What exactly is a SaaS call center, and how might it help your business? This blog post explains why SaaS has become so mainstream.
When did you last hear someone talk about a SaaS call center?
It feels as though the model is everywhere these days. Across a wide range of industries and sectors, businesses the world over are moving to subscription cloud services. But why?
It can sometimes seem that SaaS is all that everyone is talking about, whether or not you know what the term means. SaaS has replaced the traditional way businesses used to function. In the process, it has also made business processes more efficient and cost-effective. but, how can SaaS, especially a SaaS call center, help your business?
This blog post is going to clear the fog, by taking you through the application of SaaS call centers, explaining why and how they might be of benefit to your business.
Understanding SaaS ‘Software as a Service’
SaaS stands for ‘Software as a Service’. It essentially refers to any software that is provided on a subscription basis, with features typically accessed online, thanks to cloud computing.
Practically, that means that the software is hosted by an external server and reached over the internet, allowing it to be managed remotely from anywhere with a broadband connection. As you can imagine, there are huge benefits that can be gained from this flexibility.
The model has become popular over the last two decades largely thanks to this level of global access, as well as the scalability, high functionality, and cost efficiencies offered by new platforms. Not only are new technology companies taking on the model, but the old titans of tech are also converting to a SaaS provider setup.
In 2010, SaaS penetration was a meager 6% of enterprise-software revenues. eight years later, in 2018, this swelled to 29% or $150 billion in revenue globally. In recent years, SaaS has even achieved a 20% penetration into major industries where on-premise technologies dominated.
Source
Unsurprisingly its rise accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a sudden upturn in the number of employees working from home all over the world. The subsequent boost to the remote working revolution has left companies looking for efficient and easy-to-use ways to keep their businesses moving forward.
Why are businesses jumping on the SaaS bandwagon?
Remember when “we’re moving everything to the cloud” sounded strange and unfamiliar? Those days have quickly faded from memory with businesses seeing the great benefit cloud migration has to offer.
The growth in remote working has brought direct benefits to companies and their employees, increasing flexibility, reducing overheads, and enabling organizations to be quick-footed in responding to changing demand.
But distance can also threaten team cohesion, connectivity, and efficiency. That is unless physical proximity is replaced with fast and effective digital tools. This is where the SaaS industry has come in.
What other benefits does cloud migration offer businesses?
Low setup costs
With software accessed over the internet, there are little to no setup costs with a SaaS product. Typically, companies don’t need to invest in any additional infrastructure beyond pre-existing computer hardware, making cloud adoption cheap, seamless, and quicker.
Intuitive, customizable interfaces
Platforms receive regular updates and are far quicker and easier to customize than a piece of hardware. That means interfaces are built with ease-of-use at the forefront, allowing staff to get to work with little hesitation. Little to no training is required to set up employees on most SaaS platforms.
Pay for what you use
The subscription-based model of these services allows businesses to sign up only to the capacity and features they require. That significantly reduces wasted spend, and with most providers also charging based on a simple monthly or annual fee, it also makes costs easy to track.
Broad functionality
SaaS platforms offer a phenomenal range of functions. From project management to data processing, IT support, international calling, and customer relationship management. Within each sector, you’ll find ever more advanced features tailor-made for those businesses’ requirements. If you need it there’ll be software that does it.
Advanced integrations with existing systems
Good software is designed to speak to existing systems. These days, it’s common to find businesses using a range of integrated products for an optimized workflow.
Low to no maintenance requirements and costs
Without a hardwired kit, maintenance is a thing of the past. Regular software updates are simply pushed from the cloud, meaning that your operation is kept up-to-date and running smoothly.
Reduced risk of downtime
Without the infrastructure to maintain, service reliability increases drastically. This also reduced downtime and faults are far less common than in older, ‘on-premise systems, which require bespoke and on-site attention.
How will SaaS influence call centers?
For decades, call centers have been over-reliant on on-premise IT infrastructure for their daily operations. These on-premise systems had several downsides that undermined the customer experience call centers could potentially offer. In other words, call centers were ripe for disruption and SaaS just accelerated the occurrence.
In call centers, SaaS takes the form of cloud telephony, softphones, VoIP, and similar technologies that replace copper cables and physical PBXs. It takes advantage of VoIP technology (Voice over Internet Protocol). Essentially, this allows business phones to be quickly installed on computers or mobile equipment for immediate setup.
The integrations this offers allows call centers to implement advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, enhancing the service they can offer and how quickly and effectively they can solve callers’ issues. Such computer integration makes daily life an easy and seamless experience for agents.
How your business can benefit from a SaaS call center
Here are some assured ways your business can benefit from using a SaaS call center.
Tool scalability
Undoubtedly one of the biggest benefits is how quick and easy it is to scale up your call center operations. Gone are the days of telephony hardware installs which span weeks, if not months consuming copious amounts of IT budget. In a SaaS call center, phone extensions and new user profiles can be created or removed with the click of a button.
Call volume scalability
Similarly, the volume of calls you’re dealing with can be scaled up quickly and easily. This means you’ll only be paying for what you need, without worrying about future-proofing your infrastructure. The subscription service can flex and grow along with your business volumes.
Agent licenses
SaaS setups allow agent licenses to be added effortlessly, rather than having to be bought in bulk in advance, allowing flexibility for dealing with peak call volumes. furthermore, it helps you forecast your IT spend with accuracy compared to the guesswork that on-premise systems often mandated.
Integrated reporting
Platforms can greatly increase workforce efficiency through tracking and data metrics. With your business’s communications going through one system, in-depth analysis of vast pools of data can identify opportunities for improvement. Companies can easily draw up agent availability reports and call metrics, to enable them to offer an exceptional level of customer service.
Full mobility
Without a physical, ‘on-premise’ system, call centers can be fully mobile. Whether you’re simply moving offices or operating as a remote team with agents all over the world, the software opens up the possibilities for call centers to be remarkably mobile. SaaS applications can be easily operated through mobile devices through web browsers or with the help of dedicated mobile applications.
Advanced automation
More recent advances allow for calls to be routed automatically, voicemails to be transcribed into email form, and Machine Learning to even create predictive models after listening in to calls. These technologies allow for ever more effective management and customer service.
Virtual phone numbers
SaaS call centers offer local and international phone numbers and call masking, allowing your business to be located in countries all over the world, without the need for a physical office.
Are SaaS call centers here to stay?
Given the significant increase in SaaS investments, it is certain that SaaS call centers are here to stay for the long term.
Not only do they provide great benefits to businesses of all kinds, but they also dovetail effectively with recent trends in work patterns. With more and more employees working from home and on a flexible basis, cloud-based platforms reduce the need for vast office infrastructure.
The cost-savings stack up quickly, which is why the benefits offered are simply too good to resist for most businesses.
Whether a small enterprise wanting to ramp up its phone support function or an enterprise wanting to set up a full-blown contact center operation, cloud-based software is able to assist. That makes SaaS call centers a fixture for the future.
Illustrations by Mahalakshmi Anantharaman
Animation by Vinoth Krishnan
About Freshdesk Contact Center
Freshdesk Contact Center is a modern-day cloud phone system that can be used to set up a SaaS call center for customer support and sales. With its cloud-based architecture, Freshdesk Contact Center brings together the best of legacy features like IVR and advanced call routing capabilities like Smart Escalations, Customizable Performance Reporting to help you set up state-of-the-art call center operations. Freshdesk Contact Center offers phone numbers in 90+ countries, requires zero phone hardware, and is extremely easy to use.
Visit the Freshcaller website for more information.
