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Shortel to Mitel Migration Planning and Training Session

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Shortel to Mitel Migration Planning and Training Session

Hey Mitel MiVoice Connect enthusiasts,

Ready to level up your communication game? Picture this: it’s 2029, and you’re still rocking your ShoreTel system. Sounds cool, right? Well, not quite. The clock is ticking, my friend. Mitel’s end-of-support is looming on the horizon, and it’s time to make moves!

But fret not! Towner Communications, your trusty ally in all things Mitel, is here to save the day. With years of expertise under our belt, we’re primed and ready to guide you through this transition.

Mark your calendars for April 4, 2024 – a day of enlightenment awaits! Join forces with Towner and Mitel as we unravel the mysteries of migration. Imagine Dan Nemechek, the VP of Americas Sales Engineering at Mitel, sharing his wisdom with you. It’s going to be epic!

Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity to future-proof your business. Secure your spot now and let’s embark on this exciting journey together. Time’s ticking, but with Towner by your side, success is guaranteed!

See you on April 4th, fellow Mitel aficionados! Let’s make history!

RSPV NOW

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Sourcewell or RFP: Which is Better for Buying a Phone System?

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Sourcewell or RFP: Which is Better for Buying a Phone System?

Thinking of upgrading your communications system for your government, education, or nonprofit agency? You’ve got two solid choices to meet your bidding needs:

  • Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Sourcewell Contract Purchasing

What’s the Deal with Bid Requirements?

Bid requirements are essential for publicly funded agencies. They ensure fairness by giving companies an equal shot at winning agency business through a standardized bidding process. Additionally, bid requirements help agencies track and document their spending of allocated funds. While the traditional method has been an RFP, the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract might be a better fit depending on your needs.

The Classic RFP The Request for Proposal (RFP) process aims to foster fair competition among companies vying for available work. According to Investopedia:

An RFP tailored to a specific program may task companies with assessing bids for their feasibility, the bidder’s financial health, and their capability to execute proposed plans. While the RFP may offer detailed project or program information, it often leaves room for bidders to outline their approach to completing the project or running the program.

Although this process was crafted with noble intentions, it can pose procurement challenges for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. Brian Pullen of Playground, Inc., shared insights on the RFP’s efficacy, stating:

The RFP was originally devised to address various issues, with fairness, structure, clarity, and accessibility being key concerns. It aimed to level the playing field for all companies interested in pitching their proposals. Moreover, it establishes a standardized framework for crafting and submitting proposals. By enhancing upfront communication of essential requirements, the RFP aims to bring clarity to pitching agencies. Lastly, through a standardized document, agencies can widely distribute information, enabling numerous entities to obtain and pitch, thus fostering a broader range of options.

What are the Hurdles with RFPs for Government, Education, and Nonprofit Agencies?

Initially, RFPs may hinder the quality of responses received, albeit not necessarily the quantity. Given the time investment required to respond, agencies may encounter the following:

  • Premier agencies opt out of responding altogether.
  • Businesses are selective, responding only if they anticipate significant gains or high odds of success.
  • Respondents may allocate minimal effort to their proposals.

Moreover, the RFP process proves exceedingly time-consuming for agencies initiating bids. Typically, this entails:

  1. Identifying potential providers.
  2. Drafting equipment and service specifications.
  3. Crafting and publicizing the RFP.
  4. Reviewing received proposals.
  5. Assessing proposals.
  6. Selecting the lowest bid.
  7. Allowing for a protest period.
  8. Overseeing equipment delivery and installation.
  9. Monitoring and upholding the contract’s terms.

At a minimum, the RFP process spans three to six months, but typically extends to six to nine months from RFP initiation to installation completion. Despite this lengthy process, there’s no assurance of acquiring products or services precisely tailored to your needs. Factors like prioritizing cost-effective hardware and contract structuring, often tangential to core requirements, can skew final decisions.

Sourcewell:

Tired of grappling with RFP challenges? Sourcewell contracts offer a welcome relief for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. By conducting its own rigorous RFP process and awarding national contracts to vendors, Sourcewell alleviates the RFP burden. With Sourcewell contracts, agencies can seamlessly procure communication technology, bypassing months of hassle and uncertainty.

If you’re eyeing a Towner communication system, you’re in luck—Sourcewell has granted Towner a coveted communications solutions vendor contract.

Using Sourcewell cooperative contracts streamlines the purchasing process and slashes timelines for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. Instead of navigating a cumbersome nine-step process, agencies need only complete four:

  1. Become a member of Sourcewell (if not already).
  2. Connect with Towner or a trusted Towner partner to assess your phone system requirements.
  3. Specify your interest in Sourcewell pricing for procurement.
  4. Coordinate with your Towner Partner (Sourcewell selling agent) for seamless installation and implementation.

With fewer steps and streamlined processes, you’ll save time, and most of the heavy lifting is expertly handled by Towner or your Towner Partner (or already facilitated by Sourcewell).

