Resources from Unified Communications

How Cloud Computing Can Help Wow Customers

By Susan J. Campbell
TMCnet Contributing Editor

There are a lot of promises swirling around the industry at large when it comes to what cloud services can do for the typical business environment. When unified communications are offered through the cloud, the potential to streamline operations and improve customer service definitely exists, but how does it actually deliver on these promises?

The reality is in markets today, the customer experience is one of the key differentiating factors companies can control. Consumers take these experiences very seriously and any company failing to meet their expectations will find it much more difficult to stay in the market. This is especially true as companies that perfect the use of cloud computing technology and unified communications continue to raise the bar. 

A recent Fusion Connect (News - Alert) blog offers a few case studies to support the assumption that companies leveraging cloud computing and unified communications are improving the customer experience. One key area benefitting from this focus is the contact center. Serving as the hub of customer service, the contact center today must be able to offer omni-channel support. With cloud solutions, companies can reinvent their customer service ecosystems, reducing the cost of customer care while also improving the quality of support provided. 

Using the cloud to support unified communications is a great way to expand capabilities and even the labor pool. The contact center can hire agents around the globe who offer the best skill-set for the job, while also enabling a 24-hour service delivery environment. No physical center is needed, reducing the cost and time investment in the center, focusing these resources instead on the customer.

At the enterprise level, cloud solutions are leveraged to build better software and provide customers with high-performing platforms. Clients gain access to better capabilities in an environment that is always on and always accessible. The platforms are reliable and built to meet customer expectations, delivering the level of satisfaction that consumers demand in the experience.

In a market where Big Data is the primary focus, nothing enables a company to create a better experience for the customer than truly knowing that customer. A considerable amount of data is captured every time there is a customer interaction. It doesn’t make sense to keep all of that data in-house and still remain within budget. At the same time, it has to be easily accessible to allow for the competitive advantage companies need.

While not every interaction is going to rely solely on cloud computing to ensure quality customer care, it’s a great way to create the environment where this is possible. You still need strategies and execution, but having the right tools makes it much easier from the start.