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Planning Your Transition to Cloud Communications

Growing a business means upgrading your systems and tech to use more efficient solutions that will help your employees do their job better.

Upgrading your business communications, in that vein, means improving the way your business communicates internally and externally. This means gaining high-quality voice, reducing downtime, and maintaining business continuity. A transition to cloud communications can ensure your phone system functions efficiently and continuously without interruption, no matter where your teams are.

Here is an in-depth guide on migrating to cloud communications, focusing on:

 

Why Should You Transition to the Cloud?

A recent trend within business technology is the adoption of cloud solutions such as cloud storage, cloud computing, cloud-based management systems, cloud communications, and so on.

The main reason to upgrade your legacy phone system is access to better and more secure services. But that aside, there are many reasons to transition to cloud communications—from wanting to revamp its business phone system to bringing on new features and services. You can get:

  • Access to advanced features and services
  • More reports and data
  • Better cloud security
  • Flexibility and scalability
  • Increased collaboration and productivity
  • Improved business continuity and disaster recovery
  • Cost-effective and user-friendly systems.

Benefits of Migrating Communications to the Cloud

But why your business should consider cloud communications depends on what you want to achieve with a cloud phone system.

  • Do you want more reliable service?
  • Do you want to expand globally in a cost-effective way?
  • Are you looking to scale your customer support and sales reach?
  • Do you want to manage local, global, and remote teams through one centralized communications platform?

A transition to cloud communications can help you do these and more. Here are the top benefits you get when you migrate to cloud communications:

  • High-quality voice service with multiple layers of redundancy and low downtime
  • Access to new and advanced call management features
  • Ability to work from any location and device
  • Support for local, global, and remote teams
  • Reduced risks and improved business continuity across different locations
  • Ability to scale your business globally with cloud phone numbers.

What to Avoid During a Cloud Communication Migration?

Even as you prepare for the switch, you may miss out on some key aspects that can impede the success of your new communication system.

Top mistakes to avoid when transitioning to cloud communications.

Thankfully, you can avoid and resolve these issues by communicating with your employees and cloud phone service provider. An experienced cloud phone service provider can help you avoid these issues and transition smoothly.

Related: Transforming Your Legacy Contact Center

What to Keep in Mind When Transitioning

Things to keep in mind when you transition to cloud communications.When you decide to adopt cloud communications, you need to pay attention to 3 key elements:

1. Technology

Your phone system technology and equipment must be aligned and prepared for the transition. It is, therefore, important to review what you currently have and if you need anything else.

Tools and features — Which services and features are being used, why, and by whom? How do your teams communicate internally and externally? What valuable tools and features are missing in your existing phone solution? What business processes can benefit from new communication features?

Network — Can your existing phone network and internet service handle the increased demand of the new provider and service? Do you need a new provider who can support your plans to scale your business? What changes do you need to make to improve security, such as switching your router or firewall?

Equipment — Can existing equipment and hardware be reused, or do you need to replace them with new hardware? Does your cloud telephony provider a service that can be integrated within your existing network? For example, using a softphone for placing business calls through the computer.

2. Processes

This part of the process focused on understanding what your ideal business communication process looks like and identifying gaps to fill.

Map Out Existing Communication Processes — How does your business communicate internally? How do your local, global, and remote teams share information and collaborate? What are some ways to improve this type of communication? How do you handle customer-related inbound and outbound calls? What disaster recovery and redundancy plans do you have in place or need to have?

How to Improve These Processes — How can new features support your business communication goals and processes? What new features and additional services do you need (instant messaging, live chat, advanced routing, etc.)? How can you use cloud telephony to expand globally and improve call management?

3. People

Part of preparing your business for a transition to cloud communications is to get everyone on board, including employees, suppliers, customers, prospects, stakeholders.

First, you need to understand how your staff uses the existing communication system and what they need from the new phone system. Their feedback is crucial in the successful adoption of the new system.

Once the migration process begins, everyone will need formal training to move the process along smoothly. Everyone who uses the new system will need the training to understand how the new system and features work. Your provider should provide such onboarding training and support. It’s a good idea to create guides and knowledge bases that everyone can access for information.

If there are any changes to workflow and processes (such as flexible working options or new customer support centers), make sure to communicate these effectively with policies in place.

Planning for Cloud Communications in 2021.
Source: Stockphoto.com – O#100102492272 ID#100186088462

How to Transition to Cloud Communications Successfully

By preparation for your transition to the cloud, you can:

  • Migrate with little disruption and low downtime
  • Implement a solution tailored and customized to your business’ requirements
  • Improve your workflows and processes
  • Provide training and support for staff, stakeholders, and customers.

Here are the 6 steps to a smooth and successful cloud communication migration:

Step 1: Visualize End Goals

First, you need to determine what you want your new business phone system to do and how much you want to spend on it. Then, you can start to look for the right provider with relevant features and a compatible service plan.

Step 2: Review the Current Situation

Next, audit your current system. What assets, capabilities, and processes are working well? What is essential to your business and teams? Get feedback from employees and others using your phone system.

Step 3: Identify Improvement Opportunities

When doing your review, identify what is lacking in your current system. Different cloud phone service providers offer different tools, features, and add-ons, but not all may be necessary for your needs. So, it is crucial to know what you need from your provider to make your business run smoothly and efficiently.

Step 4: Find the Right Cloud Phone Service Provider

Once you identify what you need, you can look for the right provider and cloud communication solution. Compare top providers, review plans and pricing, look at customer reviews and testimonials. You also want to understand the onboarding process and migration support so that you can transition smoothly without any interruptions or downtime.

Step 5: Prepare your Business

Then, you need to get everyone on the same page with training and onboarding. This change will impact different sections of your business: staff, customers, vendors, and suppliers. So, they need to prepare as well.

Step 6: Assess Network and Test

As you transition to the new cloud communication system, you want to test and make sure everything is running efficiently on your network. Your provider can help with configuration and testing.

Cloud Communications Transition with Global Call Forwarding

Migrating to the cloud is a big step, but one in the right direction. It can elevate the way your business communicates with customers and partners, and it can support your expansion plans and establish your business as a credible and reliable one.

Global Call Forwarding can help you build a cloud communication system that works for your business. We offer a wide range of call management tools and additional services so that you can focus more on your business and customers instead of your phone system.

Speak with our experts to learn more. Call us today at 1-888-908-6171 or chat with us online.

What is Call Analytics?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know where most of your prospects are located? Or, what marketing and social channels they use frequently? Call analytics is one way to gather this information based on your inbound call reports. With this information, you can streamline your marketing efforts to ensure your brand reaches your ideal customers wherever they are looking and shopping.

Here’s a quick overview of how call analytics work, what data your business can hope to collect, and how you can use that information to improve sales.

How Can Call Analytics and Reports Benefit Your Business?

Call analytics uses call reporting and tracking to help marketing and sales teams identify revenue opportunities and optimize their marketing efforts. When you track and analyze where your business calls come from, you can identify how customers and prospects find your brand and what prompts them to interact with it — whether calling to inquire about a product or make a purchase.

To get call analytics, you will need to subscribe to a cloud-based phone service provider that offers call records and call tracking software.

What is Call Analytics?

Call analytics is the measurement, analysis, and reporting of voice and phone call data. It refers to call reports containing data that you can use to analyze marketing strategies.

Marketing and sales teams within a company can use call analytics to understand customer behaviors and preferences, and optimize marketing and sales campaigns accordingly.

Most cloud-based phone service providers will offer you call analytics and reports along with their service. If you are a Global Call Forwarding customer, you can view and download call detail records (CDRs) in your control panel under Billing & Payments > Invoices. You can then use this information to streamline marketing and sales.

What Data Can You Collect with Analytics?

To understand customer preferences, prioritize campaigns, and optimize your business’ messaging, you need the right data. Call reports and analytics are only as valuable as the data you collect through them. With most call reports, you can collect the following data:

  • Caller’s phone number
  • Day and time of the call
  • Duration of the call
  • Geographic location the caller called from (caller’s location)
  • Original number the caller called (call forwarding number)
  • Device the caller used to engage with your marketing campaign (mobile, landline)
  • If the call was answered or missed
  • If the call went to voicemail
  • Whether the caller is a new or repeat caller
  • Marketing channel that led to the call (landing page, social media platform, billboard, etc.)

Image showing data that businesses can collect with call analytics.

In some advanced services, you may even have access to:

  • Channel, campaign, ad group, keyword, and webpage that drove the call
  • How long the caller waited on hold
  • If the caller abandoned the call
  • The call’s lead score, on a scale of 1 to 10, based on the conversation
  • If the call resulted in a sale or appointment
  • If a CX issue occurred on the call

Your business may not need to collect all this data. So, before you invest in a call analytics solution, it is a good idea to determine what you need this solution to do and what goals you plan to accomplish with the data you collect.

