Hosted Contact Center Software: An Overview

February 29, 2024

Hosted Contact Center Software: An Overview

Choosing the right hosted contact center software is crucial for improving customer interaction and streamlining your business communication. This guide provides an overview of what hosted contact center software is, how it works, and the benefits it offers. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, understanding these key points can help you make an informed decision:

Hosted Contact Center Software: It's a cloud-based solution that allows businesses to manage customer interactions across various channels without the need for onsite hardware.
How It Works: Operates over the internet with options for single or multi-tenant setups, offering features like call handling, omnichannel support, and automated workflows.
Benefits: Includes cost efficiency, scalability, advanced features, and improved experiences for both agents and customers.
Challenges: Considerations include data security, integration complexity, and reliability concerns.
Choosing the Right Provider: Key factors include identifying your needs, evaluating providers on features, scalability, security, and support, and planning for implementation and integration.

This overview encapsulates the essence of selecting and utilizing hosted contact center software to elevate your customer service and operational efficiency.

Understanding Hosted Contact Center Software

What is Hosted Contact Center Software?

Hosted contact center software lets companies talk to their customers without having to own and take care of the big computer systems usually needed for this job. Instead, they use the internet to connect to a service that has everything ready to go.

Here's what you should know about it:

It works over the internet because it's based in the cloud
The service provider looks after the technical stuff off-site
Companies pay a monthly fee for each person using it
Even though many companies use the same service, each one gets its own private space

This setup means companies don't have to spend a lot of money at once on their own equipment. They just pay as they go, based on how much they use it.

Other names for this kind of software include:

CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service)
Cloud contact centers
Virtual call center

It's different from systems where a company keeps all the equipment at their own place.

How Does Hosted Contact Center Software Work?

There are two ways this kind of software can be set up for companies:

Single-tenant: This is like having a private line. It's set up just for one company. Multi-tenant: This is more like a shared service. Many companies use the same setup but still have their own private areas.

No matter which setup, people connect through the internet using a web browser or an app. Calls are made possible through special internet or phone connections. The service provider makes sure everything runs smoothly, keeps things secure, and updates features.

Some features of hosted contact center software are:

Handling calls coming in and going out
Managing contacts through different channels like chat or email
Automated menus for directing calls
Recording calls
Linking with customer records
Analyzing data and reports
Scheduling and managing staff

Agents can work from anywhere with an internet connection. Everything is managed online, and you can adjust how many people are using the service as needed.

Comparing Hosted and On-Premises Contact Centers

When we talk about where the computers and software for contact centers are kept and who looks after them, we can think about it in two main ways: hosted (which means someone else takes care of it) and on-premises (which means you keep it at your place). Here's a simple table to show how they're different:

Factor	Hosted Contact Center	On-Premises Contact Center
Location	Everything is kept at the service provider's place.	Everything is kept at your own business place.
Ownership	The service company owns and takes care of everything.	Your company owns and takes care of everything.
Operation	The service company makes sure everything works right.	Your own IT team makes sure everything works right.
Capabilities	You get lots of cool features like talking to customers through different ways (like chat), automated menus for calls, and easy ways to grow.	You might get basic stuff like directing calls and taking messages. If you want more, you have to buy extra equipment.
Security	They use special codes to keep data safe and are always updating to stay secure.	Your company has to make sure everything's safe from hackers.
Reliability	They have backups so almost never go down.	If something breaks, there might be downtime unless you have your own backups.

To put it simply, with hosted contact centers, you don't have to worry about buying and keeping up with all the tech stuff. The company you're renting from does all that, making sure things run smoothly. This lets you focus more on what your business does best.

With on-premises contact centers, you have more control since it's all in your hands, but you also have to deal with buying, setting up, and fixing everything. For a lot of businesses, the ease and features of hosted contact centers like CCaaS, cloud contact centers, or virtual call center solutions from providers like RingCentral, Nextiva, or Genesys Cloud CX make them a better choice.

Benefits of Hosted Contact Center Software

Hosted contact center software brings a lot of good things compared to the old way of having all the call center tech in your own building. It helps save money, adjust easily to more or fewer calls, has cool features, and makes things better for both the people answering the calls and the customers.

Cost Efficiency

With hosted contact centers, you don't have to spend a lot of money all at once on machines and setting things up. You just pay a monthly fee based on how much you use it, which helps save on:

Buying expensive hardware
Keeping systems up-to-date
Space for all the equipment
Hiring IT staff to look after everything

This way, you know how much you're going to spend each month, making it easier to manage your budget.

Scalability

Hosted services make it easy to handle more or fewer calls as needed. This is great because:

You can quickly add or remove people who answer calls
Easily handle busy times
Don't need to guess how much capacity you'll need
Only pay for the service you actually use

This flexibility means you can adjust without spending extra on things you don't need.

