Wirecutter: Call Center Automation With No-Code Platforms

Call center automation is the best way for companies to keep up with support and marketing pressure. That’s if they want to achieve more without breaking the bank spending on additional features. Even better is the idea of no-code automation for call centers.

Wirecutter: Call Center Automation With No-Code Platforms

This post will introduce you to the concept of no-code automation in call centers. Being a “wirecutter” approach to the topic, we’ll straightaway propose the best way to achieve more automation.

This way, the only next step for you is to implement and test out the ideas we’re going to discuss. Before we get into it, let’s go over a few important definitions to get every reader on the same page.

What is Call Center Automation?

The term “call center automation” refers to the actions that go into making a call center’s tools start and maintain processes and events without the input of human agents. When achieved, what you get is an automated call center.

There are many reasons one would pursue call center automation. Let’s review a few advantages it imparts to the call center as we discover these.

Advantages of call center automation:

1. Automation improves the productivity of a call center. This could be as conversational IVR systems answering calls where agents would have them wait in long queues.

2. Call center automation boosts customer satisfaction metrics. This results in happier customers.

3. Automation opens up new efficiencies for your contact center. For instance, following up on customers automatically can cause lower customer churn rates. This makes your business more profitable.

Also Read: Wired vs. Wireless Headphones: Which is Right for You?

These three are just the tip of the iceberg compared to the overall benefits a call center reaps from automation.

At this point we’ve exhausted the what and why of call center automation. Let’s now wade into the how.

How To Automate Your Call Center Without Code

Traditionally, an existing implementation of call center tools could only be upgraded or integrated by going back to their respective vendors. You’d basically be asking for extra coding to take place.

This was always welcome, but it came with huge time delays and price tags that’d make you think again.

Then no-code automation came to our rescue!

The concept of “no-code” explained

Unlike opening up the hood of your call center software applications, the no-code approach uses API integration.

An API is the software equivalent of a bridge between two applications. It allows the transfer of data and functionality to whichever side requests them.

To achieve automation, the various components of a system are available to join with others (internally or externally) to create bespoke workflows. Each workflow starts with an event (the trigger) and rolls into a series of events that happen based on logic flow conditions.

Consider an example of how using an API could enhance a call center hooked into an SMS gateway:

Say a caller tries to reach support but fails for any reason. This event can trigger an SMS to send a link to the caller to schedule a call from support at a time that you know the agents will be less occupied.

This automation could go as far as taking the time chosen by the customer and assigning an agent that has the skills to solve the caller’s concerns (we would have asked in the text, or inferred from their last activity on the website). It ends when the dialer is called into action and the call automatically made at the agreed time to serve the customer.

In this typical scenario, such a customer would feel appreciated (remember the advantages).

Getting started with no-code automation

Everything we’ve discussed leads up to you trying out no-code automation with your call center. It doesn’t have to be the size of an entire floor of agents, but the concept works just as well (if not better) for big contact centers.

babelforce is one no-code automation platform for call centers. With it, you don’t have to wait for weeks for new functionalities to become available for your agents. We can integrate your existing call center processes using APIs, resulting in a more efficient call center.

Let’s explore a scenario made possible with babelforce and no-code automation.

Automated (sophisticated) call routing:

Let’s consider the workflow elements and their variables. Try to imagine how no-code automation would work in your particular cases.

Trigger:

An incoming call: variables include the time it takes place, who is calling (VIP or new customer), where they’re calling from (language preferences)

Objects/Elements of the workflow:

The caller: all their data and recent activity information will be used to decide the endpoint of this workflow.

Agents: skill levels, linguistic abilities, availability

Actions:

Connect caller to chosen agent

Send customer information to an agent

Redirect call to a conversational IVR system and record conversation

Send SMS with guaranteed time slot where the agent is available

With just these elements and details, your system should match an incoming call with the best agent. The IVR stands in for agents when none of them can speak the required language or are available. At the very least, it will shoot an SMS to the caller’s phone to get them to call at a more opportune moment.

Now imagine the new doors that no-code automation will open for your call center.

babelforce is a global cloud communications platform focused on No-Code integration and automation. It allows non-technical people to build even the most complex integrated processes for customer-facing teams, particularly in the call center.