to prioritise what workflows to automate based on your most frequent call types.
Carefully deploy the CCaaS solution across your organisation. This process includes setting up the software, integrating it with existing systems and configuring settings to match operational workflows.
Your teams are going to need support, so develop a comprehensive training programme for all agents that covers how to effectively use the new system. You can especially emphasise the tools and features they will use daily. Whenever possible, training should include simulations and real-time feedback to ensure agents are comfortable and proficient with the new technology.
Utilise the analytics and reporting features of your CCaaS to monitor key performance indicators, track service levels and analyse customer satisfaction metrics. This data is crucial for identifying trends, pinpointing areas for improvement and making informed decisions about resource allocation and strategy adjustments.
Anticipate the adjustments and challenges that may come with implementing a new CCaaS. This includes managing changes in workflow, updating internal policies and possibly altering organisational structures.
Establish a clear plan for how future updates to the CCaaS solution will be managed and communicated within your organisation. This should include scheduling regular training sessions to keep all users up to date with new features and changes. Coordinate with your CCaaS provider to receive timely updates about upcoming enhancements and ensure that your team has the resources needed for a smooth transition.
Of course, who you choose as a provider for your CCaaS can make or break your experience as a company and that of your customers. Consider these primary points as you research potential vendors.
- Consider future and current operational requirements: Evaluate how well a CCaaS solution can scale to meet your future business growth in addition to fulfilling current needs. It's important to choose a provider that can easily accommodate an increase in call volume, expansion into new markets, or additional communication channels without significant disruptions or cost penalties.
- Focus on integration capabilities: Ensure that the CCaaS solution can integrate seamlessly with your existing business applications such as CRM systems, databases, ERP systems and other tools that are critical for your operations.
- Thoroughly assess vendor reputation and support: Research potential providers to understand their market reputation and the quality of their customer support. Look for reviews, case studies and testimonials from other users, especially those in your industry. It is also beneficial to evaluate the provider's track record for system uptime, customer service responsiveness and the ability to resolve issues promptly.
- Implement thorough data security measures: Security is a paramount concern, especially when dealing with customer data. Choose a CCaaS provider that offers advanced security features, such as data encryption, secure data storage, compliance with relevant regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA BAA etc.) and regular security audits.
- Factor total cost of ownership (TCO): When evaluating potential CCaaS solutions, look beyond just the initial subscription fees. Consider the total cost of ownership, which includes costs associated with deployment, integration, training, operation and any potential upgrades. A solution that appears cheaper initially may be more expensive in the long run if it requires extensive customisations or incurs higher operational costs.
As customer service expectations continue to rise, maintaining efficient and effective communication remains a critical challenge for organisations. ServiceNow Cloud Call Centre, integrated with Amazon Connect, offers an innovative approach to customer service management.
ServiceNow harnesses the best of both worlds by combining advanced natural language AI technologies such as Amazon Lex, Transcribe and Comprehend with the comprehensive workflows and customer service capabilities of ServiceNow CSM.
Discover how integrating ServiceNow Cloud Call Centre with Amazon Connect can help you reimagine the voice channel, meet escalating demands and deliver service excellence at reduced costs. Demo ServiceNow today, and optimise your contact centre to drive success.