CCaaS for Small Business: Utopia or Reality?

Small businesses are often fast adopters of technology. Still, they often think they’re “too small” to need something that they see as enterprise-specific. That can be the case with CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service). The old paradigm is that only large companies with millions of customers need such a solution. However, every organization wants to support customers, and technology makes it easier. CCaaS for small business can be worthwhile.

CCaaS may not solve every customer support challenge you have and lead you to utopia. It can be a critical tool that makes the reality of helping customers easier and more streamlined, leading to higher satisfaction and customer loyalty.

So, how do you decide on what’s best for your business? Consider these components that will make the answer clear.

Meeting Customers Where They Are

Picking up the phone and calling you is not the preferred method for customer support. According to data, 58 percent of customers use digital channels, while 42 percent prefer the phone. Customers have new expectations about how they communicate with you and want convenience and access.

As a result, omnichannel support is critical. Without a CCaaS, enabling these options can turn chaotic quickly. With the technology, you can integrate all channels — voice, chat, and email. This helps you meet customers where they are and make the best use of your resources.

Understanding Customer Needs Is Easier with CCaaS

The priority of customer service is to resolve questions and complaints. You can certainly do that without CCaaS, although it might be inefficient. There’s another reason it’s valuable to track your customer interactions — you can uncover needs and gaps.

Through analytics and reporting, available with CCaaS, you’ll be gathering data on the reason for the call, message, or email. This can provide you with business intelligence straight from the customer.

With this, you can improve products, update instructions that may be too vague, identify issues with products sooner rather than later, and learn what’s important to customers.

That can certainly move you toward customer loyalty utopia as you work to incorporate their feedback into your business.

CCaaS Enables Growth

You may be small now, but you likely have growth plans ahead. If you continue to support customers ad hoc, that’s likely to create a barrier to growth. If you can’t take care of your existing customers, it makes it more difficult to acquire new ones.

CCaaS can help you be growth-minded and creates a streamlined, manageable way to service your customers across their lifecycle. CCaaS platforms can scale as you add agents without any growing pains. That’s because it’s cloud-based, and you have control over adding new users. Plus, those new users don’t have to be in one location.

Implementing CCaaS Doesn’t Have to Be Painful

Another reason small businesses are apprehensive about CCaaS or technology, in general, is the fear of deployment. They may believe it will be a long, painful, and disruptive process. So, it’s simply not worth it, and they’ll just keep doing what they’re doing.

While implementing technology does require change, it can be smooth if you have the right solution. Right doesn’t just mean it has the features and functionality you want. It also relates to the onboarding process, system reliability, and continued support.

Some vendors sell a package, turn it on, and disappear. That belief can conjure thoughts of dystopia. While it’s good to be pragmatic about technology, you don’t have to feel like it’s too complex to launch. Instead, find a provider with specific implementation protocols for small businesses and that won’t leave you in the cold after going live. Choose a partner that cares about your company’s success with their product, not just the revenue you offer them.

The Security Concern: Is a Cloud-Based Platform Safe?

Your hesitation related to CCaaS may also involve the question of security. Small businesses are often the target of cybercriminals. That’s a reality, but not something you have to accept. If security is what’s top of mind, do your due diligence on the data security measures of the CCaaS provider.

Ask questions about their network and infrastructure. What do they have in place regarding encryption and intrusion monitoring? Top-tier companies are going to be able to answer these questions. They have the security certifications in place as well as those related to compliance. Further, they are secure by design, meaning it wasn’t an afterthought.

Keep searching until you find a company that makes you feel comfortable about security. Security no longer has to be a roadblock to improving your processes when you have peace of mind.

CCaaS: More Than Just Inbound Communications

Another element that makes CCaaS ideal for small businesses is that they enable outbound notifications. You can automate messaging by voice, SMS, or email. Doing this can be a huge help to your entire company. Use it for appointment reminders, account balance notifications, service outages, or other critical customer alerts. It saves you from manually contacting your customers and demonstrates your proactiveness.

CCaaS for Small Business: A Reality You’ll Find Valuable

CCaaS for small businesses is a sound investment. While you may have concerns about if you need it and what it can do for you, this technology can drive many positive benefits. It can help you grow, streamline processes, delight customers, and more.

Learn more about how CCaaS can help your organization by reading our guide to choosing the best contact center software.

Rob Oscanyan

Robert Oscanyan is a Senior Director of Product Marketing at Intermedia, where he focuses on helping businesses improve their customer experience using Intermedia's award-winning cloud communications solutions. Rob has over a decade of experience spanning market research, messaging, and elevating the voice of the customer. In his free time, he constantly creating new adventures with his wife, seven kids, and a small army of pets.