Avoiding the RFP Hassle with Sourcewell Sourcewell takes the reins to spare you, the education or government phone system buyer, from the intricacies of the traditional RFP process. Here’s an insider look at the 12-step process Sourcewell navigates to make this a reality, saving you both time and money:

  1. Identifying members’ needs
  2. Researching solutions available in the marketplace
  3. Requesting permission from the Sourcewell Board of Directors
  4. Drafting a solicitation, public advertisement, and notice
  5. Conducting a pre-proposal conference followed by receipt of responses
  6. Evaluating proposers’ responses
  7. Reviewing evaluation results
  8. Providing recommendations to the Sourcewell Board
  9. Awarding vendor(s)
  10. Posting approved contract documents
  11. Developing and implementing a joint marketing plan with awarded vendor(s)
  12. Reviewing and maintaining the contract throughout its term

For a detailed breakdown of this process, check out Sourcewell’s deep dive.

Addressing Sourcewell Reservations Despite its benefits, some may have reservations about the Sourcewell process. Here are the top concerns we’ve encountered, along with the facts:

  1. Difficulty or Expense in Becoming a Sourcewell Member: Fact: Membership is free, with no obligations or liabilities for eligible agencies nationwide, including government, education, or nonprofit agencies.

  2. Working with an Unknown Third Party: Fact: Sourcewell is a government agency, offering the best of both worlds—local dealer access combined with national buying power through cooperative purchasing.

  3. Satisfying Bid Requirements: Fact: The Sourcewell contract meets bid requirements, providing all necessary documentation you’ll need.

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Is a VoIP Contact Center Better for Your Business?

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VoIP Contact Center

 

Forward-thinking businesses continuously seek avenues to enhance their customer communications, which extends to upgrading contact center capabilities with innovative tools and technologies.

Illustrating this, a recent global survey conducted by Metrigy revealed that more than 80% of companies have initiated, scheduled, or are in the process of executing a transformation in customer experience. These initiatives encompass the adoption of both new and established technologies aimed at elevating agent performance and overall customer experience, thereby generating tangible business benefits.

Are you aware that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) holds the potential to facilitate these objectives? In this piece, we’ll delve into how implementing a VoIP contact center solution can effectively serve your business needs.

Key Points:

  1. VoIP-powered contact centers operate as virtual systems, enabling the management of customer communications via the internet.

  2. Utilizing a VoIP contact center empowers you to supervise both inbound customer support and outbound sales or outreach teams effectively.

  3. VoIP contact centers offer a suite of features designed to enhance customer experiences, bolster security measures, ensure heightened reliability, and facilitate unlimited scalability.

Understanding the Inner Workings of a VoIP Contact Center

When your business demands handling a high volume of outbound and inbound calls, a VoIP contact center is the solution. But is it the same as a traditional call center?

Not quite. Traditional call centers, rooted in physical infrastructure and in-house teams, struggle to meet modern customer experience standards. They’re limited by their reliance on a single location.

In contrast, VoIP contact centers leverage web-based operations, enabling agents and supervisors to work remotely using contact center as a service (CCaaS) software. This flexibility extends to an unlimited number of agents. With digital services, you can effortlessly set up and manage virtual lines to meet your company’s evolving needs.

How VoIP Works

The Shift to VoIP Contact Centers: Reasons for Organizational Adoption and Why You Should Consider Making the Change

A VoIP contact center consistently outshines its traditional call center counterpart. Explore further benefits today!

Elevated Customer Experience: 

VoIP technology facilitates seamless integration of phone software with various media channels for omnichannel customer service. Your team gains the ability to engage customers through their preferred channels and smoothly transition between mediums as per customer preference.

For example, a customer initiating a support request via web chat with an automated bot on your website can have their query escalated to a human agent through web chat, email, or instant messaging if the issue surpasses the AI’s capabilities. In cases demanding deeper assistance, a phone or video call might be necessary. Rather than the customer dealing with disparate teams across channels and repeatedly explaining the problem, assistance unfolds as a cohesive conversation spanning channels and agents.

This feature empowers agents to resolve issues swiftly and effectively, enhancing satisfaction for both customers and employees.

Enhanced Security and Increased Reliability:

Opting for the right VoIP contact center immediately fortifies your operation’s security and reliability. By transitioning away from reliance solely on on-premise equipment, you mitigate the risks of outages and technical glitches that can paralyze a traditional call center indefinitely, leaving you at the mercy of repair timelines.

With a VoIP contact center, your hardware is housed in secure off-site data centers equipped with robust security measures and backup solutions. Even if one data center experiences an issue, your service seamlessly switches to another, ensuring uninterrupted operation. This level of redundancy translates to less than a minute of potential downtime each month.

Moreover, a cloud-based setup means your vendor maintains constant vigilance over your security. Trained personnel secure physical locations, while digital experts employ sophisticated software to safeguard your data around the clock. With this continuous protection, you can enjoy worry-free security, 24/7.

Infinite Scalability and Versatility:

As your business expands, your contact center must evolve accordingly. With a VoIP-based system, you have the flexibility to add lines, modify permissions, and activate new features as required.

Moreover, the subscription model eliminates the need to purchase a new software version to access the latest features. Cloud-based services provide instant access to cutting-edge tools, empowering you to meet evolving customer demands efficiently.

