Call Centre Software On A Budget: 9 Tips
Every person, company, and organization has a budget that it must adhere to. This is true for the cashier that just helped bag your groceries as well as Amazon. Making sure that you’re spending the proper amount of money in the right places can make your life go a lot more smoothly. Even important things like call center software need to be accounted for when budgeting. Let’s look at 9 tips to help you make sure that you can fit it into your budget no matter how big or small it may be.
Table of Contents
1. Take a Close Look at Your Budget
The first step when making sure that anything is going to fit into your budget is to find out exactly what it is. Some budgets have a lot of money to throw around, while others don’t have quite as much wiggle room. This information will make sure you’re looking in the right places.
2. Do Your Research
There’s a lot to know about IVR, and the internet is a great place to find all sorts of information. You can find out exactly what each feature does before you even consider talking to a sales rep, and that can give you a lot more power during that interaction.
3. Shop Around
Different companies offer different rates. That’s true in pretty much every field. Looking at the prices of multiple companies can allow you to better pick the company that suits you. Some companies even offer very nice introductory specials, which can make them fit even better into your budget at the beginning.
4. Negotiate with the IVR Company
Much like buying a car, you can negotiate with IVR companies for cheaper prices. Many companies offer extended contracts to get a discount and some companies can even leverage the size of their company to get a cheaper rate. Some companies drive harder bargains than others, but that’s just part of the fun of haggling.
5. Only Select Packages with Services you Need
This tip is a big one for making sure that your call center technology will fit within your budget. There’s no reason to pay for things that you won’t use. Many call centers make the mistake of picking packages that have all of the bells and whistles but only utilize 60% of them. Making sure you only get things you’ll use will save you money in the long run, and in the short run, too.
6. Ask Your Competitors What They Did
It may be counter-intuitive in some cases, but if you happen to be friends with a competitor they may be willing to give you some tips themselves. Not every call center will want to share this information, but it’s possible depending on your relationship with the company, especially if you represent different industries altogether.
7. Get Better Packages as Your Company Grows
If you can’t afford a package that has everything you need, you could always talk to the company you’re looking at about upgrading once you have more money in your budget. It’s really that easy, and many companies are happy to work with you. It’s ok if the best package for your company is out of your reach at first, your company will likely grow into it.
8. Pick Your IVR Company Carefully
Picking the company you go with is important. You always want to make sure that you’re working with a solid company that will honor any agreements that are made. It makes things easier for both you and the company if they’re reputable. That’s another reason why shopping around is so important.
9. Read Your Contracts, or Have Your Legal Team do it For You
Most times when you sign up for a service with a company, you’ll have to sign a contract. You always want to go through these contracts with a fine-toothed comb to make sure that you completely understand the terms of your agreement. Most companies are on the up and up and will only include things in the contract that you agreed upon, but you never know when someone is going to try and pull a fast one. Protect yourself, make sure you stay on budget, and read your contracts thoroughly.
Getting the Right Software For Your Budget
The digital age has brought us many gifts both in our professional lives and in our personal lives. Taking full advantage of the things it has provided in our professional lives can have a big impact on how much money our companies are able to bring in. For example, good call center software can help your company grow a lot if set up correctly, and the biggest challenge there is making sure it fits into your budget properly. There’s no limit to how much more technology could advance in the next ten years, so we’ll have to see what the next innovation is.