Which Industries Use Call Analytics Solutions?

Any industry that uses inbound voice calls to gain new customers and retain existing customers can use call analytics and reports. These calls could be customers calling to inquire about a product or service or customers requiring assistance with a product or service. And so companies in the following B2B and B2C industries can benefit from a call analytics solutions:

  • Automotive
  • Business services
  • Ecommerce and retail
  • Education
  • Financial services (banks, online banks, insurance, mortgage, investment)
  • Home services
  • Lead generation and marketing services
  • Real estate
  • Technology and telecom
  • Travel and hospitality, and the likes.

Even if your business does not fall under these categories, you may want to look into the benefits of tracking where your calls come from and how you can use that information to improve targeting and marketing.

Call Analytics Features

There are a few different ways to gather call analytics data — reports, recordings, transcripts, and so on. Here are the top call analytics features where most of your call data and customer information resides.

Advanced Reporting and Call Detail Records

Call records are a crucial feature of call analytics and call tracking. This is where you can gather quick details about the calls coming in, such as the caller’s phone number, caller’s location, what number they dialed, duration of the call, date and time of the call, and so on.

As mentioned above, advanced reporting will give you more details about your caller and lead. You can view which channels and marketing campaigns are bringing you the most leads. For instance, you can determine if your website is attracting more business or your social media campaigns. This data can then inform your next marketing and sales strategy to improve your conversion rate.

Call Recording

A call recording software lets you record incoming and outgoing calls and store the records for up to 6 years. This way, you can listen to conversations and gain insights into customer behaviors. For example:

  • What are most customers looking for when they come to your business?
  • What are some common customer complaints?
  • How did customers find out about your product or service?
  • What are customers expecting from your teams?

Your agents can also qualify leads by going back in and replaying the conversation and preparing customized follow-up questions and tactics that will help nurture the customer.

Another benefit of recording calls is the ability to analyze them later for quality assurance. How are your agents and reps representing your company on these calls? What can they do to increase conversions? What patterns and tactics work and which ones fail?

Call Transcripts

An alternative to call recording — and at times, a complementary solution — is using automated call transcripts. Most providers will offer you both call recordings and transcripts so you can choose to listen in or simply read and scan through the transcripts.

With call transcripts, you can get a visual idea of what is happening within your business calls. Additionally, you might even be able to search for specific keywords or keyphrases through these transcripts to focus on specific issues.

Call transcripts paired with recordings, that capture tone and inflection, can help managers get comprehensive visibility of what happens within customer calls.

Related: Call Monitoring: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Lead Scoring and Qualification

Some advanced call reporting tools will also let you track the quality of your leads and where your best leads are coming from with automatic lead scoring. This is a relatively new technology that would allow you to quickly view priority leads.

call metrics and tracking

Source: DepositPhotos.com – Lic#212527816 ID#27446420

What Can You Do With Call Analytics?

Your business can use call analytics and detail records for a variety of reasons. But the main benefits include:

  • Understanding customer behavior and preferences
  • Gaining insights into customer pain points and complaints
  • Optimizing brand messaging and creating targeted marketing campaigns
  • Improving overall marketing and sales effectiveness
  • Training new employees and enhancing quality assurance
  • Increasing profitability and saving time

Let’s look at these benefits in more detail.

Using Call Analytics for Call Tracking

You can track incoming calls by using different phone numbers for various campaigns and channels. With call forwarding, you can then have calls made to these numbers forwarded to your main office or customer service line.

Call detail records will list the number the caller dialed to connect to your business as the calls come in. This type of international call tracking will let you know which region, country, or campaign drove that call.

You can use local and international phone numbers to track local and international calls and key global call metrics. This will help you identify which countries and marketing campaigns are bringing you the most customers.

Improve Marketers and Sales Campaigns

Call analytics features such as call recording and call transcripts can help you understand what patterns, tactics, and messaging helped convert an interested prospect into a customer. You can also understand what customer pain points are shared within your target audience and what they expect from your business.

You can use this information to optimize marketing messaging and create effective drip campaigns that will help drive conversions.

Train Employees and Improve Quality Assurance

You can use analytics to evaluate how your employees and agents are performing on business calls. Furthermore, you can use it to train new employees by identified tactics that are successful. You can also look at reports and recordings to improve quality assurance so that your agents represent your brand in the right way.

Identify Profitability and Saving Time

With all the above tools, you can use call analytics and reports to identify good leads and lucrative marketing opportunities. This will help you drive more promising and qualified leads to your business as opposed to weaker leads. Use call analytics to save time chasing the wrong leads and improve profits by focusing on high-quality leads.

Using Call Records to Improve Caller Experience

Call analytics and reports can help your business enhance caller experience when a customer or prospect reaches out to your business. And it can also bring your business more relevant and qualified leads. If you do not have a call analytics solution in place, it is easy to get started.

Global Call Forwarding offers call detail records for each phone number and line you use with us. You can easily access this data from your control panel. Want to learn more? Speak with your account manager. Not a Global Call Forwarding customer? Sign up today or chat with our representatives to learn more!

8 Reasons to Expand Internationally

There’s a stage in every small-to-medium-sized business’ life where you ask: is it time to take the next step and pursue international expansion? And while many companies have achieved global expansion successfully — and many have failed as well — there is a general tendency of doubt whether it is worth the gamble.

Especially now, after the global pandemic and with so many businesses having to shut down or halt operations.

But while expanding your business after COVID-19 may seem challenging, it is a worthwhile and beneficial avenue to consider with the support of the right resources and people.

Why Should Businesses Go Global?

So then, what really is the benefit of entering your business in the global market and taking the risk? Besides opening up a whole new revenue stream, international growth allows your business to establish a global reputation. Such a reputation will help you attract and retain more high-quality customers. And it will open up more investment opportunities that will help your business further scale.

What is the Cost of Global Expansion?

But is it worth the risk? The short answer: it depends on your business and the demand for your products and services.

Not every business is suited for the global stage. Maybe your industry is too niche, or your services are useful only to a specific group. In that case, international expansion may not be for you.

It also depends on which stage of growth your business is in right now. If you are a start-up still trying to find your footing, then it’s better to put off global plans. But if you are an established business gearing up to release new products and features that might appeal to a broader audience, then you might benefit from taking them global.

You need to consider international expansion costs when looking at the best countries to expand to in 2023. Important factors to consider include:

  • State of the region’s economy post-COVID-19
  • Demand for the product and service
  • Overhead costs — office space, supplies, and equipment
  • Moving costs
  • Cost of labor and materials
  • Logistics and shipping costs
  • Country’s rules and regulations regarding foreign businesses, and so on.

Thankfully, careful budgeting and a clear expansion plan can help you keep costs low. You can use one of these various types of international expansion strategies to expand globally efficiently while staying within your budget. Additionally, instead of jumping right in and investing everything in your expansion plan, start slow with a light footprint, and grow gradually.

Learn more about global expansion strategies and best practices in our global expansion guide.

Reasons to expand your business globally.

8 Benefits of International Expansion

That said, what can your business achieve by growing internationally and why should you consider it? Here are the main reasons to consider international expansion:

1. Increased Revenue Potential

Most businesses look outside when they have exhausted growth opportunities at home. But even for companies that are relatively new (7+ years in business), there’s much to gain by entering new markets. You can explore new markets, market to new demographics, offer diversified products, and increase sales as a result of all this.

2. Entry into New Markets

International expansion also means access to more markets means more customers and more sales. Part of successfully entering a new market is researching the region and its demographics to ensure your business provides valuable and relevant products and services. This means working close to the ground to understand the needs and desires of the locals in these markets.

By doing that, you would create products and services they want to purchase and invest in. This is yet another way of showing your customers and prospects that you care about how they use your service. And that is crucial to building customer loyalty and responsiveness.

Side note: Entering new markets also means exposure to new investment opportunities but more on that later.

3. Access to Diverse Audience and Customer Base

With our heavily globalized world, your business is probably already catering to a diverse audience. Yet, you are limited when you stick to just one market or region. Instead of putting all your eggs in one basket, it is a good practice to diversify and spread them across multiple target markets. This way, if one market changes or slows down, you can rely on revenue streams from other markets.

Additionally, by catering to a diverse customer base, you will be required to create new products and services to meet their needs. This gives your business the opportunity to establish itself as a local entity or local-supporting business. A broader and diverse customer base always helps generate more business and sales.

