Unified telephony

When considering ways to improve I&R services, it pays to know your options. Hands-down, unified telephony for I&R is the best way to move I&R providers the next level of performance.

Unified telephony provides the following benefits to I&R service providers:

Efficiency benefits:

Benefit #1: Load-balanced calls between the centers to allow for flexible staffing and reduce waste from overstaffing. By leaning on each other, the centers can do more with less. Not to mentioned, unified networks are incredibly convenient and take away many stressors that can befall call center managers.

Benefit #2: Improved ability to forecast calls and predict scheduling requirements. Having a greater overflow capacity and access to more data makes it easier to be prepared,

Service quality benefits:

Benefit #3: Optimized georouting processes to rout callers to the appropriate centers. When call centers unite, routing tables are typically reviewed and updated, which improves  service quality and provider efficiency.

Benefit #4: Updated analytical practices to get more value from data. When was the last time you tuned up your data practices?

Benefit #5: Improvement in key metrics such as answer rate and abandonment rate. Numbers don’t lie. Overwhelmingly, call center networks show improved performance.

Benefit #6: Increased ability of the network to absorb the effects of power outages through call routing. Whatever you call it – routing, triaging, overflow – you’ll be able to do it better in a network than on your own.

Unification benefits:

Benefit #7: Establishment of a universally agreed-upon routing tables for calls in split areas and out-of-state calls.  Unification necessitates that all centers sit down and agree upon a routing procedure. The process only takes a few hours and is great for boosting performatnce.

Benefit #8: Balanced call-routing measures with the service needs of 2-1-1 and other programs hosted locally by the call centers. An effective unification strategy means that all centers have the flexibility to pursue their own contracts and provide their own unique services and still be able to rely on the center.

Revenue benefit:

Benefit #9: More contracts and grants. Better performance and increased capacity is leading to more contracts. In fact, many I&R service providers are reporting that clients insist upon a unified network before they’ll sign anything.

GeauxPoint  is a Baton Rouge, LA-based consulting and strategy firm that specializes in I&R and crisis call center consulting, Salesforce.com consulting, and business and IT consulting. Contact us for a free 30-minute consultation for advice on how to improve the performance of your organization.