Capabilities Enhancing the Optimal VoIP Contact Center Journey:

A VoIP contact center offers a plethora of exceptional features designed to elevate productivity and enrich customer experience.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Automated Call Distribution (ACD):

Efficiently establish an automated phone menu using IVR to swiftly guide callers to the relevant person or department. Subsequently, ACD intelligently distributes calls to suitable agents through intelligent routing. Customize rules to direct calls based on agent availability, skillset, and business hours.

Simple Call Recording, Monitoring, and Transfers:

Effortlessly capture and archive customer interactions for training and quality assurance purposes within your system. Supervisors can conveniently listen to agents’ calls from any location, providing coaching discreetly through the whisper function, which remains unheard by customers.

Transferring calls is now simplified; agents no longer need to navigate complex sequences of digits and extensions. Utilizing the app, agents can easily identify available team members, streamlining the process of transferring and conferencing calls.

Integration With Your CRM:

When integrated with a top-tier VoIP contact center, your customer relationship management software operates seamlessly, accelerating data collection and retrieval. This synergy facilitates faster support resolutions and enhances efficiency in closing sales calls.

Sophisticated Dashboards and Reporting Systems:

AI-powered analytics ensure you stay informed about your team’s performance at all times. For instance, you can uncover customer sentiments during calls and delve into crucial metrics like call duration, hold times, and first-contact resolution rates. Intuitive dashboards assist managers in dissecting this data to identify optimal training strategies. Clearly, your VoIP contact center diligently supports you, enabling you to deliver exceptional customer experiences and strengthen your brand.

VoIP Contact Center Dashboard

Discover why thousands of businesses choose Towner’s VoIP Contact Center:

Now that you recognize the importance of a VoIP contact center, setting yours up is a breeze. With Towner’s assistance, the process is effortless. Simply connect with one of our team members to select your plan and features.

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4 Heart Stopping Ways Call Center Software Will Make Customer Fall In Love With You

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Creator: Al Bello | Credit: Getty Images
Creator: Al Bello | Credit: Getty Images

We adore marketing as much as anyone, but let’s be honest: the spotlight often shines on potential customers. While there’s nothing wrong with courting new business, nurturing existing relationships is just as crucial. Valentine’s Day is prime for small business owners to show heartfelt appreciation.

This holiday offers countless delightful and inventive ways to express appreciation, and a comprehensive call center software suite can streamline the process. Small businesses handle inquiries smoothly while delighting loyal customers, without missing a step.

Here are four heartfelt ways to shower your customers with love not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day.

Place Your Customer’s Experience at the Heart of Everything You Do.

During Valentine’s Day, especially, everyone desires to feel appreciated. When a customer reaches out, it’s essential to offer them your full attention. Teams preoccupied with finding records may overlook customer needs, risking them feeling neglected.

To maintain a customer-centric approach, streamline your processes with screen prompts and automated workflows that seamlessly integrate your CRM with your contact center solution. Integrated contact center software boosts engagement with tailored recommendations, keeping your team fully involved in customer interactions.

Predict Your Customers’ Needs Using the Appropriate Call Center Software.

Are you familiar enough with your customers to complete their sentences? Understanding their needs before they do can make them feel truly understood, laying the foundation for a successful relationship. Dive into your data and reports to identify customer pain points, previous purchases, and other behaviors.

During lulls, contact specific customers to ensure satisfaction or express appreciation for their patronage. In case of service disruption, proactively reassure customers, informing them of efforts to resolve the issue.

Share the Love.

Your small business caters to a diverse clientele, so don’t restrict your Valentine’s efforts to just couples. Parks and Recreation popularized Galentine’s Day, celebrated by women to honor female friendships on February 13th. And pet owners are eager to seize any opportunity to shower their furry companions with affection.

Personalizing your responses and interactions with customers fosters stronger relationships and enhances the overall customer experience. Leverage integrated software to craft personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and user profiles across channels. Always be available where your customers expect to find you, whether it’s through email or web-based chat.

Collaborate for Luxurious Experience.

In today’s retail landscape, shoppers are increasingly investing in memorable experiences for themselves and loved ones. Use integrated software to create personalized recommendations from customer preferences and profiles across channels.

If your business primarily deals in products rather than experiences, consider teaming up with others for joint offerings. From complimentary movie tickets to passes for yoga classes, these thoughtful additions are sure to delight customers. Keep these offerings readily available so any team member can effortlessly share them, enhancing customer connections. Deliver offers via preferred channels using a versatile multi-channel call center solution to enhance your approach.

While engaging customers with heartfelt campaigns can be enjoyable and fruitful, it’s important to manage time and resources wisely. With suitable customer experience software, connecting across channels feels effortless, akin to Cupid’s aim.

Post-celebration, real-time reporting helps assess efforts, whether utilizing a contact center or not, for effectiveness. Spend less time managing your phone system and more time building genuine connections with customers come February 14.