4. Foreign Investment Opportunities

New markets mean new investment opportunities and access to new materials and talent. The main benefits of foreign direct investments include economic growth, access to greater resources, job creation, innovation and R&D, and support for developing countries. Foreign investments give your business the opportunity to not only access resources in other countries but also support developing and growing economies.

5. Opportunity to Diversify Your Business Portfolio

Another significant benefit of international expansion is the ability to diversify your business portfolio. Entering a new market allows you to invest locally. You can support other local businesses, and regional sustainability efforts, and partner with local organizations that align with your mission. This further lends to your business’s reputation and brand personality.

6. Offer Global Customer Support

When you open your business to international sales, you may find customers and prospects from different parts of the world. This means you will need global sales and support teams to nurture these customers.

While running global customer support may seem expensive and difficult to manage, you can adopt a follow-the-sun support model to manage your teams efficiently and cost-effectively. A follow-the-sun model uses advanced call forwarding to route incoming calls from one location to another. For example, you can route calls coming in from Europe to your remote team in London. Or, you can forward calls made between 9-5 within the Eastern Standard time zone to your team in New York. Or, you could just forward all calls, from anywhere in the world, to your main office in Mexico.

Some common routing strategies include:

  • Time-based routing – route calls based on the time of the call
  • Georouting – route calls based on the location of the caller
  • Skill-based routing – route calls based on the skills needed, such as language preferences or technical skills.

With such routing strategies available by cloud phone service providers, you do not need to have multiple offices globally. You can offer global care and support from your headquarters or through remote agents.

7. Access to Diverse and Skilled Talent

Next, you get to build a diverse workforce by accessing a large pool of skilled talent. Hiring global talent means variety in language skills and educational background. In fact, certain countries are known to excel in certain industries — like India with engineers and technologists. And so, you can attract high-quality talent from these regions as you expand internationally.

There are many benefits of having a diverse workforce:

  • Variety in skills and talent
  • Employing local workers and building local trust
  • Supporting locals
  • Reduced turnover rates, to name a few.

8. Gain a Competitive Edge and Improved Business Reputation

Together, all of these factors only add to your business’ diverse portfolio, helping you gain an edge over your competitors. By being accessible globally, your brand can develop an international presence and reliability. Customers will be familiar with your business and service, leading to more sales, partnerships, and profits.

Is Internal Expansion the Future for Your Business?

Expanding globally is a big step, but thankfully, there are countless resources and support centers to help businesses take this step confidently. If you need a global telephony provider to support your global business communications, consider Global Call Forwarding.

We can provide you with local and international toll-free numbers from more than 160 countries worldwide. We also offer cloud communication solutions for remote countries so that you can communicate with your customers no matter where they are located. Want to learn more? Browse through our features and services, or speak with our representatives today.

Top 8 Countries for Call Center Outsourcing in 2024

When your business is ready to outsource its customer service and business processes, you will need to know where to get cost-effective and high-quality services. While call centers are available in abundance, you need to find a call center outsourcing company that meets your needs and budget. Here is a list of the top 8 countries to outsource call center services to in 2024. We also look at what makes for a good and reliable call center outsourcing company.

Which Countries Make the Best Outsourcing Partners?

The top countries for call center outsourcing:

  • The Philippines
  • India
  • The United States
  • Brazil
  • Ukraine
  • Argentina
  • Poland
  • Malaysia

These countries are known, more than others, for call center offshoring and outsourcing. This is due to a variety of factors such as:

  • Population density
  • English proficiency and literacy rate
  • Governmental support and IT infrastructure
  • Access to advanced technology
  • Low-cost and multilingual labor.

This post will go over the top countries for call center outsourcing and why these countries rank highly.

What to Look for in a Call Center Outsourcing Company?

When deciding which call center offshoring company your business should partner with, you first need to determine what you need. Do you need only voice support, or do you want to offer multichannel support to your customers? Can your business benefit from automated support such as renewal reminders, holiday greetings, and so on?

Call centers can offer various services such as:

  • Inbound call support — customer support, technical support, help desk services, chat support, order processing
  • Outbound voice support — sales, lead generation, market research, appointment setting
  • IT services — troubleshooting and technical support
  • Automated services — appointment reminders, online scheduling, holiday greetings
  • Multichannel support — voice, video, email, live chat, text messaging

Most call centers offer a combination of services so that businesses can get the most out of outsourcing their business communications. Once you’ve decided what you need from your call center partner, you can find one that meets your budget and requirements.

Related: Call Center Trends in 2024

Top factors to consider when outsourcing your call center to other countries.

Best Countries for Call Center Outsourcing [2024]

But, what makes the following call center outsourcing countries rise above the others?

  • English language proficiency
  • Language empathy
  • Multilingual staff
  • Low labor costs
  • Affinity to Western cultures
  • Customer-focused services
  • Government incentives for foreign investors
  • Industry growth rate
  • Industry revenue rate

Let’s look at the top countries to outsource call center services:

1. The Philippines

The Philippines has rightfully earned its name as the world’s call center capital. This is because it continues to be a top location for call center outsourcing and BPO services. The main reasons why global companies turn to the Philippines for outsourcing are due to cost-effectiveness, operational efficiency, and an educated and diverse workforce.

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines claims that the country’s call center industry will expand and generate up to US$20.4 billion in revenue by 2022.

Industry body: IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP)

Top call center outsourcing companies in the Philippines:

  • Magellan Solutions
  • OBPO
  • Global Sky
  • Convergys Philippines Inc
  • Telephilippines Inc
  • 24/7 Customer Philippines Inc
  • IBM Daksh Business Process Services Philippines Inc
  • Sitel Philippines Corporation
  • Sutherland Global Services Philippines Inc

2. India

Following the Philippines closely is India, boasting the second largest call center industry. India’s call center workforce not only offers customer service and sales but also excels in software development and information technology. This gives India an edge when it comes to offering IT and BPO solutions. Reasons to choose to outsource your call center needs to India include cost-effectiveness, high-skilled and low-cost labor, and world-class IT infrastructure.

Industry body: National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)

Top call center outsourcing companies in India:

  • Infosys BPO
  • Wipro BPO
  • Genpact Ltd
  • WNS Global Services
  • TCS BPO
  • IBM Daksh
  • 24/7 Customer Pvt Ltd

3. The United States

Only recently did the US call center industry start gaining popularity. This is partially due to the governmental focus on gradually bringing more jobs to the US to increase employment. US call centers are currently sought after for IT and tech support services.

Industry body: National Association of Call Centers (NACC)

Top call center outsourcing companies in the US:

  • America’s Call Center (ACC)
  • BPO American
  • Intersoft BPO
  • MAP Communications
  • PROS
  • CIENCE Technologies
  • SupportYourApp
  • Remote CoWorker
  • Wow 24-7
  • SAGE Outsource Solutions
  • Unity Communications

4. Brazil

Brazil, like India, is also famous for its IT and tech support services. The country’s proximity to the US and Latin America had led to its call centers having an international presence and client base. And big-name companies like IBM and HP have often outsourced their services to local Brazil call centers.

Industry body: Brazilian Association of Software Companies (ABES)

Top call center outsourcing companies in Brazil:

  • Ubiminds
  • Alert Brasil
  • Prado Chaves
  • BizPRO Business Processes
  • Neo BPO

Related: Call Center Best Practices: 20 Proven Tips for 2024

5. Ukraine

Ukraine too focuses on offering call center services within the tech industry. With more than 1000 agencies providing IT-related services, Ukraine is positioned to offer IT and tech support to different sectors and industries globally.

Industry body: IT Ukraine Association

Top call center outsourcing companies in Ukraine:

  • Belkins
  • Simply Contact
  • WOW24-7
  • Datarob
  • Central Hubspot
  • Salesar
  • Before Hello

6. Argentina

Argentina has a vast pool of skilled and educated professionals. These individuals specialize in software and mobile development, customer support and CX, cloud computing, and more.

Industry body: Software & IT Services Chamber of Commerce

Top call center outsourcing companies in Argentina:

  • Balat
  • Sinertec Argentina
  • Atento
  • Proximo
  • CAT Technologies
  • Nivel Uno
  • Telmark

7. Poland

Known for its software and programming industry, Poland offers outstanding software development and IT services and other call center outsourcing services.

Industry body: Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL)

Top call center outsourcing companies in Poland:

  • Call Center Inter Galactica
  • Call Center Dynamic Sales
  • Sale4us
  • Cotel
  • IPT Call Center
  • Tivron

8. Malaysia

Call center outsourcing is on the rise in Malaysia as it is slowly being known for its IT and IT-related services. The country’s proximity to other Asian countries and its IT infrastructure makes it a good choice for outsourcing services.

