Call Center Technology Overview Section Yunfeng
Definition
The traditional call center refers to information and services related to the phone. The earliest call center is usually in the form of "special service business", including: "114", "119", "120" and other services.
With the continuous development of various technologies, it has evolved into (telephone, fax, internet, etc.) "call" (information) "center. The "call" only represents a means of access, and its pathway is no longer limited to traditional telephones, and the access method such as Internet access is developed to access information and services from the information "center". . Different services of various information have produced different types of value-added services. At present, in China, the world's second largest telecommunications network has been established, but business income has not reached the level of India. Therefore, on the basis of existing communication network platforms, more applications should be developed, both for users to provide quality Service, also brings good economic benefits for telecom network operators, avoiding hot-installed and cooling, call center is a nice entry point.
Foreign have done a special cost statistical comparison, and the exchange of communication is approximately $ 150; exchanged through the telephone, with a cost of $ 5; and communicate through an automatic voice response device, cost is only $ 0.5. It can be seen that call center technology has a significant advantage, which is why the call center is very popular abroad.
Technical composition
As far as technical perspectives, the call center includes the following sections:
The Auto Call Distributor (ACD) is primarily responsible for reasonably assigning users to the background of the agent to the background based on a certain allocation algorithm. For example, average allocation algorithm can be employed or based on a service skill algorithm.
Automatic Voice Answer (IVR) When the user is accessing to the call center, automatic voice navigation services can be provided. For example, when dialing "114" traffic, the IVR system automatically broadcasts the number of welcome language and reporting the agent.
The CTI server provides a switch and computer interoperable contact interface, so that the computer can turn the user's information on the phone while the computer is turned on, and the computer screen is displayed in the computer screen of the agent. "Screen-POP "The function can provide users with better service.
The agent (Agent) is generally served by the agent in the call center. Compared with simple automatic voice response (IVR), you can provide more intimate and thoughtful service. In telephone marketing activities, the service level of the agent is often determined by the success or failure of marketing activities.
Database systems related to user data and business data are stored in a unified database system, so the processing power requirements of the database are also high.
From another angle, call center technology can also be divided into two parts: front desk access technology and background processing technology.
Front desk access technology
The front desk access technology mainly refers to the user's telephone access, how to access the call center service system. There are generally two types of switches or computer speech card, including the ACD, IVR, and CTI portions mentioned above. In ACD, there are two options for computer boards and switches.
1. Board program
With a computer board program, it is to provide a call center system by a dedicated computer speech panel, a function of traditional switches. These dedicated computer speech panels, adopted a dedicated DSP processing chip to improve speech processing capabilities, which can provide analog telephone lines and digital telephone line interfaces, respectively. At the same time, through a special voice seat card, the user's telephone and the background of the sector are connected to communicate with telephone exchange.
This approach generally uses the Windows NT / 2000 platform, and the ACD and CTI servers are often concentrated in a physical computer. It has the following characteristics: Cheaper price is cheap due to the price of the computer, there is a cost advantage.
It is easy to develop computer boards to provide an open API programming interface, so you can easily develop a variety of services.
It is not a stable computer system to be stable as a closed switch system. The solution is to improve system stability through computer redundancy technology.
Suitable for building a small and medium-sized call center system based on some of the above features, its processing capability has a certain limitations, so it is more suitable for establishing a small and medium call center system.
2. Switch scheme
The switch is a traditional telephone access device that allows the user's call to access the seating personnel in the background, while passing through the CTI server, the switch is related to the switch. The program has the following characteristics:
Comparing the technique of stabilizing the switch, performance is more reliable.
Capacity expansion is easy to enhance the number of accepted ports of the system by expansion plates in the switch.
The disadvantage is that although the cost of the current switch is generally fell, it is still much more expensive than the computer.
Suitable for establishing a large-scale system, for example, there are 1500 artificial agents in the call center of Hong Kong. It is the switch program.
3. VoIP combination plan
In recent years, with the continuous development of VoIP technology, new call center models have emerged, that is, call front end access is still through traditional PSTN networks, and the post-processing uses VoIP to establish voice connection channels. On the other hand, the user can communicate through the VoIP technology through the Internet network, with the call center, which reduces the call cost and opening up the "web-based call center" mode.
This gateway constructed with VoIP technology is also the function of the exchange of voice lines, so some people are called "IP PBX". Since this VoIP gateway is generally a dedicated computer speech panel, it can also be classified with a class of computer board programs, but a large change in technology structure.
It should be said that VoIP technology is injecting new technical vitality into the call center and will derive many new applications.
