When you set up a call center, you streamline the process for your team to achieve goals. A great set up starts with considering how many employees you’ll need and setting concrete objectives for your call center.
Once those are established, you’ll want to make sure the call center equipment you use is right for your needs. Here are some tips for getting your new system running.
Find Practical Computers
Call center operations use sophisticated software to enhance the customer experience and ensure that all calls are routed to the right agent for minimum frustration and maximum efficiency. The desktop computer is the basic element undergirding the whole operation. Even when using cloud-based call center software, agents need a way to access it.
Locate your nearest uBreakiFix location so any computer issues can be fixed the right way the first time, and with minimal downtime. As you buy, choose desktops over laptops. While some laptops are cheaper, there are good reasons to prefer desktops:
- Faster processing speeds at a lower cost than equivalent speeds on a laptop
- More storage space
- More connections for working with headsets, microphones or any other add-ons
- Greater safety for your investment, as a larger size, makes them harder to steal and less likely to be moved and dropped
Use Efficient Headsets
Your personnel needs quality headsets. The traditional phone simply won’t do the job, and a poor quality headset will result in frustrated customers (and agents). Agents will have difficulty hearing the customer over the noise of the call center, and customers will have trouble making out the agent if the headsets aren’t equipped with a quality microphone.
While choosing a headset is always a balance of cost and quality, good headsets have a few things in common:
- They are wired since wireless headsets have to be recharged and cost more for equivalent quality
- They are comfortable so that agents are not tempted to remove them frequently
- They offer noise reduction technology that enables agents to hear customers clearly
- They have a reputation for quality, so you don’t have to replace them in just a few months
- They have USB connections for the best sound quality and voice clarity
Select User-Friendly Software
The software you choose for your call center should improve quality and speed. Good software gets your agents, customers and business goals all on the same page and reduces handling times, callbacks, and transfers. The right software will also offer you a high degree of functionality without the need to invest in extensive on-premises infrastructure.
There are many types of cloud-based call center software available, but not all are created equal. Here’s what to look for:
- Omnichannel integration so you can communicate with your customers seamlessly across channels
- Call center quality management so you can observe, measure, and evaluate how the call center is performing
- Consistent, reliable uptime with 24/7 customer support
- Scalability so your call center can respond flexibly to your business needs
- Predictive dialers with CRM integrations and customizable workflow
Settle In With Comfortable Equipment
Call centers have an unpleasant reputation for high turnover among agents. Every time an agent leaves, you have to find a new one, retrain them, and accept slower speeds and lowered efficiency for a while as the new agent learns the ropes. One simple way of retaining your call center agents is by making them comfortable.
You may choose to make agents comfortable by hiring them to work from home, but if you have them come to your facility, here are some things to consider getting:
- Chairs comfortable enough to sit in for hours at a time
- Desks designs and computer mice that minimize repetitive stress injury
- Lighting that is comfortable rather than glaring
- Blue light filters for computer screens to minimize headaches and eyestrain
- A break room where agents can decompress