Nowadays, the spread of COVID-19 is an urgent problem affecting businesses worldwide. With work conditions changing daily, companies are trying to establish continuous communication with customers, employees, and partners in order to be able to exchange information quickly and keep everyone safe and healthy. For this reason, the hotline has become an indispensable tool for any business. Hotlines can be used to inform clients and staff on current topics, organize customer service processes, or clarify delivery options.
Problem-solving tools
Call routing
Use call routing to distribute incoming calls to specialists. This automated feature gives you an opportunity to determine whether a customer, partner, or new contact is calling you. Depending on which operator is available, the call will be transferred appropriately. Call routing functionality also allows you to “guess” what question the customer is calling about, for example, if he/she has a current order and most likely wants clarification about the delivery. Finally, you can set up a voice assistant that probes the purpose of the call and then transfers the call to a relevant manager.
With several operators now working remotely, routing allows calls to be redirected from the work phone to the personal phone so an employee won’t miss an important call and will remain in touch with partners and clients. Additionally, whether or not a manager was involved with the client or with the employee will be available in company records.
SIP connection
Calls by the SIP protocol are made over the Internet, which allows you to receive an unlimited number of incoming calls without laying cables to the provider's equipment. This solution is ideal for handling a large flow of calls and saves money on phone charges. Also, if companies move, the lack of cables means calls won’t be missed as long as there is a reliable Internet connection to receive phone numbers over the SIP protocol.
Intelligent IVR integration
The voice assistant can not only help you distribute calls but also handle some of them. This technology includes voice recognition and synthesis, as well as NLU – natural speech understanding. Thus, the virtual operator perceives the caller's question and provides an answer based on the company's knowledge base or information from the client inthe CRM.
IVR reduces the burden on operators by fielding generic calls, thus allowing them to deal with atypical issues and engage in conversations that require human assistance.
Why create a hotline?
1. Processing a large number of incoming calls simultaneously
Requests received via the hotline are automatically sent through the platform. In the case of frequently asked or simple questions, the voice assistant can find the answer in the database and voice it to the client. For complicated questions, the call is transferred to human operators. The hotline, therefore, helps to increase the speed and quality of service.
2. Company updates
The hotline can also be used internally to reduce team tension, keep everyone on the same page, and eliminate anxiety. In the case of rapidly changing market conditions, employees have questions and need prompt answers from management. Companies can set up an internal line to quickly process incoming messages and notify their staff immediately.
3. Increasing customer loyalty
Thanks to the constant availability of the hotline, customers can always ask different questions and get answers immediately. By analyzing issues from previous calls, the company can improve the quality of service provided, which helps maintain long-term relationships with customers.
Case Study: COVID-19 Hotline for Employees
The unexpected spread of a new virus around the world has caused great upheaval among workplaces and their employees. KFC launched a hotline where staff can ask questions about the coronavirus to reduce their anxiety. Speech is transcribed with the help of voice recognition technology and then entered into the database. The top questions, which the company will formulate responses to, are collected into a specific pool. Then, KFC answers each question in detail by email and other communication channels.
You can read more about the case here.
Our platform also has a hotline. If you still have questions, we are happy to help at no cost to you and offer solutions that are suitable for your business’ needs.