Industry body: Outsourcing Malaysia (OM)

Top call center outsourcing companies in Malaysia:

  • Upstream BPO
  • ENVO BPO
  • Bendigo Marketing
  • Canaan Communication & Technologies Sdn Bhd
  • VPO Services Sdn Bhd
  • Customer Connect Malaysia
  • Redberry Contact Center

Transforming Your Legacy Contact Center

The growth rate for call centers and contact centers continues to rise, with more businesses looking to outsource their sales and customer service. And with advancements in telecommunications and global telephony, it is easier than ever to increase profits and revenue with a contact center.

But this is harder to achieve with outdated and vulnerable technology. With the right legacy contact center modernization, you can transform your contact center into a customer experience center.

What is Legacy Contact Center Transformation?

Legacy contact center transformation or modernization is the process of replacing or modernizing legacy phone systems and contact center technologies with new, modern ones. For most businesses, this might mean switching over to a cloud-based contact center software or using contact center as a service (CCaaS).

When you upgrade or transform your contact center, you set your company and your employees up for success. This is because you use modern technology to improve quality and scalability. And you pay for the contact center tech you need with flexible terms.

Need for Legacy Contact Center Transformation

The primary purpose of a contact center is to offer customer service and sales support to different businesses. As your contact center adds on new clients and companies, you will need advanced technology to support your teams.

For example, you may onboard clients from different countries or who have customers spread across globally. In this circumstance, you will need to provide customer service and sales globally. Legacy systems may support global coverage, but they are not as cost-effective as cloud-based solutions built for virtual and global scalability. The same goes for contact centers that want to offer remote or hybrid work capabilities. Cloud-based solutions are easier to manage than traditional legacy systems.

With legacy systems, you will:

  • Need to purchase, install, and maintain heavy-duty hardware
  • Run your contact center on outdated technology
  • Enter long-term contracts and overpay for basic, essential services
  • Lack flexibility and scalability to support your remote, flexible, and global teams

This is why many businesses are gradually switching to cloud communications solutions.

What Does Contact Center Modernization Look Like

With legacy contact center transformation, you open up new avenues of growth and modernization within your business.

Advanced and cloud-based technology
Cloud contact center solutions come equipped with modern features and tools to help your teams do their jobs well. Use SIP trunking to make high-quality voice calls and route calls automatically to the correct department or employee based on preset rules. Forward calls internationally without paying high international calling rates.

Local, remote, and global teams
You have the opportunity to bring in advanced technology and features to support your local, remote, and global teams. You can offer services in neighboring countries as well as remote locations without increasing your budget. This lets you offer your customers more varied solutions.

Benefits of Contact Center Modernization

So, why do you need to transform your contact center? Here are some key benefits of investing in legacy contact center transformation for your company:

1. Newer systems come with advanced features and improved functionality
Use fast and updated technology to offer high-quality service. Gain access to multiple advanced and premium features and functionality to manage your contact center as you want to.

2. Easier to install and maintain
A cloud-based contact center is quick to set up and does not require additional hardware or software to run. You can, therefore, get your teams up and running with little to no downtime, whether they work in-office or remotely. Additionally, you do not have to worry about maintaining and updating your contact center tech as the provider takes care of those factors.

3. Enterprise-grade security and reliability
Since they are not always updated with modern security measures, legacy systems have security vulnerabilities that leave them prone to cyberattacks. But with new technology and software, you can expect improved security and encryption that will keep your contact center and customer data safe.

4. Unlimited scalability to let your contact center grow efficiently
Modern contact center solutions are designed to help your business grow easily without incurring more expenses. This means that you do not need to buy additional services or equipment to add new lines, support larger call volumes, or offer services in different regions. You simply add them to your existing system and not worry about downtime. Adding them to the existing system lets you control all communications in one place through one provider instead of dealing with multiple service providers.

5. Reduce contact center costs
By bundling contact center technologies, you can save on hardware and software costs. Additionally, your business can save on the high cost of dealing with cyberattacks and retrieving lost data with increased security.

Cloud contact center providers will also help you expand your reach beyond geographic borders with low-cost local and international toll free numbers and international call forwarding. This means you can scale your business easily without crossing your budget.

6. Access to integrations
In the name of efficiency, modern phone system solutions let you integrate your business communication system with other business tools so that your users can access all important information in one place. This enables them to be more productive and efficient and leads your contact center to drive desired results.

7. Set your staff up for success
Your teams can use various features to create a custom phone system that works best for your needs. Modern contact center solutions help them do their jobs without any hiccups or issues. Through this, you can support your local, remote, and international team with the right technology and resources.

How to Transition from a Legacy Contact Center

According to a recent report, nearly all IT buyers and decision-makers plan to modernize IT infrastructure to increase operational efficiency. However, IT teams face increased pressure to strike the perfect balance between supporting key services, aligning with the budget, and setting up a foundation that is forever-scalable. And so, a lot goes into deciding how to modernize your legacy infrastructure.

To transform your contact center into one that supports your employees and customers effectively, you first need to develop a plan of action. This entails how you will modernize your system, what provider you choose, and when you will begin the process.

1. Consider Important Factors

Before you set out to transform your legacy contact center, you first need to consider a few key factors:

1. Workload and IT architecture — What is your current communication infrastructure? What areas can benefit from modernization? Audit existing technologies, software, hardware, location of teams, and so on. This will help you determine each department’s value and functionality and how you can use modernization to improve ROI.

2. Operational changes — Next, look at your existing workflow. Where can you optimize processes and productivity? What new technology do you need to achieve these changes? Get feedback from your teams and employees to determine how you can use modernization to help them become more efficient.

3. Finances — Then, evaluate your budget. How much can you spend on this upgrade? You will notice that upgrading your contact center will prove cost-effective in the long run, when compared to using legacy systems. But it is a good idea to keep track of what needs to be updated and what takes priority within the budget.

4. Security and reliability — Next, what security measures do you want your communication infrastructure to have? How does your new provider protect from data loss and cyberattacks? Discuss with your internal IT team to understand what to expect from your new contact center technology.

5. Prepare for possible downtime — Finally, you will need to plan for possible costly downtime and impacts on business continuity. You can discuss a timeline of the upgrade with your IT team and contact center provider to get an idea of how long the process will take and how you can prepare for any disasters and upgrade smoothly.

2. Choose a Cloud Contact Center Provider

The next step is to research and find a cloud contact center provider to help you achieve your modernization goals. Use your audit to identify the changes, features, and technology you need from your new contact center.

Then shop around to see what most providers offer. Compare different providers based on:

  • Features and services they offer,
  • Extent of global reach,
  • Pricing options and flexibility,
  • Contact center migration process,
  • Responsive customer service and technical support,
  • Customer reviews and testimonials.

Then, analyze each provider and decide on one that fits your needs and budget.

3. Weigh Your Options

Next, consider how you will conduct the digital transformation. Will you switch over entirely or in parts? This again warrants a conversation with your provider and internal IT team; together, you will have to determine the best solution for your setup.

Options for transforming your legacy contact center.

1. Complete Replacement
Migrate in a single move. All solutions, telephony, and agents are moved over to the new system at the same time.

Pro tip: Use this solution if your current systems need an urgent upgrade or you want to consolidate multiple vendors into one platform.

2. Phased Migration
Migrate one solution at a time. You may first migrate telephony (inbound and outbound voice), then digital services (email and live chat), and then self-service (knowledge base and automation), or in an order that works for you.

3. Phased Telephony
Switch in parts. Some agents continue to use the legacy system and solutions while others switch over to the new setup. Then, once the others have successfully switched over, the rest of the agents can switch over too.

Pro tip: Use phased migration if you are not ready to switch over completely and don’t want to risk costly downtime or losing data.

4. Begin Your Contact Center Migration

Once you’ve settled on a provider and a migration plan, you can start the process of transforming your contact center. Prepare your employees by informing them of upcoming changes and training that may be required. Create guides and tutorials that will help them onboard quickly. Let them know what the disaster and backup plan entails and who to reach out to if something fails.

Transforming Legacy Systems with Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding is a cloud-based global telephony provider that provides businesses with phone system solutions. We can help you get cloud contact center solutions and create a phone system that is flexible, scalable, and efficient. Want to learn more? Speak with our telecom experts today, or chat with us online!

Comparing the Types of International Expansion Strategies [with Examples]

A time comes in every business’ lifecycle when it needs to expand to new markets and regions in an attempt to keep growing. However, such a move can be overwhelming and cost-heavy, especially if not planned out strategically.

Here we will go over the different types of international expansion strategies with examples. Comparing these different strategies and entry modes can help you decide how to plan your business’ global expansion.