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Unlocking Efficiency: 10 Must-Have Features for Seamless Conference Calls

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Conference Calls

In today’s digital landscape, conference calling has become an essential tool for businesses navigating the modern work environment. Whether teams are predominantly office-based or dispersed across various locations, conference calling bridges the gap, enabling seamless connections with clients, stakeholders, and field members.

The surge in the video conferencing market is indicative of its growing significance, with projections suggesting exponential growth in the coming years.

With a plethora of conference calling solutions available, selecting the right provider can be overwhelming. Uncover the key features and services essential for streamlining your communications infrastructure and pinpointing a top-tier provider.

Key Points: 

  1. In today’s business landscape, conference calling is paramount for fostering efficient collaboration and maintaining seamless client communication.

  2. For small and mid-sized businesses, leveraging cloud-based conference calling software presents a cost-effective solution packed with a comprehensive array of features.

  3. While free conferencing software may seem appealing, it often lacks the robust security measures and advanced features necessary to meet the demands of remote conferencing in a business environment.

Top 10 Features of Professional Conference Calling Software

Seamless Cloud Integration:

Harness the power of cloud-based communications for cutting-edge conference calling features. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) transcends the limitations of traditional landlines, offering a wealth of functionalities. Enjoy swift and cost-effective access to high-powered features, all facilitated through digital services.

High-Quality Calls with Minimal Latency:

At Intermedia, we recognize that not all clouds are created equal. Merely offering a cloud-based solution isn’t sufficient. Ensure your provider boasts a robust network guaranteeing 99.999% uptime, with the capability to swiftly troubleshoot and resolve any potential issues.

Robust Encryption and Enhanced Security:

Rest assured that your sensitive discussions remain confidential with advanced encryption measures. Leading conference calling solutions employ world-class SOC 2-audited security, fortified with three layers of protection. This ensures that crucial decisions need not be postponed until everyone can convene in person; instead, you can rely on secure conference calls.

For instance, fortified privacy protocols facilitate discreet conversations concerning legal affairs and human resources issues. Moreover, industries requiring stringent regulatory compliance for digital exchanges can trust in top-tier conferencing software to meet these exacting standards.

Furthermore, strict access controls guarantee that only authorized participants gain entry to meetings. Your administrative portal empowers you to swiftly remove disruptive participants or attendees, ensuring seamless proceedings.

Voice-Security-Levels

Crystal-Clear Video Quality:

Your communication solution should transcend mere audio conferencing. Video capability enables comprehensive demonstrations and authentic face-to-face interactions.

However, nobody desires grainy or stuttering visuals. Ensure that your cloud-based video conferencing software delivers full HD quality, guaranteeing an immersive and seamless experience.

Expanded Participant Capacity:

Align entire company divisions effortlessly with expansive meetings accommodating up to 200 participants. Additionally, harness the power of webinars to establish thought leadership within your industry, whether for internal training or engaging clients and prospects. Superior conference calling software facilitates hosting larger-scale events with the capability to accommodate up to 1,000 attendees.

Intuitive Dashboard and Interface:

Having access to exceptional features is only valuable if you can easily manage them. Gone are the days of requiring technical assistance for conference call adjustments. Whether you need to add, modify, or remove users, features, or security settings, it’s all conveniently manageable through an intuitive interface.

Exceptional Customer Support:

While your dashboard may be intuitive, you may still require assistance to maximize the potential of your conferencing software. Additionally, guidance with troubleshooting is essential. Look to a provider offering round-the-clock, award-winning support to ensure you receive the assistance you need, precisely when you need it.

Insightful Analytics and Reporting:

Interested in understanding how your team utilizes conferencing calls and accessing valuable statistics and insights about their meetings? AI-assisted analytics and reporting provide a comprehensive view of how team members utilize the software, offering invaluable insights for optimization and improvement.

Enhanced Collaboration Tools, Screen Sharing, Interactions, and Whiteboards:

Visual aids breathe life into abstract concepts and enhance viewer engagement. Seek screen-sharing capabilities that enable collaborative editing and drawing, elevating remote collaboration to new heights. Facilitate seamless document and resource sharing through group-wide or private chats, ensuring uninterrupted meeting flow.

Conf

Seamless Integration with Business Applications:

Chances are, you rely on specific software for scheduling, customer service, managing customer data, and analytics. These applications can seamlessly integrate with your conferencing solution, enhancing productivity across your workflow.

For instance, your customer relationship management software can seamlessly synchronize with your conference calling solution, facilitating swift access to customer data or seamless input of details into your CRM during sales calls with key decision-makers. This streamlined efficiency expedites deal closures.

Moreover, you can swiftly distribute invitations and links to invitees’ calendars, ensuring no one is left uninformed. Additionally, you can schedule recurring meetings with automated notifications and streamline the distribution of meeting minutes and action items to attendees.

Beware of Free Conference Calling Software: What You Need to Consider

While the allure of saving money might tempt you to explore free conference calling software, it’s crucial to recognize that “free” often comes with hidden costs.

Firstly, free solutions typically generate revenue through selling upgrades or other services. Moreover, some free applications may resort to monitoring your conversations or selling your data to third parties.

