5 Ways Advanced Inbound Contact Center Software Reduces Call Volumes

According to a McKinsey study, 61% of companies have reported a significant surge in contact volumes. Two factors drive this surge: many customers are still adjusting to new digital systems, prompting more calls to contact centers, while self-service tools are often not fully scaled, leaving customers unsatisfied and still needing to speak with an agent.

Interestingly, while Gen Z—despite being digital natives—prefers live phone support, Baby Boomers are adopting digital channels like chat. That said, customer service leaders anticipate call volumes to rise even further.

To manage this influx without overwhelming agents, it’s crucial to implement solutions that can handle increased call volumes while enhancing customer experience. So, how can companies achieve this?

5 Ways to Reduce Call Volume Using Contact Center Software Solutions

To tackle this challenge, adopting AI-powered technologies like virtual agents, speech analytics, and other advanced solutions is crucial. Further, tools like voice-enabled IVRs play a key role in streamlining customer interactions.

In this article, we’ll explore five such key contact center software solutions that can help reduce inbound call volumes. These include:

• Omnichannel Support
• AI-Powered Virtual Agents
• Voice-Enabled IVR
• Proactive Customer Notifications
• Insights and Analytics

Let’s dive into each of these solutions.

1. Omnichannel Support

Reducing call volume begins with offering customers multiple ways to reach you. When calling is the only option, every query—no matter how simple—ends up on the phone. By expanding support to channels like chat, email, and social media, you give customers the flexibility to choose what suits their needs. This often resolves non-urgent issues without speaking to an agent. In addition, agents can typically handle interacting with multiple digital channels at the same time, but this would not be possible with voice calls.

Enghouse CCaaS supports customers by offering robust omnichannel options. that allow customers to switch between channels (phone, email, chat, social media) without losing context. All digital interactions are routed in the same way as voice calls, and the complete interaction history for each customer is available to agents.

For example, Cyprus Airways faced increasing call volumes as they expanded. Their existing contact center couldn’t manage the demand, so they turned to Enghouse CCaaS for its omnichannel capabilities. Initially, they launched web chat and are planning to add more channels to deliver a full omnichannel experience.

2. AI-Powered Virtual Agents

AI-powered virtual agents are a game changer for customer service, handling routine tasks like password resets, order tracking, and FAQs across multiple channels. Thanks to Natural Language Processing (NLP), these virtual agents can instantly understand and respond to customer inquiries in a human-like way. By resolving common issues without human intervention, virtual agents significantly decrease call volumes, freeing human agents to focus on more complex tasks.

Enghouse CCaaS virtual agents seamlessly integrate into the contact center and can be scheduled and evaluated just like a human agent. Equipped with AI-driven knowledge management systems (KMS), they provide quick, accurate information, ensuring customers receive prompt solutions.

Features like real-time chat translation also enhance the customer experience by offering multilingual support, improving accessibility, and boosting customer satisfaction across regions. This comprehensive functionality dramatically reduces call volumes, streamlining the entire support process.

3. Voice-Enabled IVRs

Voice-enabled IVR systems play a crucial role in reducing contact volumes by allowing customers to navigate and interact with systems using voice commands instead of manually selecting options. For instance, instead of pressing buttons for specific options, a customer can simply say, “I need help with billing,” and the system will direct them to the right resource. This shortens navigation times and resolves queries faster when integrated with self-service options, minimizing the need for agent assistance.

Enghouse CCaaS elevates this further with its conversational AI and advanced speech recognition technology. Unlike traditional, menu-driven systems, Enghouse’s voice-enabled IVRs provide a natural conversational interface, making interactions feel more intuitive and customer-friendly. Customers can speak naturally, and the system uses speech-enabled IVR to understand and respond, improving both efficiency and the overall experience.

For instance, when The Seattle Times faced increased customer service demands while trying to maintain costs, they turned to Enghouse. By automating routine inquiries such as subscription management and bill payments, Enghouse’s system allowed agents to focus on higher-priority interactions, enhancing overall service quality without increasing operational costs.