Topics covered

Expanding Internationally: How to Enter the Global Market

Before we get started, why should your business even consider entering the global space? And are the benefits of expanding internationally worth the costs and risks? The short answer is, it depends. It depends on the kind of business you operate and how you execute your international expansion strategy.

When done strategically, there are many benefits to expanding internationally, including:

  • Access to new markets and a diverse customer base
  • Increased ROI and profits
  • Access to local and skilled talent and workforce
  • Global business recognition and reputation
  • Establish regional offices
  • Stay ahead of the competition
  • Access to foreign investment opportunities.

And since you open new revenue streams, you can expect the ROI and profits to offset the costs spent in entering new markets. But for everything to fall in place according to plan, you first need a solid international expansion plan.

global phone numbers

Global Markets Post-COVID-19

Expanding globally after COVID-19 can seem a bit challenging. But with the right plan and resources, you can enter a new market smoothly and cost-effectively and add a new customer base to your business profile.

The key to successfully expanding your business is to:

  1. Create a clear global expansion plan.
  2. Choose the right international expansion strategy.
  3. Identify the best entry mode for the new market.

Let’s look at each of these factors in detail.

How to Create an International Expansion Plan: 5 Key Steps

Before we compare the different types of international expansion strategies and entry modes, let’s look at the critical steps involved in creating a global expansion plan. This will give you context about what your business needs so you can identify the right strategies for international growth.

1) Pick the Right Markets to Enter

The first thought generally is to expand to a big, metropolitan area. However, certain businesses and industries do better in less developed and developing regions. Depending on your business type and stage of growth, identify the right markets and regions for your business to expand. And local market research can help with this.

Don’t know where to start? Here is a list of the best countries to expand to in 2021.

2) Conduct Market and Competitor Research

Then, you need to analyze how well your product or service will do in this new region. Is there a demand or market for your products or services? What is the quality of that demand? What demographics or portion of the population can afford to buy your products? How many competitors will you face? What is the demand for these competitors, and what resources do they have available? How does that stack up against your organization?

3) Understand Country and Governmental Regulations

Every country has its own foreign investment regulations. And so, before you start setting the groundwork for your expansion plan, you first need to familiarize yourself with these regulations. You can do so by visiting the country’s primary website or their trade website. For example, the United States has an International Trade Administration website where you can get information for US and international businesses. You can also learn more about these regulations on the country’s embassy websites.

4) Finalize on Entry Mode(s)

Next, you decide what entry mode is best suited for your business. Below we define and compare the different entry modes you can choose from.

You might even consider keeping a light footprint. That is, holding off on infrastructure and heavy investments till your foreign operations have grown and matured. You may decide to hire a few local employees and use cloud-based communication solutions to manage your operations. Have these employees identify untapped opportunities, conduct market research, and test the market gradually. This will help you save costs in the long run and ensure higher ROI.

5) Prepare Marketing and Expansion Plan

Once you have identified your markets and entry modes, you can start making a global expansion and marketing plan. This will outline your moves, budget, advertising campaigns, overhead requirements, and so on.

Learn more about global expansion best practices and planning strategies in our free global expansion guide.

Types of International Expansion Strategies

Here are the different strategies to expand internationally. But which one of these international expansion strategies is suitable for you depends on your business’s specific needs and goals. So educate yourself on the options available and make a decision accordingly.

1. Multidomestic Strategy

A multidomestic strategy focuses more on catering to locals within the new market. It is known as the strategy that sacrifices efficiency to improve the responsiveness of local requirements. Rather than forcing its parent country’s requirements and preferences onto the new market, it customizes its offerings and services to better meet the needs of the locals in the new market. As such, marketing and advertising efforts are geared towards the locals instead of taking a universal approach. A great deal of local research is required to execute a multidomestic strategy successfully.

Advantages of multidomestic strategies

  • Diverse customer base
  • Increased local responsiveness

Disadvantages of multidomestic strategies

  • Uncertainty because of tailored and customized strategies spread across various countries
  • Hard to achieve economies of scale that would help reduce costs

Examples of multidomestic strategy

  • MTV customizing programming on its channels in different countries
  • Heinz removing garlic and onion in its Indian ketchup recipe
  • KFC selling tempura crispy strips in Japan and pastries with chicken in France
  • McDonald’s offering multiple vegetarian options in India such as McSpicy Paneer, McAloo, and Green Chilli Aloo Naan

2. Global Expansion Strategy

A global expansion strategy is the opposite of a multidomestic strategy. The global expansion strategy is centralized—that is, the primary office controls it. This strategy maximizes global efficiency, so products and services are standardized and not tailored for local markets. The business units in each country are considered interdependent and respond to the primary office.

Advantages of a global expansion strategy

  • Low risk for the firm
  • Emphasizes economies of scale
  • More opportunities to utilize innovations developed at a corporate level
  • Effective for firms whose product is mainly hidden from the user’s view and where differences in local preferences is not an issue or requirement

Disadvantages of a global expansion strategy

  • Trouble gaining a high market share in local markets
  • Coordinating strategies and operations may prove challenging to manage
  • Resources need to be shared and coordinating across boundaries and countries

Examples of a global expansion strategy

  • Intel
  • Microsoft offers the same product globally but with local languages
  • Procter & Gamble (P&G) creates global brands whenever possible

3. Transnational Strategy

A transnational strategy combines the multidomestic and global international expansion strategy to create an international expansion strategy that caters to both global efficiency and local needs and responsiveness. Therefore, the two main characteristics of a transnational strategy are:

  • High global integration
  • High local responsiveness

To this end, balance and flexibility are key to executing a successful transnational strategy. And companies that do so perform better than competitors using a multidomestic or global expansion strategy.

Advantages of a transnational strategy

  • High efficiency and low costs
  • Wider reach
  • Diverse market

Disadvantages of a transnational strategy

  • Difficult to centralize and manage international offices
  • Potential risk of alienating local customers

Examples of a transnational strategy

  • McDonald’s offers custom menu items globally but has a cohesive global identity
  • Unilever sells different brands in different regions but still maintains a singular corporate identity

4. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

FDI is when an organization enters an international market by investing in that country. Of all the international expansion strategies, this one is a good idea when demand and size of the market justify the investment. Some things to keep in mind when considering FDI:

  • Your business can benefit from low-cost labor and cheap materials.
  • You can avoid import duties when you manufacture locally.
  • There may be import restrictions and limits for certain products.

Advantages of FDIs

  • Retain control
  • Low-cost labor, cheap material and manufacturing costs
  • Diversified investors portfolios
  • Provides financing and technology to developing countries
  • Access to subsidies, tax breaks, and other concessions from the government

Disadvantages of FDIs

  • High investment required
  • High risk, related to change in policies against foreign companies
  • Investors may have fewer moral attachments
  • Potential unethical access to local markets

Examples of Foreign Direct Investment

  • Mergers & acquisitions
  • Horizontal FDI, where a firm replicates its entire organization in different countries
  • Joint ventures
  • Research & development
  • Facilities
  • Sales and customer support
  • Manufacturing and logistics
  • Retail and services
  • Administration
  • Greenfield investments

Common International Expansion Entry Modes

There are a few different ways to enter a new global market. And each of these international expansion strategies comes with benefits and potential issues. Here we will look at the various international expansion entry modes that your business can choose from when deciding how to enter a new market:

Entry Mode Definition Advantages Disadvantages Examples
Direct Exporting When a manufacturer or company sells directly to a consumer in another country.
  • Fast entry
  • Low risk
  • Low control
  • Low local knowledge
  • Potential negative environmental impact
  • Apple
  • ExxonMobil
  • Ford Motor
  • Chevron
  • Johnson and Johnson
Licensing Limited, legal business relationship where a party (licensee) is given rights to use a brand’s (licensor) trademarks. The licensee pays the licensor a royalty fee to use trademarks of the brand.
  • Fast entry
  • Low cost
  • Low risk
  • Less control
  • Licensee may become a competitor
  • Legal and regulatory environment must be sound
  • Microsoft
  • Disney
  • Calvin Klein
Franchising Agreement between franchisor and franchisee. Franchisor owns the business and sells the rights to their brand to a franchisee who opens a separate branch under the brand’s name.
  • Fast entry
  • Low cost
  • Low risk
  • Less control
  • Legal and regulatory environment must be sound
  • McDonald’s
  • Burger King
  • Taco Bell
  • Marriott International
Partnering & Strategic Alliance or Joint Ventures Strategic alliances with a local partner.
Or joint ventures where two or more parties make a business agreement to pool their resources together.
  • Shared costs
  • Reduced risk
  • Seen as a regional entity
  • Shared resources
  • Access to a broader customer base
  • Higher cost than exporting, licensing, or franchising
  • Integration problems between two corporate cultures
Alliances

  • Spotify and Uber
  • Starbucks & Target
  • Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Disney

Joint Ventures

  • Uber and Volvo
  • Sony and Ericson
  • Microsoft and General Electric
  • BMW and Brilliance Auto Group
Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) Consolidation of two businesses to increase market share and profits. M&As are complex processes and need preparation and analysis.
  • Fast entry
  • Established operations
  • High cost
  • Integration issues with home office
  • AOL and Time Warner merger
  • Verizon and Vodafone acquisition
  • Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell merger
Greenfield Ventures Launching a new, wholly-owned subsidiary in a foreign country by building its facilities from the start. This way, a business enters a new market without the help of other companies already there.
  • Gain local market knowledge
  • Seen as a local entity that employs locals
  • Maximum control
  • Slow entry due to setup time
  • High cost
  • High risk due to unknowns
  • Coca-Cola
  • McDonald’s
  • Starbucks

How Can Global Call Forwarding Help Your International Expansions Efforts?