Most importantly, free services often lack the essential security and protection required for conducting business online. Additionally, they may not provide the necessary bandwidth, participant capacity, or unlimited calling crucial for efficient commerce.

When it comes to projecting professionalism and impressing stakeholders, employees, and clients, opt for a trusted conference calling solution like Towner’s Intermedia.

Contact Towner to Discuss Professional Conference Calling Services:

Are you seeking the best conference calling software for small and mid-sized businesses? Reach out to Towner to explore how Towner  and AnyMeeting software deliver comprehensive conferencing solutions for impactful meeting experiences.

 

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Costly Consequences: 3 Compelling Reasons to Keep Your Communications System Up-to-Date

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Costly Consequences: 3 Compelling Reasons to Keep Your Communications System Up-to-Date

Athletes lose races by fractions of a second. Whether running, skiing, or swimming, the margin determines winning or losing. In the business world, tight competition exists in every industry. Competitors who are faster, efficient, and customer-focused prevail. Your business systems are vital for a competitive edge. They must operate reliably, especially your communication system. Falling behind is costly for various reasons; here are three.

Key Takeaways:

  • Up-to-Date Systems are Crucial: Ensure competitive edge. Accelerate time to market.

  • Costly Productivity Losses: Inefficiencies cost $1.2 trillion. Strain workplace relationships.

  • Advanced Tech is Essential: Seek efficient solutions. Embrace better tools.

  • Customer Experience Drives Revenue: Great experiences boost revenue. Every employee shapes interactions.

  • Mitel Software Assurance Solution: Mitigate falling behind risk. Ensures up-to-date software, security.

  • High-Performance Comparison: Like athletes, companies need new capabilities. Stay competitive and efficient.

Facilitated Communication Expedites Time-To-Market:

Enhancing Time To Market Through Seamless Communication Achieving a swift time to market requires seamless collaboration across all facets of your organization. Every team member must have the capability to connect, collaborate, and share information effortlessly, regardless of their location or the time of day.

If your communication system lags behind, your teams are unable to harness the latest features and functionalities available in the web, mobile, and desktop applications crucial for staying interconnected. Similar to elite athletes, your teams require every advantage available. Even seemingly minor advantages can have a significant impact, especially when multiplied across your entire organization.

Ensuring your communication system is up to date ensures that your teams always have access to the latest voice, messaging, video conferencing, screen sharing, and file-sharing capabilities.

Depending on how long your communication system has been without updates, bringing it up to speed could introduce new capabilities that invigorate collaborative initiatives throughout your teams.

The Cost of Lost Productivity Surpasses Your Estimate:

A survey conducted by Grammarly Business involving over 1,600 business leaders and knowledge workers revealed that 72% of the workweek is dedicated to communication and collaboration. The resulting inefficiencies incur a staggering cost exceeding $1.2 trillion annually, equating to $12,000 per employee.

However, the impact of productivity losses goes beyond monetary figures. Almost half of the respondents noted that inefficient communication and collaboration led to conflicts with colleagues and other departments, creating challenges that are harder to quantify but nonetheless detrimental to any business.

To address these issues, communication technologies with advanced features play a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency. What was considered cutting-edge not long ago is now surpassed by newer capabilities. Recognizing this, your staff expects you to provide more effective solutions.

Among the survey participants, 58% of knowledge workers and 73% of business leaders expressed the belief that better tools would make them more effective. Remarkably, 80% of business leaders are contemplating investments in AI tools.

In essence, employees are signaling that they appreciate their current tools but seek enhancements. Keeping your communication systems consistently updated with the latest features is the most straightforward way to meet this demand.

Exceptional Customer Experiences Hinge on Effective Communication:

Several statistics affirm that an enhanced customer experience directly correlates with increased business revenues. The pivotal factor lies in optimizing customer interactions with your organization across various touchpoints. Beyond contact center technology and agent services, adopting a holistic approach to the entire customer journey is essential.

As stated by customer experience consultants Temkin Group, every individual within a company contributes to determining whether it consistently provides positive or negative human or digital interactions. Your business communications system significantly influences these interactions. When assessing your current communication system, consider how customers engage with your sales team and remote employees. Also, examine how internal teams collaborate, especially in scenarios requiring customized solutions, changing delivery dates, or addressing supply chain challenges.

A deficient communication system can lead to customer disillusionment, with potential assumptions that the outdated system encountered during interactions reflects the overall state of your organization. Customers might attribute challenges in their orders or inquiries to a perceived lack of effort or care, unaware that the issues stem from outdated communication technology causing internal disconnects.

Ensure Your Communication System Doesn’t Fail You

These examples make it clear that a business risks falling behind if its communication system falters.

For those utilizing the MiVoice Business platform for communication and collaboration, there’s a straightforward way to mitigate this risk—renew or reactivate your Mitel Software Assurance subscription.

Mitel Software Assurance ensures that your MiVoice system is equipped with the latest software and features for voice, data, and video communications and collaboration. It also provides protection through the implementation of the latest security fixes to address vulnerabilities.

Moreover, the subscription offers proactive fault reporting and performance analytics, enabling the resolution of system issues before they impact your business. 

