Cloud calling systems help your business operations break out of the physical office and into the cloud. With these systems, remote teams can stay connected and communicate effectively using software that enables easy audio, video, and messaging communications.
While cloud calling is a sophisticated technology, setting it up doesn’t have to be complicated. You can make your cloud calling setup easy by following a simple and straightforward blueprint.
Announce Your Migration to a Cloud Calling System At Least a Month Ahead
There are three distinct phases of a cloud center migration:
- Beforehand, where you’ll wrap up any existing contracts and discontinue any old services.
- During the switch, when you’ll be setting up new equipment.
- After the migration, where you’ll want to ensure that the system is running smoothly and your team is well-trained on the new software.
Start by sending out communications well before the change so your team has time to adjust. A month is a good amount of leeway, but if you have a very large team or especially complex operations, give it more time.
Give them an overview of why you’re switching and how it will benefit them. While this isn’t the official onboarding stage, it will help your team understand why this is important, which should hopefully make them more open to change.
You can host an introductory meeting, including a program walkthrough, send out a series of email updates, or even create short training videos to get everyone started. To ensure this content is effective, you’ll want to encourage team members to ask questions or voice any concerns during this phase.
The heads up isn’t just about courtesy; it also improves your call center metrics by decreasing downtime during the migration.
After you’ve given your team a heads-up about the upcoming changes, take a good look at your current phone data. This could include call logs, average hold times, and peak call hours.
Here are some common metrics to consider for a call center:
- Average answer speed: How long it takes for an agent to answer a call
- First-call resolution rate: The percentage of calls that are resolved on the first attempt
- Average handle time: The average time spent on each call, from start to finish
- Call abandonment rate: The percentage of callers who hang up before reaching an agent
- Call transfer rate: The percentage of calls that must be transferred to another agent or department
Make sure all the data you want to track is actually helpful. Don’t be afraid to track less data if it’s not providing any valuable insights; you can always resume tracking later after the migration.
You also don’t want to just add your previous data into your new system. Instead, opt for a clean slate. You can create a separate folder for your pre-migration data or archive it in your new system for a more organized approach.
Finally, you’ll want to check with your internet service provider for any potential upgrades or changes you may need to make for the new system. This will save you from any surprises during the switch.
Choose a Cloud Calling Solution That Does the Migration Process For You
For the easiest cloud-calling setup possible, consider using a software solution that takes the migration process out of your hands. Not only does this simplify the process, but it may even help expedite it.
As you’re researching options for service providers, make sure to chat with their customer support team to see if they offer assistance with the migration process.
Some providers may include this as a complimentary service, while others may charge an additional fee. You may have access to various levels of support, allowing you to partially build out your new system with help along the way.
For the most comprehensive coverage, ask for a phase-based migration process. With this approach, your provider completes data migration over the span of a week or so versus all in one day.
This gives you and your team time to learn the new cloud calling system and helps to keep business operations running smoothly during the shift.
Nextiva Cloud Phone System
There are a ton of great cloud-calling systems out there, but our top choice is Nextiva. We like this cloud-calling solution because of its streamlined and beginner-friendly setup. It boasts features like advanced call routing, call recording, SIP calling, and unlimited voice calling.
The company boasts an impressive uptime of 99.999%, and according to their records, there were no instances of service outages reported in 2019 or 2020.
Nextiva also offers 24/7 support to ensure your migration stays on track no matter what time of the day it is. This is especially helpful for global or dispersed teams that may need assistance outside of traditional business hours.
Require Your Team to Complete the Solution-Provided Training
By now, you’ve narrowed your options and selected a cloud calling provider to get started with. Now it’s time for your team to train on the new software and equipment.
Most cloud-calling solutions offer training materials, such as videos, webinars, or in-person workshops. Make sure your team knows about these resources and organize them in a way that makes it easy for employees to access and complete the training.
Some providers may even offer personalized onboarding sessions or consulting services at an additional cost. Be sure to inquire about these options if you feel your team could benefit from this extra support.
Try to stick to training protocols that are provided directly by the company to make sure you don’t run into any technical issues or compatibility problems. It’s also a good idea to train your team in batches.
For example, you could have several employees complete the training to assist others needing additional help during the transition period.
Finally, make sure to test your team’s competency after they’ve been trained. You can directly talk with employees and contractors to assess their understanding or create a quiz that covers the basics of your new cloud calling system.
By testing for comprehension, you can rest assured that everyone is on the same page and equipped to handle calls effectively in the new system.
Keep Access to Your Other Phone System for a Month After Full Migration
At this point, you’ve successfully transitioned your call center operations to a shiny new cloud calling system.
Congratulations! It’s time to officially retire your previous phone system and wrap up the migration process, right? Not so fast.
It’s always a good idea to keep access to your old phone system for at least a month after completing the full migration. This will give you ample time to make sure nothing was left behind in the transition and allow for any necessary adjustments.
Transition your primary business contact numbers to your new phone system, but keep the less frequently used or possibly redundant numbers on your existing setup.
To ensure no calls are missed, set up a call forwarding feature for these secondary numbers so that any incoming calls will be rerouted to a team member on the new system. It’s also important to keep the voicemail service active on your previous phone system.
After following this blueprint, you can now sit back and relax in your new cloud-calling setup. Over time, you’ll notice how the new system affects the performance of your organization and make changes from there.
Cloud calling systems are always evolving, and you should be alongside them. Make a habit of staying current on new features and system updates, and continue optimizing your call center operations, leading to greater efficiency in the long run.