Global Call Forwarding has helped thousands of businesses enter new markets and regions cost-effectively. Whether you plan to open regional offices or want to conduct operations virtually, our cloud communication solutions can ensure that your business communicates with team members and customers efficiently. Our high-availability network and partnerships with local, regional providers enable us to offer our customers cloud phone numbers (local and toll free) from more than 160 countries worldwide. And our phone numbers come equipped with advanced call management features such as call routing, automated voice response, softphones, and more.

We can support your international expansion strategies and help you enter new markets with a light footprint and low overhead costs. And as your business grows, you can add more service lines and features to our highly scalable solution.

Expanding internationally is a big step, and we are here to make the process less stressful when it comes to business communication. Want to learn more about how we can help you set up more points of contact in different countries and regions? Speak with our representatives today or chat with us online!

Customer Service Automation: Definition, Features, and Best Practices

Automation is everywhere and we cannot escape it. This is because we have been able to use automation tools to make our lives easier and improve accuracy and efficiency. It’s no wonder that companies have been using automation technology to streamline their business processes and improve productivity. And that includes customer service as well.

Here’s an in-depth guide about customer service automation tools, features, and best practices to help you boost your customer support teams and increase customer satisfaction.

What is Customer Service Automation?

Customer service automation uses technology and automation to streamline customer service processes, reduce human involvement, and speed up resolutions. Jugal Anchalia, CEO of Breakout, defines it as the process of “automating the interaction between customers and the company for support-related queries with minimum or no human involvement.”

By automating customer support, you can make it easy for customers to get help and assistance without overburdening your employees.

With automation, you can cut down on time spent on mundane, repetitive, and simple tasks. This way, your employees and agents can focus on more significant, more complex tasks requiring their undivided attention.

Customer service expectations have changed since 2020, with customers expecting quick resolutions along with personalized and unparalleled care. And if your business is behind on meeting these expectations, you may miss out on valuable customers. Customer service automation can help you offer this kind of personalized and quick service without adding additional tasks and processes.

Related: 23 Incredible Customer Service Tips for 2021

Benefits of Customer Service Automation

Oliver Andrews, the owner of OA Design Services, argues that “[w]ith automation, companies have access to many more opportunities than they ever had before. Improved efficiencies allow organizations to quickly ramp up their customer service, giving them new and improved opportunities to impress every customer. New automated tools give organizations the support to excel in customer service, making every customer experience a great one that buyers can only praise.”

So, why should your business consider automating customer service? And what benefits can you hope to achieve? Here are some advantages of automating your customer service:

1. Reduces customer service costs — According to a McKinsey report, companies using automation and other technology to improve customer service have saved up to 40% on costs.

2. Allows your business to offer 24/7 customer support — Use chatbots, live chat, and smart routing technology to adopt a Follow the Sun customer service model and be available to your customers 24/7.

3. Frees up employees for more complex issues and customer needs — Give employees the time they need to deal with high-profile and complicated cases to provide optimum customer service.

4. Encourages collaboration within teams — Make file-, document-, and information-sharing easy, therefore, helping teams work with each other effectively.

5. Helps collect customer feedback — Collect customer feedback through surveys triggered at different stages and touchpoints.

6. Increases speed and efficiency — Reduce time spent on mundane tasks and processes and increase efficiency.

7. Reduces human error — Make less room for mistakes by creating pre-determined templates and rules.

8. Helps centralize business communication — Connect all stakeholders through one platform where they can share and exchange information, documents, and more.

9. Supports users of all types — Make your business accessible to users who prefer to communicate via phone, email, chatbots, IVR systems, and so on.

Cons of Automating Customer Service

While businesses are increasingly adopting customer service automation solutions, some are still holding back. But why? Here are some reasons why people may be skeptical of automating services:

1. Reduces human intervention — Some fear that lack of or reduced human involvement may deter customers away or fail in de-escalating customer frustrations.

2. Resolves simple issues only — Automation can only support the resolution of simple issues and not complex issues.

3. Relies on modern technology and technical resources — To automate services means to rely even more on technology and more systems, and not every business is equipped financially to deal with these changes.

Popular Customer Service Automation Tools & Features

Here are some popular tools and features that small businesses and large enterprises use to automate customer service.

Smart and Advanced Call Routing

Smart or intelligent call routing lets you route or forward calls with automation and predetermined rules. This way, when calls come in, callers are automatically routed to the correct destination, department, or employee without the need of a receptionist or operator. Some call routing strategies include:

  • Time-based routing
  • Location-based routing
  • Skill-based routing
  • Geo routing
  • All-the-way-round or Round-robin routing
  • Least-occupied-agent routing
  • Simultaneous ringing (ringing on multiple phones with one number)
  • Sequential forwarding

The primary purpose of intelligent call routing is to route calls effectively, reduce missed calls, and improve the caller experience.

IVR Systems

Using cloud IVR as an automation tool has become increasingly popular with businesses of all sizes. An IVR system is an automated voice response system that answers the call, identifies the caller’s purpose, and assists the caller. The IVR system may assist the caller by transferring them to the correct department or by helping with pre-recorded messages. Advanced IVR systems can even help callers complete actions such as activating an account, providing balance information, making appointments, etc.

Traditional and cloud-based phone service providers offer IVR along with other virtual communication tools. Global Call Forwarding’s IVR service is highly customizable, and you can quickly change or update the system through our online control panel.

Email Automation

Automated email workflows play an essential role in inbound marketing and customer service. Email responses can be triggered automatically when a customer interacts with your business. These responses offer support, troubleshooting help, or confirmation. And they can help provide comfort to your customers. Popular email automation tools and software include:

  • HubSpot Email Marketing
  • Mailchimp
  • Sender
  • Sendinblue
  • Omnisend
  • Moosend
  • EmailOctopus
  • Benchmark Email
  • ActiveCampaign, and more

Chatbots & Conversational Marketing Automation

More and more businesses are using live chat and chatbots to provide 24/7 customer support. Conversational marketing automation uses targeted messaging and intelligent bots to engage with web visitors in language they understand and relate to. Using chatbots with conversational marketing makes chatbot interactions less robotic and more human. Popular chatbot automation tools and software include:

  • Intercom
  • Drift
  • Birdeye
  • Freshchat
  • Podium

You can also build a chatbot for your business using chatbot platform tools such as:

Self-Service Options

Another way to implement automation for customer service is to create self-service options and tools that customers and web visitors can use to resolve their queries on their own. For example, Willie Greer, founder of The Product Analyst, uses an FAQ sheet to help users search and find answers to their questions. Others may develop a support center with all necessary guides or simply create how-to content on their blogs. Common self-service options include:

  • Building FAQ pages or adding FAQs at the end of product pages to answer common customer questions.
  • Creating a Support Center or Knowledge Base where customers can go to find more information, features overviews, and troubleshooting guides to resolve their queries.
  • Providing customers with resources such as whitepapers, ebooks, how-to guides, etc., to help them help themselves.
  • Embedding these resources within chat, email, the account dashboard, and other communication channels.

Customer Feedback Tools

Why collect customer feedback? Customer feedback lets you know how your business performs and whether customers are satisfied with your products and services. Without customer feedback, you won’t know where your business needs to improve to gain new customers and retain existing ones. Different types of feedback and survey tools include the following:

Voice of the customer tools
– Qualaroo
– Qualtrics
– Wootric
Online survey tools
– Typeform
– SurveyMonkey
– Survey Anyplace
– Crowdsignal
– Nicereply
Customer review tools
– Google
– Trustpilot
G2
– Yelp
– TripAdvisor
– KiyOh
Visual feedback tools
– Usersnap
– Helio
– BugHerd
NPS tools
– SurveySparrow
– ProProfs NPS
– CustomerSure
– Podium
Social feedback tools
– Sprinklr
– HubSpot
– Brand24
– Hootsuite
– Sprout Social
customer retention
Source: DepositPhotos.com – Lic#78488248 ID#27446420

8 Best Practices to Automate Customer Service

There are many ways to automate customer service. Here we will look at some best practices to follow.