This proactive approach mirrors the way high-performance athletes readily embrace new capabilities to gain a competitive edge. Similarly, high-performance companies must adopt a similar strategy.

 
 

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Why AI for Small Business Is A Game Changer

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AI for small business

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized our daily lives and professional environments, permeating virtually every aspect of our activities. It has transformed how we search for and process information, as well as the way we engage with others.

Once viewed as complex, AI was deemed exclusive to larger corporations, limiting its adoption by business leaders. However, with the increasing accessibility of AI systems, especially in communication platforms, this notion is no longer accurate.

AI has the potential to empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as effectively as it does for larger counterparts. Surveys indicate that up to 91% of small business leaders believe AI has contributed to the success of their companies. Mark Sher, Intermedia’s SVP of Product Marketing, highlights AI’s transformative impact and the commitment to SMB accessibility.

“As AI reshapes the business landscape, Intermedia recognizes that its impact extends far beyond larger enterprises. Our commitment lies in making the transformative power of AI accessible to SMBs,” said Mark Sher, SVP of Product Marketing at Intermedia.

“Intermedia empowers SMBs with AI solutions that enhance productivity, upgrade business insights, improve customer care, update security and compliance, reduce errors, and unlock opportunities for innovation and profitability. The era of AI exclusivity for big budgets is over; Intermedia is ushering in an era where intelligent innovation benefits businesses of all sizes.”

The Impact of AI For Small Business

A significant majority, specifically 87% of organizational leaders, are confident that the integration of AI and machine learning will contribute to enhancing customer experiences, improving efficiency, and driving revenue growth. SMBs can harness AI, such as generative AI and natural language processing, for significant growth opportunities. Partnering with the right solution provider enables companies to:

Boost Productivity and Streamline Operations: 

The core success of any business hinges on the productivity and efficiency of its team members. As businesses undergo evolution and workflows become more intricate, heightened productivity and efficiency become essential for organizational success. AI emerges as a transformative force capable of driving these positive changes.

AI streamlines repetitive tasks, ensuring employees access data effortlessly for informed decision-making. Utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP), a system can automatically transcribe audio and video calls, along with voicemails and customer interactions. Some advanced solutions can even autonomously identify key topics and action items, providing valuable guidance for today’s workforce.

AI integration reduces time on tasks like analyzing recordings, allowing team members to focus on effective information utilization.

Enhance Business Intelligence:

Data stands out not only as the world’s most valuable resource but also as a critical tool for companies. Effective decision-making, whether in scheduling or CX initiatives, hinges on utilizing data efficiently.

Transforming raw data into insights is complex, particularly with the surge in daily information generation by companies. AI excels in handling vast amounts of data and translating it into valuable insights.

AI is crucial for decoding the customer journey and understanding target audience preferences, especially in contact center support. Intelligent tools swiftly pinpoint areas for improvement in business processes. A tool with sentiment analysis distinguishes actions that build customer loyalty from those causing churn.

Enhance Customer Care (and Foster Loyalty):

AI transforms customer engagement. 73% prioritize customer experience, emphasizing the paramount importance of effective customer support in business choices.

As consumer expectations evolve, adapting to dynamic changes becomes intricate without the right tools. AI provides diverse avenues for enhancing customer interactions. Sentiment analysis tools assist companies in gauging customer sentiments regarding specific conversations and services.

AI-generated interaction summaries offer agents valuable insights for elevating the customer experience through personalization and data-driven strategies. Tools boost contact center efficiency with intelligent automation and AI agents for innovative self-service options. The cumulative effect is a faster and more efficient customer service experience.

Enhance Security and Compliance Measures:

Exceptional experiences, brand reputation, and compliance demand an upgraded approach to security and data protection. Even a minor mistake or human error can result in significant fines and customer loss.

AI offers the capability to automate and optimize various processes crucial for maintaining compliance. For example, intelligent tools can automatically identify sensitive data within customer conversations and redact such information from recordings and transcriptions.

AI tools vigilantly monitor agent-consumer conversations, swiftly alerting supervisors to any instances of non-compliance. This proactive approach establishes a more secure business environment, allowing companies to safeguard their intellectual property, consumers, and employees.

Reduced Errors and Enhanced Consistency:

Human expertise is essential, yet the common challenge for business leaders is the prevalence of human error in workflows. Engaging in repetitive tasks consistently can lead to occasional mistakes by staff members.

AI plays a crucial role in mitigating this challenge. Integrating AI and machine learning in technologies like contact centers and robotic automation speeds processes, reducing error risks.

AI systems can undergo training to adhere to standardized workflows tailored to the specific needs of businesses across various industries. Retailers, for example, can leverage AI to refine marketing strategies, predict customer requirements, and automate staffing decisions. Financial firms leverage AI to automate and improve precision in processes like creating customer quotes and invoices.

Opportunities for Innovation and Enhanced Profitability:

Companies confidently explore AI applications. Generative AI inspires advanced marketing, personalized services, and distinctive products, guiding companies effectively.

Companies leverage AI for enhanced customer service, offering intuitive self-help tools for secure payments and personalized product recommendations.

