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By now we are aware What is Cloud Telephony? How is it different from traditional methods? So, we thought let’s take the next step and give you a few pointers on what to know before buying a Cloud telephony solution from a service provider.

While it’s important to consider the requirements of every business, finding the right kind of cloud telephony solution that will fulfill those requirements is the main aim.

The right cloud telephony system can help you provide excellent customer service and earn you good word-of-the-mouth from satisfied customers to your potential customers. This comes as a huge driving factor.

The following checklist will help you choose the top cloud telephony solutions for your businesses:

There are certain features that every service provider offers and there are few other features which come more as bonus features which will help in enhancing the customer experience.

Does the service provider offer a trial option?

A trial option will provide you most of the features barring a few. This will give you an idea of how the platform works and rate of delivery, and hey it’s free! Yes, though for a limited timeframe, businesses can still try this option before signing up for a paid version of cloud telephony for business solutions.

Once you have signed up for a trial version, how do you know what are the features you should be looking for? Scroll down to know which features you should consider before buying the cloud telephony solutions from a service provider.

Does your cloud telephony platform have a quick set-up?

A quick and easy set-up goes a long way when you are choosing a service provider. You may not know the system like the back of your hand in the initial few days, however, it shouldn’t require you to spend a lot of time like for a few weeks to figure out how the system works.

So, it’s always best to choose a platform which will allow you and your team to start using your customer service desk right away on their own.

If an external team has to come and help you in setting up your call center and train agents on how to use them, then it’s probably best to stay away from such service providers.

Let’s say one of your agents has an issue understanding the features of your call center, if your team is not able to figure out a way to explain and needs intervention from the provider every single time, then it’s not the right choice of a system. This will also impact on the time taken to resolve your customer query which will invariably affect your brand and image.

A simple and quick set-up is always user-friendly with very less dependency on the provider. This not only helps you to scale up your business it will help you reduce the time spent on training agents. When a new team member joins, he/she can start using your customer support center without any glitches.

Is there a limit on adding groups/agents?

Given that every business has the aim of growing, it’s only fair you check if your provider has any restrictions on the number of people who can be added. Let’s face it, when you want to run a business that is ever growing, it is natural that the number of agents will increase as your business grows.

Make sure the system chosen is flexible enough to handle adding/deleting agents, changing their shifts etc. If your Cloud telephony provider has a cap on the number of agents to be added, then be sure to check the maximum number of agents allowed. Also, don’t forget to check if they have a paid plan that will allow you to add agents and how much would this addition of agents cost you once you have exhausted the limit.

Does it have a call routing and sticky agent option?

Check if your provider’s platform allows you to have a call routing option. This way you can ensure that wait time is reduced for customers and the agents have a systematic approach to handling calls. Call routing is one of the most effective ways to make sure you don’t miss any calls from your customers. It also helps in checking that all agents receive an equal share of calls; hence no single agent is overburdened with calls.

Moving onto the sticky agent option, we all have faced this issue where we would have to explain the same issue faced by us as customers to multiple people over and over. This not only takes up a lot of time, it adds to the frustration of the customers who have to repeat their concern to every agent. Sticky agent option allows your system to reroute the call to the same agent who has previously handled a particular query from that particular customer. This way the agent will be aware of the information required to resolve the query and the customer does not have to waste time providing information repeatedly. This saves time for your call center too and helps in resolving queries faster.

Can your agent take notes during a live call?

If for any reason, the sticky agent is unable to help the customer with their concerns during the shift time, then what do you do? A call disposition notes option will resolve this issue. An agent can enter the last history about call details quickly, making it easier for the agent who is logging in next to take up the issue and provide a solution.

Does the Cloud telephony platform allow call transfer based on agents’ availability?

You might be thinking how does it matter? But it’s one of the biggest factors to consider if you want your customer support center to perform excellent. A good cloud telephony platform will allow you to check an agent’s availability if he/she is offline or online to take calls. You can automatically set rules to transfer calls based on the agent’s availability and their expertise in handling the calls.

An IVR set-up is a must!

While you can still question around the other options, an IVR or interactive voice response is one thing you must never compromise on. It’s the face of your customer support.  An IVR is a feature which every call center with high call volume will find it extremely helpful and necessary. It should be quick and easy to set up. It should have multiple widgets which will help you customize your call center according to your preferences thus making it more customer engaging.

How much access do you have to check your call center’s performance via reports and call recordings?

Reports and call recordings are your direct way of measuring your call center’s performance. It’s the perfect way of tracking your agent’s performance and identifying the areas of improvement to help them perform better, in turn paving the way for better customer experience.

Call reports and recordings help you understand the common issues faced by customers and provide better solutions thereby reducing calls for the same reason.

Want to know more about cloud telephony solutions? Check out Kaleyra’s simple, easy-to-use Cloud telephony services by visiting our websitewww.kaleyra.com or reach out to us at sales@kaleyra.com to know more about our products and services.