In the past 18 months, the acceleration of technological developments has increased exponentially. From the realization of truly intelligent AI, to the deployment of self-driving cars, we’ve seen many of our wildest, futuristic dreams come to fruition in a short span of time.
With so much new technology readily available, countless industries have changed. The way businesses serve their customers has had to change along with the status quo. As the landscape of possibilities has evolved, so too have customer expectations. They are now more informed, connected, and demanding than ever, and expect their favorite brands to provide seamless sales and service support at any time, any where.
Over my 34 years in the business of customer success, I’ve seen the ever-present demand for instant gratification dramatically change the landscape of the industry by forcing businesses to innovate. Everyday, our customers are demanding accessibility through multiple communication channels, not just voice, but email, SMS/text, chat, etc. It is now a requirement that companies have frictionless, intelligent real-time communications with their customers.
So how can companies meet this requirement?
Perhaps the most effective way, and the one that sets you up for present and future success, is to move your contact center operations to the cloud. Cloud-based platforms are rightfully replacing premise-based systems as the only infrastructure in which brands can truly keep up with their customer’s demands. In addition to offering customization and real-time analytics, cloud platforms give businesses the ability to easily integrate with third-party technologies without a huge time investment from IT. They also offer the ability to be flexible with your business, allowing you to dynamically scale up and down to meet changing customer demand. Now, companies are able to engage, acquire, and support their customers any time, anywhere, and on the customer’s terms thanks to the flexibility and freedom allowed by the cloud.
In practice, cloud based platforms are completely transforming how business is done. A Fortune 500 food manufacturer has found success with us by integrating multiple third party technologies onto our cloud based platform giving their users a uniquely seamless experience. This solution allows them to be flexible in their operations and enables them to run their own departments, via the platform, without the need for extensive support from IT. When they need additional capacity, they are able to instantly add agents themselves which, according to the client, “makes it a lot quicker and more cost effective than having to put in a ticket, then wait for it to be accepted, worked and completed.” The freedom and flexibility provided by the simplicity of cloud based platforms, unlocks the potential for a new level of operational performance and a better customer experience.
The future is coming fast. Scratch that, it’s here. Labor productivity is up by 40% thanks to new technologies. It’s time to harness the power of the cloud to equip your business to run more efficiently. You’ll start reaping the benefits immediately, and you’ll set yourself up to incorporate new technologies in the future; with that in mind, cloud based platforms just make good business sense. More importantly, you’ll reduce effort for both your customers and agents.
It’s time to have your head in the cloud. Start today.