Background processing technology
The background processing includes the previously mentioned agent and database systems, closely combined with the content of business services, so large software development work is set in the background processing technology. include:
The agent management system is responsible for managing agents, namely, including personnel registration, authority management, and means for service supervision assessment.
The business management system is responsible for the management of new business, including the addition of new business, statistics to the usage of each new business and appraised. In addition, it also involves the billing function of some services.
Statistical Analysis System Statistical Analysis System is responsible for generating a variety of statistics, such as statistics, monthly reports. At the same time, it also conducts statistics on the operation of the call center (profitable, whether expansion needs to be expanded).
The specific business system is closely related to the specific business content. For example, the business of the telecommunications system and the business of the financial system may be completely different.
After obtaining the various information of the user through the call center system, how to transfer these useful information, timely, to increase productivity, need to be combined with the internal management process of the company. This should involve its internal information management system, so it is more complicated.
In China, compared with pure Internet online e-commerce, the call center has several advantages:
The number of users is currently in my country's installed installed capacity (fixed phone mobile phone) has exceeded 200 million, and users of the Internet network are only 16 million this year, and regardless of how the Internet is developing, the most basic, The most convenient way is also a language. User quality requires different computer Internet, requiring users to be able to use a computer, high quality, and how to consider how to spread the computer into the scope of imaging public calls; and the phone is very easy to use, no matter whether the old man is still a child, Get information and services via phone.
Interactive abroad statistics, users in conducting e-commerce activities, due to lack of real-time communication, dealing with approximately 80% of orders; in the call center mode, the user can grasp the various information of the user in time, thereby providing better service.
It can be seen that the call center has more practical significance for China's information construction.
Apply
Call center technology provides a means of service, while the service can be applied in various fields.
Current call center is still in the starting phase in China, in various field applications are also at the pilot level. However, in some home appliances, such as Haier has established its own call center system, and has made a successful exploration in the combination of calling centers and traditional industries. At present, the field of call center applications is primarily in the telecommunications department, and the US telecommunications department only accounts for 10% of the call center market, and 70% of the application is concentrated in finance and insurance. Therefore, there is still a big market in China to be developed.
Enterprises must provide users with good service, and must establish channels with users. The most convenient and fast way is the phone, so the call center is an important means of improving service quality. Abroad has information indicating that it is necessary to develop a new customer, and the cost is five times that retain an old customer. Therefore, the call center can improve the business efficiency of the company and reduce the business cost of the company.
Call centers can be applied in various fields, including: financial market, government departments, tourism departments, health care departments, manufacturing sectors, military systems, energy power systems, sales areas, sports fields, etc.
Some applications in the call center in various fields are as follows:
● Telecom field
Voice dialing automatically identifies the name and phone number of the user's reported.
Voicemail and wireless notification voicemail can leave a message, the system automatically notifies the owner in the form of BP machines.
● 114 and other special service services
When the call transfer is called a business trip, the phone directly connects to its telephone in the field.
Customer service includes fault repair, phone bill query.
Telephone callback service first logs the calling number, then call the call.
The additional value services such as the other party payment will be recorded in the called party.
● Traffic post department
The booking system user calls the phone and the system will automatically accept the booking business.
The train or ship time query is under the system prompts, enter the number of passes to check the train, etc., get relevant information.
Wheel boat, air forecast for the plane to understand the weather conditions around the ground to determine the running route.
The package query is always queried at any time.
Quick posts Search best shipping companies, save costs, and improve efficiency.
● Educational field
Education hotline query about child education problems and perform targeted education.
Work hotline understands the evaluation and operation of the child.
The problems in online counseling learning can be answered through the system.
The schedule inquiry students can query the curriculum, activity arrangement, etc.
Registration management is directly registered directly to new students.
Development status
International, the application of call center has emerged in the 1950s, but the call center with CTI technology is only developed in the late 1980s. In general, the entry threshold for call center technology is not very high, but it is not easy. The big development of domestic call center technology is started from the second half of 1999, so it is still in the primary stage.
At present, domestic call center technology has the following development characteristics: ● Basic technology has matured
Basic techniques have matured in current call center technology, including:
In the ACD Technology Switching scheme, the ACD algorithm is in-room in the switch, and a flexible selection can be performed by the control terminal; in the board scheme, the ACD algorithm can be designed by software.
IVR systems current IVR systems are integrated with computer speech cards, which can use current popular cards, such as foreign Dialogic, NMS and other boards, domestic Taixing, Wu Yuexin, Fei ring and other boards. Card, you can also use your own board. Using the API interface provided by the manufacturer, developers can write a variety of speech process services.
