Vocalcom Sets Sights on SMB Call CenterVocalcom Sets Sights on SMB Call Center

Click2Start reduces call center setup or modernization to about five minutes, the company says.

Vocalcom, a global provider of cloud-based call center software and sales acceleration technology, recently launched Click2Start for small and medium-sized businesses. It says the Click2Start simplifies call center setup or modernization in about five minutes.

In my previous experiences implementing call centers and other premises solutions, five minutes was never really in the scope of a serious deployment. However, with cloud technology the days of heavy capital expenditures for call centers with two to 25 seats and a couple of supervisors are over -- and so is the wait time to install and turn up a fully functional call center. But even cooler is the ease of bringing remote and work-at-home agents into the fold.

Click2Start supports up to 25 agents, each of whom only needs a computer and an Internet connection. Features include enhanced caller ID, IVR, skills-based routing, CTI screen pop, virtual hold, call recording, predictive dialing, business analytics, and smart automations.

With Click2Start, managers can monitor customer interactions and take action while on the fly. On-screen caller info provides a real-time view of customer data, while skills-based routing gets calls to the right agent. The predictive dialer is meant to give sales more time with live prospects instead wasting time dialing, and the latest Click2Start release also features a new multichannel interface for Salesforce for increased ease of use and agent productivity. With virtual hold, a contact center can give callers the choice of waiting for the next available agents or receiving callbacks.

Click2Start ranges in price from $65 to $250 per seat monthly.

Cloud contact center removes borders and physical constraints. The time from start up to go live, plus onboarding agents, is minimal, and costs move to the operating side as monthly expenses. Flexibility to scale up or down on an ongoing basis is another plus, and this is without significant investment. Another benefit of cloud contact center is the ability to use a workforce anywhere, providing the potential for spanning time zones and extending coverage hours.

Vocalcom's solution lends itself to asking the question of positioning the service with embedded premises-based or other cloud solutions that lack true "call center" capabilities. This remains a key benefit of cloud solutions like Vocalcom's, in that while a total replacement isn't always cost effective, adding to an existing configuration is and can be done faster.

Overall, "better, faster, cheaper, and easier to use" is an ongoing theme. Remember this, the fifth of W. Edwards Deming's 14 key management principles is this: Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.

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