Is a virtual contact center cost-effective for high-volume companies?

Virtual contact centers use cloud-based VoIP technology to enable high-volume communications from any internet-connected device. They combine advanced call handling, routing, analytics, agent management, and queuing into one user-friendly platform.

At the same time, users can make and receive calls – or manage the system – from home, a coffee shop, a hotel room or their desk at work.

How to Set Up Virtual Contact Center Software

It all starts with finding the right contact center software. First, look for a solution that centralizes all the communication channels you use—voice, video, social media, email, and SMS, to name a few.

Beyond that, it’s about finding a balance between the features you need and the budget you have.

Some tools have advanced features designed for large teams, while others are simple and optimized for a handful of agents.

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll need to transfer your existing numbers if you have them—this can take weeks or months and can seriously delay the process if you don’t plan for it. You’ll also need to set up basic call routing rules, configure call forwarding, and connect your CRM.

Configuring a new system versus migrating from an existing one

Are you opening a new virtual contact center? The process is simple—most providers will walk you through every step.

Migrating from an existing system is often a bigger challenge. Especially if you are a large call center that has traditionally operated in an office.

Your team will be new to remote work and new to software. With so many changes happening at once, it’s important to prepare to avoid disruption. The best approach is to map out each step of the process before you begin.

Your dealer should be able to help you with this, but it’s not as simple as starting over.

Once your new system is ready, test it with a few agents before rolling it out to your entire team. This way, you can troubleshoot and resolve issues without impacting everyone.

If done well, customers won’t notice the change.

I also recommend setting aside more time than you think you need, especially if you need to migrate thousands of users or years of data.

Implementing Virtual Contact Center Agents

Setting up accounts for each agent is the easiest part of onboarding. With most virtual contact center solutions, it takes just a few clicks.

Training your team is much more time-consuming and can take longer than you expect. This includes hiring new agents and training agents on a new system. This can require multiple training sessions, especially if you’re using advanced features they’re not familiar with.

It’s easy to do tasks routinely and just check off all the items in one big training session for the company.

But I’ve had more success with small groups that give each agent enough time to simulate calls and use the platform as they would in a real interaction. That way, they know where everything is, have a chance to ask questions, and invite reps.

Providing access and training on the new platform is just the beginning. You may need to purchase new equipment, such as headsets, landlines, and smartphones.

Finally, each agent should test their home internet connection.

For standard calls, 0.15 megabits per second is enough. For video calls, 3 Mbps is required. I recommend adding a 20-30% safety margin to account for other household members using the internet at the same time.

Most home networks provide sufficient speed and bandwidth, but some may require upgrades to ensure clear call quality without delays and echoes.

Advantages of a Virtual Contact Center

In addition to ease of management and configuration, virtual contact centers have many advantages over traditional offices.

Cost efficiency

The most obvious benefit is cost. The system itself is significantly cheaper than an on-premise or hybrid contact center solution. But that’s just the beginning. You’ll also save on:

• Rent/lease/loan payments.
• Media.
• Property taxes.
• Insurance.
• Maintenance and repairs.

These savings easily offset the initial investment in better Internet, software, hardware, and team training.

Infinite scalability

With traditional contact centers, you will eventually run out of physical space. Sure, you can buy a bigger office or add more locations, but you will pay a lot for it.

On the other hand, if you opt for a smaller office, you will be forced to pay for more space.

Virtual contact centers eliminate all of these problems. Adding or removing users from the system takes less than five minutes.

You will be able to grow as much as you need without any additional expenses.

Flexibility and employee satisfaction

A virtual contact center gives agents the ability to work from home.

Even if you choose a hybrid solution, a traditional, brick-and-mortar call center will never be able to offer this flexibility.

Working from home can have a knock-on effect on employee satisfaction – many sleep more, are more satisfied with their jobs, have a better work-life balance and are less likely to leave work.

All of this leads to greater agent satisfaction, which in turn translates into greater customer satisfaction.

Access to a wider talent pool

A physical call center limits the number of people you can hire. Even though some are willing to travel quite a distance, you are limited to the talent that is located near your office.

Virtual call centers allow you to hire anywhere in the world. You will be able to find and hire the best agents for your company, no matter where they live. You can also hire agents in other countries to serve customers who speak different languages.

Virtual Contact Center Trade-Offs

Remote and hybrid environments come with their own set of challenges. Fortunately, most of them aren’t too difficult to work around.

Security concerns

Contact centers are attractive targets for data breaches and cyberattacks because they process massive amounts of data.

Virtual contact centers introduce even more vulnerabilities, especially if employees bring their own devices. Tracking a fleet of different laptops, mobile phones, and desktops that don’t live under the same roof can quickly become an IT nightmare.

Not to mention securing them without compromising privacy. Many remote work environments use virtual private networks (VPNs) to help with this.

Additionally, most virtual contact center solutions offer useful features such as:

• End-to-end encryption.
• Strict access control.
• Multi-factor authentication.
• Security scanning.

I also recommend training your employees in the basics of cybersecurity so they can protect themselves.

Conducting internal audits and penetration testing can also help detect potential weaknesses before someone else discovers them.

SEE: Learn VoIP security best practices to keep your system safe.

Technical challenges

Relying on software is always a risk, whether your team is working remotely or not. If the software goes down, you’re out of luck until it comes back online. This can cause major disruptions, especially if it happens during peak hours.

Remote environments can make this worse. They also add power outages and connection issues to the list of potential technical challenges.

Other agents often feel this burden, which can have a negative impact on customer service.

Offering a stipend for working from home and encouraging employees to invest in strong internet is a good place to start. You’ll reduce the chance that slow or unreliable internet will hinder their work.

Training agents on common technical issues can also help resolve simple issues before they become major problems.

Limited socialization and cooperation

Socializing, teaming, and real-time collaboration come naturally in traditional office environments. Working from home stifles all three.

While there are ways to combat this—encouraging agent interaction, regular check-ins, and face-to-face video meetings—nothing beats the ability to walk up to someone’s desk and ask a question.

Sure, sometimes I wish my team was all together in one place.

But when I see how much happier they are being able to work from anywhere, I know it’s worth it.