Database technology of the database call center, generally adopted the mainstream commercial database system, such as SQL, Oracle, etc., used to store and process related users and business information.
CTI In terms of CTI technologies, switch manufacturers provide CTI interfaces for system integrators, while boards are used through standard API interfaces to complete various business controls.
● Software technology needs breakthrough
Since the call center belongs to integration technology, the software is very important, and the current domestic software, although many experiences have been accumulated, some aspects have to be broken, including the following two aspects:
Business Graphical Editor Currently, commercial business graphics editors are basically the world of foreign products, while although there are also progress in this regard, such as developing their own primary middleware products, but basically still satisfying themselves, can form alone There are not many items.
Business processing software has to standardize background business software. At present, it is basically developed in China, and there is also a combination of third-party business software. In terms of software quality control, it is waiting to be in line with international level.
● Borrowing advanced technology in other fields
Call center technology is dominated by integrated prior art, so new technologies in computer areas and communications areas can be applied to the call center. For example, a number of new business applications can be generated by combining voice technology (speech synthesis and speech recognition).
Standard formulation
For the industry standards of the call center, in terms of board, there is a series of standards proposed by the United States ECTF (Enterprise Computer Telephone Forum) organization; in the switch mode, the more popular European CSTA (Computer Support Telecommunication Application) standard. In this regard, China is still lagging behind, and has not formed its own technical standard system. Telecom, Unicom and other communications departments are proposing their own business norms and technical specifications, hoping at a higher level, and has a guiding role in the establishment of industry customer service center systems.
International development status analysis
At present, the international call center technology has developed rapidly and is reflected in the following aspects:
Technology development, market division is finer for various technical branches involved in call centers, such as the front desk technology and background technology mentioned earlier, and professional technology companies are doing meticulous research. The division of its market is also meticulous, and different products are positioned in different markets.
The application of new technologies is relatively popular in fierce competitive pressure, and various companies are constantly launching new products. From the perspective of operators, new technologies are also actively used to maintain the invincible place in the operating market.
Market research and product evaluation is relatively developed than market research activities in developed abroad, so more scientific decisions can be carried out. At the same time, through professional technical evaluation agencies, it provides users with a scientific reference for product selection. Currently, domestic needs in this regard.
The competitive level has increased to management means competitive technological innovation can constantly improve work efficiency, but the ultimate goal is to improve service quality, so it can take advantage of the management of some instead of product technology. The competition of foreign call center operations market has evolved to management level competition. development trend
Call center technology involves the combination of computer technology and communication technology, and these two technical fields are one of the most dynamic industries, so the development of call center technology is very rapid. Summary has the following trend:
● Combine with the Internet Bonded to the Internet, not only can reduce the cost of the call, but also make up for the shortcomings of the phone terminal to transmit the voice signal, and can access the enterprise network through the computer terminal, and browse the web page under the guidance of the call center agent Graphical information, further through video communications, establish a face-to-face service.
● Combining wireless technology By combined with wireless technology, the user's usage space can be extended, and WAP technology can be established to establish Internet Wireless Access Space.
● Combined with voice technology includes speech recognition and speech synthesis techniques, etc., through these technologies, the computer can complete automatic voice services as the agent. This will greatly emancipate the productivity and will develop a voice interface of the Internet to produce an incapacitable impact.
● Combined with the data mining technology more focus on the access interface with the user, the purpose is to obtain various data, and after the data is obtained, how to handle this data, and extract useful information . This requires combining data warehouses and data mining techniques to produce scientific analysis results.
● CRM technology integration On the basis of data warehouse and data mining technology, it is necessary to construct a personalized service trend that can provide a one-to-one service to provide users, and improve the competitiveness of enterprises.
● Operating management standardization process, can improve the operational efficiency of enterprises, improve service quality, and support further technical analysis, but these content will involve internal management levels, there will be many difficulties.
● Evolution into a distributed business system call center technology is a form of providing value-added services, and the CTI technology employed can provide a distributed service node function, so it will constitute an impact on existing network structures.
● Developed into a complete e-commerce platform call center provides a model of information flow, with the corresponding capital flow and logistics, you can build a complete e-commerce platform so that the establishment of information flow is not necessarily limited to the Internet. It has a broader application area.
In short, call center technology itself has a beautiful development prospect, and its content is also rich in new technologies. As an application technology, the call center has a wide range of market prospects in China.
