You mentioned migrating to an integrated or cloud-based solution. How do you know which choice is best for your organization?
It comes down to how much flexibility an organization desires in this integrated communication solution. The in-house systems will typically allow a customer to be more flexible or customized, whereas a cloud-based solution will tend to be a bit more cookie-cutter.
What should organizations expect from a high-end provider during the conversion process?
Expect to have a dedicated team for this project. If you hire a top-notch company, it will provide a project management team to ensure all the wiring, equipment and the wide-area network connections are working and being installed according to the timetable that was agreed upon at the beginning of the project. The technology, frankly, is a bit of a commodity now. The implementation of it and how that process is handled is really what separates the men from the boys in this business.
How can you know the company you choose will have a dedicated team running the conversion process?
You need to demand it. You need to make it one of the requirements for a project of this scope. You cannot let the organization you are working with dictate whether you are going to have a team or not. That has to be a requirement. Also, you will want to check references. Check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure the company you are going with is reputable and has treated its clientele the way you want to be treated.
Once the integrated telecommunication solution is in place, how can you measure the return on investment?
That will vary from organization to organization. I recently read a case study about an NHL hockey team that implemented a unified solution. When inbound callers came into the customer service queue, it linked the incoming phone number and did a search in the billing database for that number. If it was a season ticket holder, or someone who had spent a lot of money on skyboxes, entertainment, etc., it prioritized those calls and put the people it felt were higher priority at the front of the line.
So the organization is better able to satisfy big-spending clients, rather than making them feel like part of the pack. The ROI can be measured by how many of those large clients are retained. Also, you can measure how much more those big-spending clients spend in the next few years.
There is a very real customer service experience change when you utilize a unified solution properly. It will give you a leg up on your competition because so many people aren’t able to do that right now. That differentiation — distinguishing yourself and your organization — that is what this is all about. Make your clients feel they are getting the best service possible, whatever the business is. With some imagination, you can achieve that with a unified communications solution.
Chris Surdenik is president of Call One. Reach him at (312) CALL-ONE.
