For example, CapCom Communication reports that nearly all call handling groups with over 100 agents have deployed some sort of self-service IVR systems, while only about nine percent of the smaller groups, those with 10 to 24 agents, have implemented such services. As a result, larger operations are able to handle more of their contacts in an automated or self-service mode, translating to increased productivity among the agent group. The existing support team is freed up to handle more calls that require their assistance, typically enabling the company to improve its service level without adding more people.

Hosted services level the playing for the smaller business. Chesapeake Professional Services provides answering services for small and mid-sized businesses in Virginia. The owner, Sylvia Sutton, had previously worked in a call center and knew what was possible. According to Sutton, “I knew what features and functions I wanted, but I didn’t want to build an IT organization to get it. Various sales people were telling us we would have to spend $30,000 or more to get what we were looking for.”

Because the advanced features and functions are in the network, and calls are delivered to standard, existing phone equipment, most any business can gain access to these quality improving customer contact applications. Hosted solutions eliminate the large, upfront capital expenditures associated with onsite hardware and software that have been a barrier to adoption in the past.

The challenge and complexity of programming these customer-pleasing processes is not an issue if you chose your hosted provider carefully. Look for vendors that offer rapid, yet powerful application development tools. Look for a company that includes Project Scoping as part of their pre-sales process. Look for a company that includes enough professional services hours in their startup fees to cover the initial setup of the application that was defined in your project scope. Look for a solution that requires no changes to your existing operation, no impact on your phone system, no upgrades to your local network or desktop computers and phones. You will need internet connections into each rep computers – that’s pretty standard. But that should be it. Don’t be fooled by some vendors that you need to go with VoIP technology, if you just want to use your existing equipment. Find the vendor that meets your budget and your requirements.

Sonos, the developer of the award-winning Sonos Digital Music System, faced a challenge many small businesses face: Staffing 12 hour days for sales and support calls with minimal capital investment. Plus, the company wanted a bi-coastal support and sales team: one in New York, the other in California. To help overcome these challenges, Sonos looked for a solution that had reasonable upfront capital expenditure and low operating expenses. They also needed a system that could route calls based on the skill and availability of its support representatives, no matter where the rep was located – at the office or at home. And they wanted a system that was easy to set up and maintain.

“To provide industry-leading sales and tech support to our customers, we looked at a carrier solution, an IP-PBX solution and a hosted solution,” said Chris Fowler, Sonos director of support and operations. “With the hosted solution from UCN, we were able to provide our customers with the first-class experience they expect from a premium brand, all the while increasing sales revenue without growing support costs.”

Sonos programmers set up the system so that sales and support personnel could receive calls on their work phone, their cell phone or their home office phone. When the company is short on people in the office, the system automatically calls the leader of the sales or support group, who then calls in additional people to assist customers.

Small businesses no longer need to put off the purchase of advanced call handling technologies such as IVR, ACD, call blending or database integration in order to improve their customer contact experience and operational productivity level. They can realize the same benefits as their larger counterparts with minimum risk and low upfront startup costs. The customer service and support issues that are typically associated with a company’s growth are now more manageable so the company can devote its resources to its core business.

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