Advanced Features and Integrations

Hosted contact centers come with a bunch of advanced tools like:

Automated menus (IVR)
Smart call routing
Support for different channels like email, chat, and social media
Links to customer records and data
Easy-to-customize displays for tracking everything
Tools to understand what customers are saying

These features help your team handle calls better and faster, using the latest tech.

Enhancing Agent and Customer Experiences

By putting everything together in one system, hosted contact centers make life easier for everyone.

For customers, this means:

Quick help through automated menus or chatbots
The same good service no matter how they get in touch
Getting their problems solved faster

For the people answering the calls, it means:

They can work from anywhere and still have everything they need
Easier ways to get things done
Happier at work
Solving problems on the first call more often

With these improvements, businesses can make their customers and their teams happier, which is great for everyone.

Challenges and Considerations

While hosted contact centers are super helpful, there are a few things to think about before jumping in.

Perceived Lack of Control

Some businesses feel nervous about not having their contact center stuff under their own roof. But, the truth is, you still get to make a lot of important decisions like:

Who gets which calls and messages
What options customers have to help themselves
How your team talks to customers
What information you gather and look at

Even though you're not managing the tech directly, you're still in charge of the big picture.

Data Security Concerns

Keeping customer info safe is a big deal. Good hosted contact center services have strong security measures like:

Making sure data is scrambled so only the right people can read it
Setting who can see or do what
Checking their systems regularly for any weak spots
Having backups ready in case of emergencies

They also follow strict rules about privacy. Still, it's worth taking a close look at how they handle security.

Integration Complexity

Linking your hosted system with other software you use can be tricky. Some providers make it easier by already working well with other tools. If you need something special, it might cost more.

Picking a service that plays nice with your other software can make things smoother.

Reliability Concerns

Good hosted services are usually very reliable, promising to be up and running almost all the time. But if you're really worried about downtime, having a backup plan is a good idea.

Cost Predictability

One of the perks of hosted services is knowing roughly how much you'll pay each month. But, if your call volume goes up and down, so will your bill. Planning ahead can help you budget better.

Migration Challenges

Moving your contact center to the cloud can be a big project. It helps to know what you've got, fix any missing pieces, test everything before you go live, and get help from the service provider.

Even with these challenges, many businesses find that the benefits of hosted contact centers, like being able to grow and change easily, are worth it. Knowing about these potential issues ahead of time means you can get ready for them and make the switch smoothly.

How to Choose the Right Hosted Contact Center Software

Identifying Your Needs

Before picking a hosted contact center solution, it's smart to figure out what your business really needs. Here's how:

Look at how many calls you get and expect: Think about how many calls you handle now and what you think that'll look like in the future. This helps you know how many agents and lines you'll need.
Decide on the ways you want to talk to customers: Figure out which ways of communicating are must-haves - like phone calls, emails, live chat, or social media.
Think about what your customers need help with: Understand the common questions or problems your customers have. This helps you set up how calls get directed and how quickly you need to respond.
Check what other systems need to work with the contact center: Make a list of other software, like CRM or inventory systems, that should connect with your contact center for better access to information.
Choose what tools your agents need: Decide on the tools your agents should have, like information popping up on their screens or ways to listen in and help during calls.

Writing down these needs makes it easier to pick the right software.

Evaluating Providers

Picking the right hosted contact center provider is crucial. Look at these things:

Features: Match what they offer, like handling different types of messages, voice menus (IVR), recording calls, and looking at reports, with what you need.
Scalability: Make sure their system can grow or shrink with your business.
Reliability and uptime: Check their promises on how often their system is up and running.
Security: Make sure they keep your data safe and follow privacy laws.
Support: Look at how fast they help when there's an issue.
Pricing and contracts: Check if their prices and contract terms fit your budget.

Choosing providers that meet your needs helps you find the right software.

Implementation and Integration

Moving to a new hosted contact center needs planning:

Set goals: Decide on what success looks like for you, like faster call handling or happier customers.
Clean up data: Make sure customer information is up to date so everything works smoothly.
Test how systems work together: Make sure your contact center software and other tools like CRM work well together.
Teach your team: Make sure everyone knows how to use the new system.
Try both systems together: Start by using the old and new systems at the same time to catch any issues.

With good planning and help from your provider, switching to a new hosted contact center can go smoothly.

Top Hosted Contact Center Software Providers

When it comes to handling customer service online, some companies really stand out because they make it easier for businesses to talk to their customers without needing a bunch of computers and phones in one place. Let's take a look at a few of these companies and what makes them different.

Key Players

The best companies in this area usually offer:

Omnichannel support: This means you can talk to customers through calls, emails, chat, texts, and even social media all in one spot.
Flexible pricing: You pay based on how much you use, which is great for businesses that grow or have busy seasons.
Quick deployment: You can start using these services quickly, in days or weeks, not months.
Intuitive interfaces: Their tools are easy to use, which is great for everyone.
CRM integrations: You can connect customer info with other business tools you already use.
Customizability: You can change how calls and messages are handled to fit your needs.