1. Add Live Chat Along with an Automated Chatbot

Many web visitors expect live chat as a customer service channel when they visit a website and have queries. Live chat is used for a variety of purposes: customer service, lead qualification, submitting tickets, and more. Use live chat to understand what your customers need from you.

And by adding a chatbot, you can provide support even during off-hours. This way, customers and prospects can get assistance whenever they need and you can learn more about what your web visitors look for when they arrive at your website.

Before diving into using chatbots, study how customers and employees interact on live chat. This will help you develop appropriate and useful chatbot scripts.

2. Work on Templated Scripts and Responses

Whether it is via the chatbot, automated email, or the IVR system, you want to spend time creating good scripts and responses. People can be apprehensive about dealing with robots instead of a human person. And so, using conversational scripts can reduce friction and make users more comfortable.

3. Offer 24/7 Customer Service

Customer service automation options like smart call routing, international call forwarding, ticketing software, automated email, live chat and chatbots, and IVR systems provide 24/7, round-the-clock customer support. Make your business more accessible by learning where your customers are and what tools they prefer using to reach your business.

4. Offer Self-Service Options

Next, prepare self-service tools that customers can use to resolve their issues on their own. Work with your sales and marketing teams to identify common customer questions and issues regarding your products and services. Then, create a Support Center or Knowledge Base that incorporates how-to guides, glossary and definitions, troubleshooting help, and FAQs. You may even consider adding information about the current market or industry trends that may interest your customers.

These self-service tools not only help resolve common customer issues but also present your business as a reliable service.

5. Integrate Within Your CRM and Phone System

Integrate automation tools within your business systems to centralize business processes and keep everything in one place. Check with service providers how you might integrate these tools within your existing CRM and business phone system. By doing this, you can track all customers and interactions via one platform and trigger actions based on these interactions.

For example, Adam Garcia, founder of The Stock Dork, uses Agile CRM for sales enablement, marketing automation, and customer service. Using a service like this helps them set “standards for support teams and customers.” Tanner Arnold, CEO of Revelation Machinery, says that they use Zendesk to help teams track problem tickets and customer interactions, collect customer reviews, and more.

6. Update and Send Out Important Announcements

You can also use these tools to send out company and product updates and announcements to your customers and leads. Some ways to use automation for announcements:

  • Announce or introduce new products
  • Inform customers about defects or product issues
  • Share company news and milestones, and so on

Customers will appreciate knowing that you’re working on resolving an issue when they call for support. And they may also appreciate knowing what else your company is working on that may benefit them. Automating announcements like this can increase engagement and retention.

7. Collect Customer Feedback at Various Touchpoints

You can also collect customer feedback through automated surveys. Have these surveys trigger at various touchpoints or stages of use. And you can learn how customers are using your service and what areas can be improved.

You might even be able to use customer feedback to understand what customer service automation tools your business needs. Abby Ha, Head of Marketing & Business Development at WellPCB suggests talking to customers to identify ways to improve customer service via automation solutions.

8. Prepare Your Agents

Customer service automation solutions help take care of mundane and repetitive processes and issues. This means that agents are freed up to handle difficult and complex cases. However, if they haven’t been prepared or trained well for these cases, there may be a gap in customer service quality.

Will Cannon, CEO of Signaturely, suggests preparing agents to take on these complex tasks with the right resources. He says that “[It] can make agents’ jobs more difficult if they aren’t given the right resources and experience. Be sure your agents are involved in both the preparation and implementation of new automation programs so that you can be more aware of the unexpected obstacles that the process transition can bring.”

Think Your Business is Ready for Customer Service Automation?

Global Call Forwarding offers various customer service automation features such as intelligent call routing, international call forwarding, and IVR systems. Speak with our representatives today to learn more about our services and how we can help you provide better customer support. Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online!

What is a Cloud Contact Center? Definition, Features, Benefits

Looking to transition to cloud communications? Cloud contact center solutions are designed to help businesses with effective call management, call monitoring and analytics, global expansion, and more.

Understand what a cloud contact center solution is, how it works, and how it can benefit your business.

How Do Cloud Contact Centers Work?

First, what is a cloud contact center?

What is a Cloud Contact Center? A cloud contact center is a comprehensive set of cloud-based tools and services for business communication. These tools can be used by contact centers and service teams in medium-large organizations that need multiple communication channels, advanced call management, remote communication management, reports and analytics.

They are also known as cloud-based contact centers, virtual call centers, and cloud call centers.

A cloud contact center offers various cloud-based solutions for phone service that offer more control over business communications. With these solutions, you can manage your calls and agents, conduct performance analysis by tracking data and metrics, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

These contact centers work over the cloud; that is, they need an internet connection. This allows businesses to access and use cloud contact center features from any location, enabling remote work and global expansion.

Choosing Between Cloud-Based Contact Centers and Traditional Contact Centers

Which is more suitable for your business call center software? To make a decision, you first need to understand what each type entails and the service and costs of each. Let’s look at the difference between a cloud-based contact center and on-premise software:

 

Cloud Contact Center Traditional Contact Center (On-Premise)
Low monthly costs; no set-up or installation fees Low-medium monthly costs; high set-up and installation fees
Wide range of cloud communication features and services Limited call management features
Hosted by the provider Operated on-site, in-house by your IT team
No physical space, hardware, or equipment needed Physical space and equipment needed
No installation or maintenance needed Needs to be installed and maintained regularly
Provider is in charge of system updates and maintenance Your in-house teams are in charge of system updates and maintenance
No professional IT experience needed Professional IT team needed to run the system
Uses VoIP tech; Needs a broadband connection May use VoIP tech
Scale as needed Limited scalability
Recommended for small, medium, and large businesses Recommended for large businesses

Cloud Contact Center: Top Features

Cloud-based contact centers come with various features, tools, and services designed for call management and customer support. You can customize and personalize these features to meet your business’ exact needs. Here are the top features of a cloud-based contact center:

Access to Cloud Phone Numbers

Choose from a large inventory of cloud phone numbers available from around the world. These numbers give callers (your customers) a chance to call for free or local calling rates, even if they are located in different countries. This is because of international call forwarding (more on that below).

Global Call Forwarding offers virtual phone numbers from more than 160 countries around the world. You can get:

  • Toll-free numbers
  • International toll-free numbers (ITFS numbers)
  • Local phone numbers
  • Mobile numbers (for certain countries).

Buy cloud phone numbers for your contact center and offer global customer support over the phone. Customers from other countries can call your business without worrying about paying high long-distance calling fees.

International Call Forwarding

An international call forwarding service lets businesses forward or re-route incoming international calls to any location in the world. For example, your company is headquartered in New York, but you have a large client base in Mexico. Your Mexican customers can call your Mexico toll-free number, and you can have these calls forwarded to headquarters in the US. This way, customers get to contact you for free, and you get the call where your customer support teams are located. And no one pays international calling rates!

Advanced Call Routing

An advanced call routing feature offers you multiple ways and strategies to forward inbound calls. You can set rules beforehand to manage incoming calls during specific times or heavy traffic periods. You can have calls routed to different locations, offices, and employees. Or have calls ring on multiple devices simultaneously or run through a set sequence. There is a lot to play around with—the key is to identify what routing strategy works best for your business. Here are some key call routing strategies:

Learn about the benefits of advanced call routing for your contact center.

Hosted Call Recording

Use a cloud call center recording software to record incoming and outgoing calls. No additional recording software or equipment is needed. You can save these recordings on your computer or in the cloud for future reference. There are many benefits of recording business calls; these include:

  • Easy record-keeping
  • Monitoring quality assurance
  • Studying customer preferences and behaviors
  • Protecting from liabilities and misunderstandings
  • Recording important transactions
  • Conducting employee or agent performance analysis
  • Adhering to compliance requirements in specific industries and sectors, and so on.

Cloud IVR System

An interactive voice response system or IVR lets you introduce automation within your customer service efforts. The automated voice system answers incoming calls, identifies the purpose of the call, and proceeds to assist the caller. It may provide the caller with a menu of options, pre-recorded messages packed with helpful information, or transfer the caller to the correct department or agent.