This avenue for innovation not only opens up possibilities for increased profitability but also enhances customer retention. Simultaneously, AI technology plays a role in reducing operational costs, contributing to the overall financial well-being of any business.

AI:

AI empowers SMBs, no longer exclusive to large corporations, as accessibility grows with user-friendly tools and customizable solutions. Innovators integrate user-friendly AI tools for customer service, marking the dawn of accessible intelligent innovation.

For SMBs, AI holds the potential to revolutionize productivity, efficiency, and profitability. AI unlocks insights, reduces errors, and transforms customer service, profoundly impacting smaller businesses.

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2024 Guide to The Contact Center

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2024 Guide to The Contact Center

Prosperous enterprises surpass their competitors by excelling in customer satisfaction. A crucial element in achieving this superiority is the implementation of robust contact center solutions.

Companies are rapidly adopting new contact center technologies to excel in customer service competition. For instance, the global market is anticipated to experience a growth rate of 18% over the next seven years.

Neglecting contact center updates may hinder customer satisfaction, missing enhancements crucial for a better experience. Explore contact center capabilities for upgraded customer service with the latest features and benefits.

Key Points:

  1. Enhance client relationships and deliver a superior customer experience through the implementation of contact center solutions.

  2. The nature of contact center solutions is influenced by the provider’s infrastructure installation and the seamless integration of digital channels.

  3. Optimal for small and mid-sized businesses, cloud-based contact center software stands out as the preferred choice.

  4. When selecting a provider, prioritize those offering crucial productivity features, top-notch support, and robust security measures.

Understanding the Role of Contact Center Solutions:

Contact center solutions streamline call management with software, handling large call volumes in your organization. These applications enhance call processes, streamlining tasks like routing, transfers, data collection, and quality control more efficiently than before.

In contrast to traditional call centers, modern contact centers go beyond handling voice calls alone. Unified contact center integrates video, chat, fax, and text, allowing agents to connect with customers through diverse communication channels.

Exploring Various Categories of Contact Center Solutions:

Contact center solutions can be classified into different categories based on their design and functionality.

Based on Location:

Some call and contact centers still use on-premise solutions, with all operations situated at your physical location.

On-premise setups offer control, but with high installation costs and the need for personnel for repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. This entails potential extended downtimes and a considerable loss of continuity.

On the other hand, cloud-based contact center solutions are location-agnostic. Accessible anywhere with internet, ensuring smooth operation with remote and hybrid teams across various locations.

Flexibility is achieved through online software for calls, hosted in secure data centers, both physically and digitally safeguarded by your provider.

Contact Center Cost of Ownership

In Terms of Service Capabilities:

Another consideration is determining whether your contact center solutions will focus on inbound, outbound, or both functionalities. For on-premise call centers, selecting and installing specific hardware is crucial for this decision.

Contrastingly, cloud-based contact centers offer an inherent hybrid option, providing both inbound and outbound capabilities without additional charges. The responsibility lies with you to assign and train your team for each specific service as needed.

Regarding Channel Integration:

Modern contact centers offer diverse communication channels, emphasizing the importance of their effective interfacing with each other.

In a mere multichannel setup, distinct teams are required for each method (e.g., separate teams for email, chat, and calls). Customer interactions through different channels are segregated in separate files and dashboards for each team.

Conversely, omnichannel contact center solutions seamlessly integrate these communication channels. Customers connect through preferred channels, consolidating details into a unified file accessible to relevant agents.

If a client starts with text messaging and follows up by phone, the new agent accesses information from the text conversation. This streamlined approach accelerates issue resolution and enhances the overall customer experience.

Identifying Crucial Features:

To ascertain the necessary features for your contact center solutions, it is advisable to consult with a reliable provider. Nevertheless, at a minimum, the majority of contact centers typically demand the following essential characteristics.

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

AI transcends being a passing trend; it aims to revolutionize the way we learn, communicate, and deliver services. Ensure your company incorporates AI-enhanced capabilities, from your auto attendant to automated reports.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR):

This software autonomously answers phone calls around the clock, offering a system that enables callers to input their desired recipient. IVR also empowers callers to conduct basic transactions within the automated system, resulting in time savings for everyone involved.

Power Dialer:

Enhance the efficiency of your outbound call team by utilizing a predictive dialer service, enabling agents to navigate lists swiftly. This ensures that agents spend more time engaging in conversations and less time clicking or manually entering numbers.

Intuitive Dashboard:

Choose a provider with a user-friendly interface for easy identification of individuals and understanding context effortlessly. For instance, Intermedia’s WhatsApp queues assist agents in grasping the history and context of interactions, leading to faster call resolutions.

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Agent Reports and Analytics:

Gain insights into your team’s performance through comprehensive reporting and analytics. Top providers integrate business software into contact centers and include built-in features for maximum convenience.

Data Security:

Ensuring the safety of your data and your customers’ information is paramount. Verify that your provider offers robust protection with features like encryption and data backup for comprehensive security.

