5 Ways Contact Center Software Tends to Fail

Good contact center software works in the background. The best solutions are so low-key that the average consumer doesn’t even notice they exist.

In most cases, the only sign of the software is that the experience was better and more streamlined than the customer expected.

We actually think the average consumer is more likely to notice call center software when it fails than when it works properly.

With that in mind, here are five signs that the contact center software you’re interacting with isn’t working as expected.

1. You have a long wait

Nobody likes to wait on hold, and the best contact center software keeps wait time to a minimum.

It does this in many ways. Call routing, self-service, and automation shorten call time and maximize agent availability.

And even when there is a queue, good tools offer some form of virtual queuing. This feature lets the caller hang up and opt for a call back rather than waiting on hold.

Next time you have a long wait when calling a contact center, it’s probably because the software doesn’t have this feature.

2. You can’t get through to an agent

The next sign of failing call center software is when you can’t get through to an agent.

This is usually due to a frustrating IVR experience. This is the technology you probably know as the automated solution that answers your call before transferring you to an agent.

A good IVR asks useful questions to help connect you with the right agent. But if the IVR isn’t programmed in a user-friendly way, it can stop you from accessing the help you need.

Common problems include the reason for calling not being listed or lists that are long and time-consuming to listen to. These issues mean you’ll struggle to get through to relevant help.

3. You keep having to repeat yourself

Good contact center software connects with other business technology, such as CRM, helpdesk, and multiple communication channels, to improve agents’ access to customer information.

When set up well, all agents can see your account information and contact history. This means you can speak to people on different channels without repeating yourself.

An example of this is what happens when you contact a support team via website chat.

The agent who answers your request inputs the details of your query into the software. Then they can contact you via email or phone when the problem is fixed.

The person who contacts you doesn’t even have to be the same person who answered the query, as everyone can access the data.

4. You’ll speak to the wrong person

A clear sign of failing call center software is when the person who answers the phone is not someone who can answer your problem.

This could be because they are in the wrong department, location, or even speaking the wrong language.

The best contact center tools have powerful features that automatically route people to the right agent.

For example, the software can:

Look at your phone number to see where you are calling from and direct you to a local agent
Look at the country you are calling from and send you to an agent who speaks your language
Match your phone number to an existing customer profile and send you to an agent based on your account status
Match your phone number to a recent order or booking and send you to an agent who can provide further information

5. The agent doesn’t know who you are

Good call center software matches your phone number to customer profiles. It can then send information to the agent before they answer the phone. The agent can then personalize their service to your needs.

On a basic level, this means greeting you by name. But it could also be having information about recent purchases or reservations on hand so they can preemptively answer your question.

If the agent doesn’t know who you are when they answer, there could be a problem with the call center software.
Good Contact Center Software Streamlines Support
Ultimately, good contact center software streamlines the support experience. It removes barriers, improves UX, and ensures agents can provide fast, relevant help to customers.

This benefits both customers, who get better support, and businesses, who can answer more queries in a shorter amount of time.