Business telecommunications has almost wholly reinvented itself over the last decade. The demand for hyper-connectivity—combined with dramatic advances in technology and the evolution of the “omnichannel” customer experience—has transformed communications in a significant way. As the benefits of cloud services have grown, so too has the industry—moving from single-process software platforms to comprehensive enterprise optimization solutions. The two forces which are driving the evolution—the workplace and customer.
The Workplace
As more and more Millennials enter the workforce, the balance between work life and home life has shifted. Employees are no longer forced to oscillate between two extremes. Instead, a synergy has emerged in the interfacing of work and home. Most employees have traded punching the clock from 9 to 5 for flexible work hours and the 24/7 connectedness of the smartphone.
Individuals approaching their 30th birthday can scarcely remember a time when electronic communications didn’t exist. Connectivity has always been a part of their lives, and recent advances in communications technology have left us with a virtual playground of options when it comes to choosing how we integrate work and leisure.
Traditional business activities such as face-to-face meetings, conference calls and official business hours are being traded for more collaborative and interactive platforms. Social media, live chat, email and instant messaging are just a few of the ways how employees and customers interact using advanced communication technology today. With a vast array of benefits such as flexibility, instant access, and better time management, today’s employees are poised for both efficiency in the workplace and enjoyment at home.
The Customer
Thirty years ago, marketing was limited to only a few types of media—direct mail, TV commercials, radio promotions and print advertising. Today, there is no shortage of options when it comes to reaching a target audience. Websites, email, social platforms, SMS, geo-netting, smart billboards, push-notifications, in-app messaging, banner advertising and even wearables are evolving to allow brands to deepen their buyer relationships.
And no one person is tethered to only one method of interaction. Over the course of a brand relationship, a customer may engage in many ways, including digital loyalty programs, email, phone, text, chat and social—all with minimal effort on their part. Each communication experience is born of consumer preference based on their lifestyle, connectedness and technical proficiency.
Successful organizations understand this approach and use it to their advantage. Allowing customers to choose their communication method provides a level of autonomy required by today’s market. Furthermore, seamless interactions between channels offer customers a pleasant and easy experience—a commodity for which most consumers are willing to pay.
So how do companies provide a seamless, consistent customer channel? How do they give their employees the tools to keep their team fully engaged?
Enter the cloud voice solution.