When you think of a knowledge base, what most likely comes to mind is a resource customers can access on their own, so they don’t need to reach out to a contact center. However, a contact center knowledge base benefits agents as well, especially when they’re working remotely.
The benefits and challenges of remote contact centers
In the spring of 2020, a global pandemic struck, shuttering businesses around the world. Contact centers weren’t immune – thousands of employees began working from home.
While opening remote contact centers was a big step to ensuring business continuity, there were still some gaps that needed filling. When agents were able to work on-premises, they could turn to their colleagues to ask crucial questions. Working from home makes that much more difficult; agents’ colleagues are no longer one desk over.
That’s when having a centralized resource with accurate, timely information comes in handy. Agents working remotely can get authoritative, accurate knowledge with a few clicks.
Knowledge bases: not just for external use
A knowledge base is an excellent tool for customer self-service. A 2018 study from Forrester revealed that customers prefer knowledge bases over all other self-service channels. Knowledge bases allow customers to find the information they need so they can solve their problems at a time that is convenient to them.
However, knowledge bases aren’t just for customers. They have a role to play for agents too. A contact center knowledge base for agents ensures that agents have access to the crucial information they need to do their jobs and continue to deliver high-quality customer service.
To demonstrate the benefits of a contact center knowledge base for agents, we’ll illustrate with an example.
Ellen works for a contact center located in Florida. A massive hurricane has just hit, severely damaging the facility. No one can go to the contact center until the building is repaired. Ellen and her colleagues must now work from home once the power comes back.
Luckily for Ellen and her coworkers, the contact center offers a knowledge base for its agents. While working from home, Ellen can’t turn to her colleagues to ask questions; now, she opens up the knowledge base, types in her question, and finds the answer quickly. As a result, Ellen confidently delivers a great customer experience.
Why is cloud contact center software the right choice for a contact center knowledge base?
With cloud-based contact center software, the crucial business information that makes up your knowledge base resides securely within the cloud.
Being in an enterprise-level cloud means that:
- 99.99% uptime is virtually guaranteed
- It’s highly scalable – it’s easy to add licenses and contact
- Strong security and compliance measures are in place to protect your data
Other ways cloud contact center software ensures business continuity
A contact center knowledge base is just one way cloud contact center software ensures business continuity when agents work remotely. Here are some of the other ways your agents can use cloud-based contact center technology to keep working, even in the face of disaster.
Agents can connect to internal experts quickly and easily: In addition to a knowledge base, cloud contact center software empowers agents to connect to internal experts quickly and easily.
The structure of traditional call centers made it difficult for agents to obtain assistance from their colleagues in other departments. Cloud contact center software, on the other hand, boosts their ability to collaborate; it offers a built-in corporate directory, with presence indicators to show who’s available to help agents and customers. That capability allows agents to serve customers promptly and give them the right information.
Intelligent routing directs customers to the right agent: Cloud contact center software offers intelligent routing, which plays a crucial role in ensuring business continuity. Intelligent routing directs customers to the right agents – agents who are familiar with their file, and who understand how to solve a particular problem. With intelligent routing, agents can continue delivering excellent customer service to customers, regardless of where they’re working.
It’s easy to add new remote agents when the demand for contact center services increases: In a four-month period in 2020, contact center volume rose 20%. In some industries such as air travel, volume rose 96%. Contact centers have always served as a place where customers can ask questions or share feedback; when businesses close, those contact centers are the only avenue available. As such, they should be properly staffed to meet customer needs.
Cloud contact center software makes it simple to add new agents to remote contact centers. Onboarding is fast and simple, meaning agents can get up and running rapidly and start serving customers.
RingCentral’s cloud contact center software ensures business continuity
RingCentral’s market-leading cloud-based contact center technology ensures business continuity with its contact center knowledge base as well as other capabilities that allow agents to keep customers happy, even if agents are working remotely. To learn more about how your agents can keep your business running effectively, view a demo.
Originally published Mar 09, 2021, updated Jan 30, 2023