You can get a highly customizable IVR system — like the one at Global Call Forwarding — to manage and route calls effectively. Set up rules for routing and forwarding. Add custom greetings and messages to highlight company updates, new hours, new products, service issues, etc.

Outbound Calling

Customers are less likely to answer out-of-state or international calls with caller IDs they don’t recognize. You can use an outbound calling service to increase global coverage and make your customers comfortable answering your call. This is a turnkey solution to help businesses make long-distance and international calls with custom caller IDs.

Softphone Apps

A softphone — also known as a contact center dialer — is an app you can download on your phone or desktop and use as a dialer. You can make and receive business calls with your business phone number instead of your personal number. Softphones are designed to help you make calls, update contact history, access voicemail, transfer calls to other employees, and more, all from the comfort of your devices.

Check out our GCF softphone and how it can help your employees connect from any location and maintain business continuity.

Automated Callback Options

Automated callback options make it easy for your business to connect with customers who cannot easily reach you. These may be customers in remote locations or web visitors who would benefit from your business calling them instead of waiting in long call queues.

Global Call Forwarding offers two types of automated callback services — CallMe Click and CallMe Trigger — to help you connect with your international customers. Customers either submit a short form on your website (CallMe Click) or call a trigger number (CallMe Trigger) to receive an immediate callback from your business.

With our high-availability network and global coverage, you can convert more prospects and web visitors into customers. Reduce friction and improve customer experience by making your business more accessible to interested customers.

What is Cloud Telephony

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 ID#100033099327

5 Benefits of Cloud Contact Centers

There are reasons why companies (small and large) are moving their communications to the cloud — from reducing costs to getting access to better and more advanced services. So, how can your business benefit from a cloud contact center solution?

1. Improved Call Management

With various cloud communication tools, you can design and control the way incoming calls come into your business. You can route calls in a way that works best for your needs. During high traffic periods, you can set up call forwarding rules as backups if your main office is busy.

Or, you may route calls to specific locations and regions to meet your customers’ preferences (language, time zone, culture, etc). Try out different routing strategies to find one that supports your business’ call needs.

2. Increased Global Coverage

Virtual phone numbers make it easy to connect with global customers for low calling rates. By getting access to cloud phone numbers from more than 160 countries worldwide, you can take your business to new markets and increase your global coverage. And your business does not need to be in these regions to do business in them.

Additionally, when you use local and toll-free numbers, you allow customers to call your business for free or local calling rates, even if your business is located internationally. All of this makes your business more reachable to global customers and increases your international sales.

3. Workforce Flexibility

By using cloud contact center solutions, your business can open up to remote working and telecommuting options. You don’t need to stick to hiring and working within your geographical boundaries. Look for and hire talent in other countries and keep remote teams connected efficiently with virtual communication tools.

4. Scalability and Growth Support

The best part about cloud contact center solutions is that you can grow your business at your own pace. As you grow, you can add or remove additional lines and services to meet your needs. Get new numbers for new markets. Adjust call forwarding and routing rules to align with your customer support goals. Pay only for what you need and when you need it.

4. Uninterrupted Business Continuity

When you experience a power or internet outage or your office is affected by a disaster, a cloud phone system can prove useful. You can route calls to another office location, remote employees, or to your smartphone instead. This way, business can continue without interruption.

5. Low Costs for High Quality

Finally, by switching to the cloud, your company can cut down tremendously on communication-related costs. This is because you don’t need additional or special equipment to run a cloud contact center software. And since you can enter new countries and regions virtually, you do not need to open multiple office locations.

Another advantage is that you can access multiple communication tools within this one software. So, you do not need to subscribe to multiple services for your business communication needs.

Need Cloud-Based Phone Solutions?

Get cloud contact center solutions for your business today! Speak with our experts to understand how our features and services can support your communication needs. Call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 or chat with us online!

What is Geo-Routing and How Can Geographic Routing Help Your Business?

Want to offer your customers support and sales in the time and location most convenient for them? You can use geo-routing to route incoming calls to the closest location or based on the caller ID. This way, you can match the call with the nearest customer support center in the closest time zone and region.

What is Geographic Call Routing?

Geographic call routing — also known as geo-routing, caller ID routing, and location-based routing — is an advanced call routing feature. Call routing is a cloud phone service feature that answers calls and routes callers to specific phone lines, extensions, or locations based on pre-set rules. With geographic call routing, these calls are routed based on the caller’s phone number and area code. And you can route calls to:

  • Business’ closest location
  • Centralized call center
  • Company hub
  • Satellite offices
  • Remote agents located in specific regions
  • Locations needing more business, and so on.

A diagram showing what Geographic Call Routing is.

How Does Geographic Call Routing Work?

There are a few different ways you can set up geo-routing for your business. You can route calls based on location by either:

  1. Automatically routing calls based on the country code and caller ID, or
  2. Asking callers to select their location from a preset menu.

You will need to use a cloud IVR (an automated voice response system) or auto-attendant to manage incoming calls. You can then set rules for the system to follow and route calls accordingly.

Based on how advanced your IVR is, you can set it to recognize the country code of incoming calls and then route calls to a predetermined location where your employees or agents can answer the phone and assist customers.

Alternatively, you can set up the IVR system to ask callers to type in a number that corresponds to their location and have the IVR route the call to the nearest office location or service center.

Basically, with geographic call routing, you get to choose which areas or regions route calls to which locations, satellite offices, or call centers.

geographic routing explanation

Who Can Benefit from Geo-Routing?

Geographic routing is ideal for companies with multiple locations or a large global customer base. It helps connect customers to agents or employees in their time zone, region, and language. This helps further improve caller experience as callers get assistance matching their time and preferences.

How to Set Up Geo-Routing?

Global Call Forwarding offers various advanced call routing options such as time-based routing, geo-routing, skill-based routing, simultaneous ringing, and sequential forwarding. These features come included with our cloud phone number plans, and so you do not need to purchase additional services.

You can get and set up geographic routing for your business with Global Call Forwarding in a few steps:

  1. Get cloud phone numbers for target countries and regions.
  2. Log in to your control panel.
  3. Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.
    Portal screenshot showing how to set up geo-routing.
  4. Select Call Forwarding.
  5. Then, click on the IVR and Manage IVR Applications. This will take you to our IVR Manager.
    Control panel screenshot showing how geographic call routing works.
  6. Click on Create New Application.
    How to set up geographic call routing (part 2).
  7. Then, under Advanced Actions, choose Caller ID Routing.
    Screenshot showing caller ID routing in the control panel.
  8. Set up a new rule to route calls based on caller ID.
    Building geo-routing into your call flows.

5 Benefits of Geographic Call Routing

But why should your business consider routing calls geographically? Advanced call routing features such as geo-routing have many benefits, from improving caller experience to offering advanced call management solutions. Here is why your business should consider getting geographic call routing for your business communication system:

1. Simplified Call Process

Since callers are automatically routed to the right location or agent, they do not need to be manually routed or transferred. In other words, no talking to the wrong people and getting bounced around. geo-routing reduces the number of interactions by letting the caller reach the right destination on the first try. This also means reduced hold times and less waiting for your customers.

2. One Number for Multiple Locations

Geographic call routing is a good solution for businesses with customers and locations in different parts of the world. Instead of using multiple phone numbers for each region, you can simply use one number and forward incoming calls to the most appropriate locations.

3. Offer 24/7 Global Customer Support

By routing calls based on the caller’s location, you can extend customer support hours by adopting a follow the sun support model. Such an approach lets you route calls from one location to another during different times of the day and based on the caller’s location.

As such, you can route calls coming in from one region to your customer support team in that region or time zone instead of your primary support center. This way, you offer support outside regular business hours, and your reps won’t need to work overtime to manage after-hours calls.

This allows your business to offer customer support globally by letting incoming calls route to the closest customer service or sales teams instead of your headquarters.

4. Local Call Reports

You can also use geographic call routing to get localized call reports. Track international phone calls to get a better idea of where your calls are coming from and where your customers are located. This will help you determine what marketing and sales efforts are working according to plan and which regions need more nurturing.

5. Increased Customer Satisfaction

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, geo-routing helps your business offer excellent customer support and increase customer satisfaction. It does so by reducing wait and hold times, allowing callers to connect at convenient times, and ensuring callers reach the right agent quickly. After all, no one wants to be waiting on the phone for hours.

Ready to Get Geographic Call Routing for Your Business?

At the core of any business, you want to do everything you can to improve customer experience. The easier you make experiences for callers, the more likely they will become recurring customers. And routing calls based on the caller’s location can reduce wait times and make your business more customer-friendly.

Try out geographic call routing for your business today with Global Call Forwarding. Sign up online or speak with our representatives to learn more about how this service fits your business.