We’re heading for a recession, I’m sure that hasn’t escaped you. According to macroeconomists, we are entering a crisis in the second half of this year.

Inflation is rising and the energy crisis is continuing, which we are going to feel. The war in Ukraine and the value of the euro also affect our buying behavior.

So it’s time to start preparing. You might think: okay, now I’m going to cut my costs.

But sometimes you have to invest first to end up saving.

It’s 2022, we’re living in a digital age, so it makes sense to take advantage of that.

That’s why, later in this blog, we’ll give you 5 technologies that will help you lower your call center costs.

But first, we’ll give you some other smart tips. Take advantage of it.

First of all, what is your cost per contact?

But first things first: do you know what one contact costs you? Before you cut, it’s important to know where your money is going.

Start by calculating the expenses of your overall operation. Add up your number of contacts and subtract the number of contacts you missed.

Divide the cost of your operation by the number of contacts minus the number of missed contacts and voila: you have the cost per contact.

Invest more in working from home

When it comes to reducing call center costs, it’s a good one to start with.

After all, it is useless to give each agent their own workstation, especially when they are not working full time.

During the pandemic, we saw that working from home works very well and most organizations continue to do so in part.

Of those entrepreneurs for whom hybrid work is possible, nearly 66 percent expect it to remain a part of work within their company.

Employees expect it, too, and working from home offers many advantages, not only for them, but also for you.

In fact, if you plan it smartly you will only need half the number of physical workstations in the office.

Reduce call center costs: 4 technologies

Technology may require an investment initially, but in the long run it will actually make you money.

We name 4 technologies that will help lower your call center costs.

CRM Systems

A good CRM system helps you better understand your customers. You can analyze your data and provide personalized experiences, which is good for loyalty.

Smart reports let you know how your contact center is doing, how your sales are doing and what your retention rates are.

Just make sure you have a CRM system that integrates with your other software packages so you always have a 360-degree customer view.

How you will save with this:

• The average First Call Resolution goes up, which lowers your operational costs.
• The workload of your agents is reduced, which is good for your retention.

Omnichannel software

Numerous inbound call centers are noticing the benefits of adding different contact channels.

A poll by the Customer Service Federation also found that 75% of contact centers made changes to the mix of channels over the past two years.

As many as 50% of contact centers that added a channel see a positive impact on customer satisfaction.

The channels that were added most often? Chatbots and live chat.

When you give your customer a choice in communication channel, you free up time with your agents. After all, a phone call takes a lot longer than handling a chat message.

This way you not only make the job easier for your agents, you also give your customers a choice and that increases their satisfaction.

But then do you have to start controlling all those channels manually? No way! Omnichannel software bundles all your contact channels into one solution so that it makes no difference to your agents whether a customer contacts you through Facebook or over the phone. Handy, isn’t it?

How you will save with this:

• More contact channels means lower call volume and fewer agents to answer calls.
• A better customer experience builds loyalty and repeat purchases.

Workforce optimization software

With Workforce optimization software, you ensure that your front end and back end work together seamlessly, making your agents more engaged and efficient.

This software analyzes your data and knows when peak times are in your call center, so your agents are prepared.

In addition, you have precise insight into how your agents are performing, allowing you to adjust them where necessary.

How you will save with this:

• Happy agents means less staff turnover in your call center, and that means you save on recruiting.
• You know when call volumes are low and don’t need to deploy agents when they don’t need to.

Cloud-based technology

Cloud technology can also help you reduce call center costs.

The cloud ensures that all data is available everywhere to those who need it and it is incredibly scalable.

In addition, it is one of the safest options.

How you will save with this:

• The scalability ensures that you never overpay.
• You no longer need to purchase or maintain expensive hardware.
• Less hardware means fewer on-site IT problems.

Bonus tip: all in one solution

Don’t feel like investing in numerous software packages at all? We get that. Fortunately, there is also software that keeps track of everything: Steam-connect.

With Steam-connect you are not only accessible on all channels, you also manage your entire workforce and gain insight into all the data you need.

This way you have a 360-degree customer view, you can give your customers the experience they need and you are always on top of the customer experience.

What more could a person want?