4. Proactive Customer Notifications

Proactive notifications are a simple yet powerful way to reduce inbound call volumes. Many incoming calls originate from customers looking for updates on orders, appointments, or service issues. By sending real-time alerts through SMS, email, or push notifications, contact centers can preempt these calls.

These proactive updates become even more valuable during predictable spikes like holiday seasons, sales campaigns, or unexpected service disruptions. By providing customers with timely information—whether about shipping delays, product availability, or service restorations—contact centers can avoid being overwhelmed by sudden call surges.

Enghouse CCaaS offers inbound and outbound capabilities and can be integrated with CRM systems to automate proactive alerts. Its robust outbound capabilities enable contact centers to minimize inbound call volumes and manage peak periods more effectively, ensuring a smooth customer experience even during high-demand situations.

5. Insights and Analytics

Advanced insights and analytics play a crucial role in understanding the root causes of high call volumes and identifying opportunities for improvement. By analyzing customer interactions across multiple channels —such as voice, chat, and email— contact centers can detect common pain points, recurring issues, and process inefficiencies. This data enables companies to make informed, data-driven decisions, whether improving self-service capabilities, refining agent training, or updating knowledge bases to serve customers better.

Enghouse CCaaS offers a comprehensive suite of analytics tools that measure and track customer interactions, providing real-time insights that help businesses anticipate customer needs. With AI-driven insights and Voice of the Customer (VoC) analysis, companies can better understand customer sentiment, predict future needs, and take proactive steps to enhance the overall experience.

This holistic approach to analytics not only enhances customer satisfaction but also reduces future call volumes by addressing issues at their source and refining operational processes.

Having explored key strategies to reduce call volumes, let’s see why Enghouse CCaaS is the best choice for optimizing operations.

Enghouse Interactive’s CCaaS – Your Premier Choice for Reducing Call Volumes

Effectively managing high call volumes is key to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The contact center solutions mentioned offer vital capabilities. However, they must be supported by a robust solution like Enghouse Interactive’s CCaaS, which seamlessly integrates these tools for unparalleled performance.

With 40 years of industry experience, Enghouse Interactive is synonymous with reliability, security, and feature-rich solutions. Enghouse CCaaS goes beyond merely managing calls; it transforms your contact center operations and significantly enhances customer experiences.

Enghouse Interactive’s CCaaS features a comprehensive suite of tools—including omni-channel access, voice-enabled IVRs, and AI-powered virtual agents—all designed to streamline processes, optimize resources, and elevate customer interactions.

Are you ready to see the difference? Request a demo today and discover how Enghouse Interactive can effectively manage your inbound call volumes, optimize your operations, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Frequently Answered Questions

1. Is CCaaS better at handling increased call volume than traditional contact centers?
   Yes, CCaaS is superior in managing increased call volumes. Its cloud-based infrastructure allows for scalability, while dedicated features like intelligent routing and AI-driven virtual agents ensure efficient call distribution and resource optimization. Compared to traditional contact centers, this enables businesses to maintain high service levels even during peak times, enhancing the overall customer experience.
2. What is the pricing of Enghouse CCaaS?
   Enghouse offers two pricing tiers:
   – Standard: $109 (USD) per concurrent agent for voice-centric contact centers
   – Advanced: $139 (USD) per concurrent agent for omnichannel contact centers
3. What is inbound contact center software?
   Inbound contact center software is designed to manage incoming customer communications across various channels, such as phone, email, chat, and social media. It streamlines operations, ensuring customer queries are addressed promptly and effectively.
4. Why is Enghouse Interactive’s CCaaS the best choice?
   Enghouse Interactive’s CCaaS stands out for its robust features and modular design, which allow tailored solutions for customer needs. Some customers appreciate its effectiveness in directing customer interactions, while others praise its adaptability and continuous innovation, which ensure advanced capabilities for enhanced customer service.