Call Management Software – The First Choice for Improved Efficiency

Melissa Kalmer
30 June 2022

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Busy call centers handle a lot of calls. This isn’t easy, but good call management software helps by enabling more efficient processes. 

With these in place, you’ll be able to manage a higher volume of calls with the same resources while optimizing your customer experience. 

In this article, we’ll look at exactly what call management software is and go into further detail about how it can help.

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In this post:

What is call management software?

Call management software helps businesses handle inbound and outbound phone contact. 

Good software handles all parts of the process, including gathering intent, routing calls, handling queues, and automating post-call work.  

The tools benefit businesses by enabling them to handle a higher volume of calls without hiring more agents.

It can also improve your customer experience by giving callers a faster, more streamlined way to connect with support. 

73 % of all businesses plan to switch all possible systems to SaaS

Why use call management software? 

Any business that handles a large volume of calls will benefit from the streamlining these tools bring.

But call management software will be especially useful if:

You want to lower Average Handle Time

Many call centers use Average Handle Time (AHT) to measure the efficiency of their business. A lower handle time means they are dealing with calls at speed. 

Call management software is an effective way to reduce AHT. 

It can:

  • Connect with your CRM or ticketing software. This lets you send customer data with each call. Agents get more insight into the customer’s problem so they can solve it faster.
  • Automate post-call processes. The tools can input call logs into your customer CRM and reflect this across your system. When agents spend less time on this work, AHT decreases. 
  • Improve routing. Better routing means customers speak to agents with the expertise to solve their problems fast. It also cuts down on time-consuming call transfers. 

One of the problems with reducing AHT is that doing so often comes at the expense of CX. 

But call management software lets you implement processes that reduce AHT without worsening the customer experience.

Customers complain about long wait times

Customers hate waiting on hold when they call a business. If your customers frequently complain about long wait times, call management software could be the answer. 

One reason is that these tools help you handle calls more efficiently. Cutting AHT means agents spend less time on each call, so your team can handle more calls than previously possible. 

But there are also features that more directly target long wait times. 

  • Virtual queuing allows customers to request a callback. Instead of waiting on hold, they can hang up and receive a call when they reach the front of the queue.
  • Automated self-service resources allow customers to find instant answers without speaking to staff. 

Combined, these features can seriously cut the time your average customer has to wait for help.

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You frequently have to transfer calls

Call transfers increase the time a call takes in two ways:

  1. Customers have to wait on hold for the second agent to become available
  2. They have to repeat information about their problem to the new agent

The best way to reduce the need to transfer calls is to improve how you route them in the first place. There’s no need to transfer calls when people are already speaking to the best agent to solve their problem.  

Call management software helps by allowing you to create routing rules. These processes guess why a caller is contacting you and send them to the right person. 

These rules could be based on their area code, information gathered in an IVR, or customer data in the CRM. 

You want to improve the customer experience

So far, we’ve looked at how call management software benefits your business. But these tools also improve the customer experience. 

Shorter wait times, fewer transfers, and faster problem solving all provide CX improvements. 

But it helps in other ways too. 

One way is that agents can access customer information such as past orders or open support tickets. This ensures they can provide an informed experience tailored to the customer’s needs. 

Another is that you can offer self-service resources. This allows customers to solve their answers independently without speaking to your team. 

Pre-emptive support can also help. This is when you identify potential customer issues and solve them before the customer even knows they exist. 

Characteristics of great call management software

Not all call center management software is the same. 

Whether you get access to the benefits above will depend on the features offered by your chosen software. 

Some of the characteristics to look out for include:

Does it integrate with your systems?

The best call management software integrates with the other systems your business uses. 

This allows you to share data between each tool and set up automation whereby a trigger in one tool results in an action in another. 

The most important integrations are those that connect with your ticketing software or CRM. 

This allows your call management platform to access the data stored in these tools. Agents can then use it to provide more personalized help. 

This also allows you to handle calls alongside your other communication channels, streamlining the process for agents. 

In a study of 786 technical professionals across small and large organizations, 94% use cloud SaaS

Is it No-Code?

Having access to integrations and automation is one thing. Being able to set them up is another.

That’s why you should look for tools with No-Code automation functionality. This allows anyone in your team to create useful processes, not just your developers.

No-Code tools typically make it easy to connect different software. You can then use a drag-and-drop system or similar to create automation or processes across different tools. 

Does it work with legacy tools?

Established call centers often use legacy tools. These may still perform well, but bringing them into a modern system is challenging. 

If this describes your business, consider choosing call management software that will help you integrate these tools. 

It may require more work, but it is possible to bring these tools into a modern system by building a container that helps them communicate with other software. 

Improved efficiency benefits everyone

Improving the efficiency of your call center benefits everyone involved. 

  1. Your business cuts support costs or handles a larger customer base with the same resource
  2. Agents benefit from streamlined processes that help them excel in their roles 
  3. Customers get faster access to the help they need to solve their issues 

All you need to do is choose a platform that meets your needs. 

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