Centralizing Communication for Better Customer Experience
Cloud phone systems—most commonly known as Voice Over IP or VoIPs—are not just a benefit for internal efficiency (though they certainly conquer that well). In fact, such systems provide huge benefits to customer-facing interactions, both in the sales department and even within the service department, and can improve upon communication bottlenecks, responsiveness, and customer satisfaction all around. “In a realm where every customer query demands swift and efficient resolution, VoIP stands tall as a solution that streamlines communication and significantly cuts down operational costs,” a blog from AgilityPR notes.
Further, the brand elaborates, VoIPs enhance the customer’s personal experience, too. “For businesses tirelessly working to enhance their customer interactions and support, VoIP unfolds as a genuine game-changer, breaking down geographical barriers and facilitating instant connectivity.” The most obvious reason this is the case is the singularity of it all, the one-stop shop that can host and analyze calls in one place. “VoIP technology orchestrates a unified communication strategy, ensuring all customer interaction channels—whether calls, messages, or video conferencing—are streamlined under a single roof.”
But, the article continues, it doesn’t stop there: It’s also about empowering employees to get to know their customer with personalized data and real-time profile updates, alongside the ability to ensure a streamlined customer process. “Ensuring consistency and quality in customer interactions is pivotal. VoIP allows recording, monitoring, and analyzing calls, enabling a structured quality assurance mechanism…. [and] VoIP systems can be integrated with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, ensuring that every interaction with a customer is not a standalone exchange but a part of a continuous, cohesive customer journey.” Not to mention the call-routing capabilities that mean an inbound call will be more likely to be accurately routed the first time, decreasing customer wait time and increasing customer satisfaction.
Meeting Customers Where They Are
Part of that consumer journey, an article by Stratosphere Networks notes, is meeting any given customer where they’re at and approaching them via whichever method they prefer. “Cloud-based communications software will usually enable you to connect with clients via digital channels and send out reminders and surveys via text and email. This allows you to accommodate modern consumer preferences and deliver better customer experiences.”
Such cloud-based systems also empower dealerships to learn from its departments’ interactions and improve bottlenecks and pain points, explains an article in FedTech Magazine. “Today, consoles give real-time information about call drops, incompletes and out-of-tolerance wait times, all in a dashboard. Cloud-based phone systems have both inherent extensibility and scalability, unlike an obsolete private branch exchange, where each new line was a chore.”
As an added benefit of efficiency, FedTech continues, cloud-based phone systems can keep employee training and learning curves minimal. “When implementing cloud-based infrastructure, training time is reduced, both for administrators and users. Many systems offer user controls that can be accessed by smartphones or desktop computer apps. Help desk costs can be reduced by training videos, seminars and on-screen help functions.”
Improving Operations Across Locations
For dealerships that have multiple locations spread out across some distance, these systems can have a particularly positive effect, FedTech argues. “Cohesive infrastructure and ease of administration reduce vendor complexity and support familiarity with communications equipment across many locations, anchoring common skill sets among employees.” In other words, consistency across the brand is achievable no matter the distance between brick and mortar locations or remote customer service posts.
And on this note, continues Stratosphere Networks, remote workers that manage customer service requests (both inbound and outbound) are increasingly empowered with cloud-based phone systems. “Businesses across various industries can contain costs and empower remote workers with unified communications as a service (UCaaS) software.” And even if a worker isn’t remote, he or she can continue an interaction or pick up where they left off with a particular customer while out and about as necessary thanks to transferable features. “Auto dealer employees can stay in touch at their desks, out on the lot, or on the go—no need to forward calls from your desk phone or give out your personal cell number.”
Using technology to facilitate humans to offer a more intimate, personalized, and, frankly, successful experience is what it’s all about, after all.
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