However, each company has its own special features and best uses.

RingCentral

Best For: Small and medium businesses that want everything in one place.

Key Features

Easy to set up call flows
See how you're doing in real-time
Works well with CRM systems

Pricing: You'll need to ask them.

Nextiva

Best For: Businesses that use social media a lot.

Key Features:

Handle social media messages
Watch customer journeys in real-time
Set up workflows easily

Pricing: Starts at $99 per month for each user

Five9

Best For: Big companies that need detailed reports.

Key Features:

Smart help for agents using AI
Connects with lots of CRM systems
Detailed reports on everything

Pricing: You'll need to ask them.

Genesys Cloud CX

Best For: Businesses that want to tweak everything to their liking.

Key Features:

Lots of ways to customize
Over 400 apps to connect with
Smart call routing

Pricing: Starts at $45 per month for each user

Making the Right Choice

With so many options, here's how to pick the right one for you:

Call volume: Think about how many people you need to talk to customers now and in the future.
Channels: Decide which ways of talking to customers are important to you.
Workflows: Figure out how you want customer conversations to go.
Tools: Choose the features your team needs to help customers.
Integrations: List other tools you use that should work with your contact center.
Analytics: Decide what info you need to see about calls and services.

Matching what these companies offer to what you need can help you pick the right one. Many offer free trials, so you can try them out before deciding.

Conclusion

Choosing a hosted contact center can make things a lot easier and cheaper for businesses that want to talk to their customers better. These services use the internet and other companies' tech to let you add cool call features without spending a ton of money all at once.

Here's a quick summary of what to think about if you're looking into hosted contact centers:

Benefits

It's usually cheaper than having all the tech at your own place.
You can easily handle more or fewer calls as your business changes.
You get the latest tools for talking to customers, like chatting through different apps or using smart bots.
You can pick how you want it set up, like just using the internet or mixing it with your own stuff.

Considerations

You might worry about not having all the control.
Keeping customer info safe is super important.
Sometimes, making it work with your other computer programs can be a bit tricky.
How well it works depends on the company you choose to help you.

Recommendations

Make sure you know what you need before you choose a service.
Look closely at what different companies offer, especially how safe and reliable they are.
Check if the new system can work with your current programs.
Try it out first if you can, to see if it fits what you need.

With the right planning and choice of service, hosted contact centers can really help your business talk to customers better without costing a fortune. They're flexible and quick to set up, which is perfect for keeping up with how fast things change these days.

What is hosted contact center?

A hosted contact center is a service that lets businesses handle customer calls and messages through the internet, instead of having to set up their own call center equipment. Here's what it offers:

The service runs on the provider's systems, not yours.
You pay for what you use, which can change from month to month.
Setting it up is quick and doesn't cost a lot upfront.
You get the newest features without having to buy new hardware.
It supports many ways to talk to customers, like phone, chat, and text.
You can easily adjust how many calls or messages you can handle based on your needs.

Basically, hosted contact centers let businesses handle customer service with less hassle and cost than traditional setups.

What is a contact center software?

Contact center software is a set of tools used by businesses to talk to their customers across different ways, like phone calls or messages. It helps with things like:

Call routing: Sending incoming calls to the right agent based on certain rules.
IVR and self-service: Allowing customers to solve some problems on their own using phone menus or automated helpers.
Omnichannel engagement: Managing customer interactions across different methods from one place.
Workforce optimization: Planning staff schedules and keeping track of how well things are going.
Reporting and analytics: Understanding how the call center is doing and finding ways to improve.

This software makes it easier for businesses to provide good customer service efficiently.

What does Talkdesk software do?

Talkdesk is a company that offers software for cloud contact centers. It includes features like:

Connecting with customers through voice, video, chat, and messaging
Smartly directing calls and providing automated help
Reporting on how things are going in real-time and over time
Linking with customer management software
Customizing the setup for agents
Using AI to help agents and automate tasks
Offering different ways to set it up depending on what the business needs

In short, Talkdesk helps businesses manage customer service through various channels more effectively.

What is CCaaS technology?

CCaaS stands for Contact Center as a Service. It's a way to have a contact center that runs over the internet. The benefits are:

You don't need to buy expensive equipment.
You pay for what you use each month.
It's quick to start using it, without a big setup.
You can easily handle more or fewer calls as your business changes.
You automatically get new features as they're released.
It's designed to be available all the time, without interruptions.
It includes strong security measures to protect customer information.

CCaaS makes it easier for businesses to offer customer service without the complexity and costs of old-fashioned call centers. Some well-known CCaaS providers include Five9, Nice InContact, Genesys Cloud, and Talkdesk.

Blog