Customer Support:

Award-winning support from your CCaaS provider signals reliable assistance is available during troubleshooting. Intermedia, for instance, boasts an impressive seven-year track record of delivering an exceptional customer service experience.

Are You Prepared to Establish Your Contact Center Solutions?

As your business expands, contact center solutions play a crucial role in sustaining customer relationships. Luckily, cloud-based software simplifies the process of swiftly setting up your system and getting started. Consult with a Towner team member to determine the most suitable plan for your team.

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Optimizing Customer Engagement: Elevate Efficiency and Effectiveness Using Intermedia Contact Center and Envision Analytics

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Optimizing Customer Engagement: Elevate Efficiency and Effectiveness Using Intermedia Contact Center and Envision Analytics

In the dynamic and fiercely competitive landscape of today’s business world, cultivating outstanding customer interactions is an absolute necessity. Intermedia Contact Center simplifies and enhances customer engagements across various channels: phone, chat, SMS, and email. Fueled by advanced technologies like AI, automation, virtual agents, and intelligent call routing, it sets the standard for efficiency.

Cloud platform empowers remote customer care, ensuring flexibility and driving operational excellence. It enriches the overall customer experience without overburdening resources.

Businesses embrace Intermedia Contact Center, integrating Envision Analytics for significant strides in streamlined and improved customer care. The integration marks a significant leap, reflecting a commitment to ongoing innovation and enhanced customer relationships.

Empowering Customer Interactions and Boosting Business Performance with Envision Analytics

Integrating seamlessly with Intermedia Contact Center, Envision Analytics brings customer interactions to unprecedented levels of excellence. Its dashboards and reports act as robust tools, leveraging both real-time and historical interaction data. These tools empower supervisors with profound insights, enabling them to make informed, responsive decisions. Consequently, this fosters more intelligent work practices, heightens productivity, and results in superior customer care.

Elements in Envision Analytics for Intermedia Contact Center comprise

  • Queue Performance Dashboard: Customized dashboard displays historical call queue metrics—service levels, talk times, and abandoned calls, catering to individual preferences. Supervisors focus on KPIs aligned with goals, making data-driven decisions to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.
  • Agent Performance Dashboard: Frontline user (agent)-friendly tool provides insights into individual call performance metrics with user-friendly visualization. Supervisors can effortlessly monitor and optimize their team’s performance, ultimately leading to enhanced customer service.

Sustained Advancements and Improvements

In the last year, Intermedia introduced upgraded Envision Analytics for its comprehensive solution, Intermedia Unite, enhancing communication, collaboration, and productivity. These new features include:

  1. Service Adoption Dashboard: Facilitates the optimization of Unite services utilization within organizations.
  2. Historical Voice Calls Dashboard: Presents an enhanced overview of call activity, incorporating additional KPIs and improved navigation.
  3. User Activity Report: Offers a more detailed breakdown of individual user behavior to enhance resource optimization.

Intermedia and Towner empower businesses with innovation, fostering lasting relationships. Envision Analytics launch attests to dedication, equipping for competitive success.

 
 
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The Future Of Business Is An AI Assistant

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AI Assistant

In today’s fast-paced world, businesses continually seek tools and solutions to enhance efficiency, productivity, and performance. Recognizing the ever-growing demand for secure and accessible AI solutions, Intermedia has boldly transformed the workplace by introducing its AI Assistant.  What’s the buzz all about? Let’s dive in and explore the fantastic benefits of integrating generative AI directly into Towner’s Elevate offerings.

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Amplify Your Productivity With AI Assistant

Imagine having a virtual assistant at your fingertips, ready to tackle tasks like content creation, data summarization, complex calculations, code reviews, and much more. The Towner AI Assistant by Elevate is your secret weapon for completing these tasks faster and with exceptional quality.

Stop wasting time switching between different apps or platforms; our Assistant seamlessly integrates within your Towner Elevate experience. It’s like having your personal work guru, right where you need it.

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Private and Secure

One of the standout features of our Assistant is its commitment to privacy. Unlike other AI services that store your interactions for training purposes, our AI solution follows a strict privacy-first principle. Your business keeps your data confidential; it doesn’t store it in some distant AI engine.

This privacy-focused approach is a game-changer, particularly for businesses in industries that require strict data archiving and retrieval compliance. With our AI Assistant, you have full control and peace of mind over your data.

Seamless Integration

We understand the value of time. That’s why we’ve made it incredibly easy for Business Administrators to enable Elevate Towner Assistant with just one click. No need for complex installations and configurations; our streamlined process ensures you can harness the full potential of AI-driven productivity without breaking a sweat.

Fueled by SPARK AI Technology

Intermedia SPARK AI Technology fuels our Assistant behind the scenes.

This foundational AI technology is intelligently and responsibly integrated throughout our communications, collaboration, and contact center platform to assist teams throughout their day.

Ready to unlock the potential of AI in the workplace? The AI Assistant is here to help simplify work, making your teams more productive and secure. It doesn’t just serve as a tool; it transforms how work gets done. Embrace the future with the AI Assistant.

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Getting excited about unlocking a better more awesome way to do business? give us a shout and request a demo!

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