SMB Contact Center Adoption Trends and Action Plan - Techaisle Survey

The adoption of contact center solutions among SMBs is growing, with a mix of on-premises, cloud-based, and hybrid approaches being considered. Many SMBs are transitioning from traditional systems to more modern solutions, with many planning or actively implementing cloud-based contact centers. Techaisle survey shows that SMBs seek specific features in their contact center solutions that best align with their operational needs and customer service goals. While many features are highly valued, smaller businesses and midmarket firms have slightly different priorities. Smaller businesses often value features that improve customer feedback and accessibility, while midmarket firms tend to prioritize features that assist their agents and streamline workflows.

Exceptional customer experiences are no longer optional for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) striving for growth and profitability – they are essential. In today's competitive landscape, customer experience is a key differentiator, directly impacting brand loyalty and revenue. Seamless, satisfying interactions boost customer retention and attract new business in a market saturated with choices. SMBs understand that exceeding customer expectations is paramount to long-term success, driving the need for advanced contact center solutions.

This need is clearly reflected in a Techaisle survey of 5,050 SMB and midmarket firms (defined as 1-99 employees for small businesses, 100-999 for core midmarket, and 1,000-4,999 for upper midmarket, with quotas set by employee size). Customer experience is a top priority for 84% of SMBs, ranking just behind cloud, security, and generative AI. Contact center usage is also widespread: 76% of small businesses (excluding home-based and single-employee retail) and 90% of core midmarket firms utilize at least one type of contact center. Furthermore, nearly half (49%) of all SMBs are either using or planning to implement cloud-based contact center solutions.

A key finding is that 84% of SMBs prioritize both customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX), signaling a growing demand for Unified Experience Platforms (UXPs) to streamline both internal and external communications. The convergence of Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), and traditional Unified Communications (UC) will accelerate, reflecting the understanding that seamless EX and CX are inextricably linked and vital for success.  As a result, UXPs offering integrated solutions that improve collaboration, data sharing, and operational efficiency across departments will be highly sought after.  Vendors offering comprehensive UXP solutions that effectively address both employee and customer needs will be well-positioned for success in the SMB market.

By adopting a UXP, SMBs can expect to:

• Streamline internal communication: fostering a more connected workforce through improved team collaboration and increased productivity.
• Enhance customer interactions: delivering superior customer service, boosting satisfaction, and building stronger relationships.
• Gain a competitive edge: simplifying operations, increasing efficiency, and thriving in a dynamic market.

Current Adoption Trends in Contact Center Solutions

Cloud adoption is becoming increasingly common, and this trend is mirrored in contact center technologies. Cloud-based solutions offer scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, making them particularly appealing to SMBs. For SMBs not ready to fully move to the cloud, hybrid options that blend on-premises infrastructure with cloud services offer a flexible transitional approach. While some SMBs prefer on-premises solutions, a large percentage recognize the advantages of cloud technology.

Currently, SMBs are at different stages of adoption, with some having already migrated their contact centers to the cloud while others are still in the planning or evaluation phases. Many smaller businesses have yet to adopt any contact center solution. These varying levels of adoption reflect differences in technological maturity, budget, and strategic priorities among SMBs.

Where SMBs Are Putting Their Money: Top Contact Center Investments and Priorities

Techaisle survey data shows the key areas where SMBs are investing in enhancing their customer service capabilities. Topping the list is integrating multiple communication channels (IVR, voice, video, chat) and optimizing network performance, demonstrating a focus on providing customers with flexible and reliable access points.  Closely following is using AI-driven insights and analytics for agents, empowering them with data to personalize interactions and resolve issues efficiently.  A similar proportion are prioritizing application and CRM integrations, enabling a seamless flow of customer information across systems for a unified view.  Significant investment is also directed towards customer feedback mechanisms like surveys, reflecting a commitment to understanding and acting on customer needs.  Furthermore, the adoption of intelligent virtual agents and self-service knowledge bases indicates a push toward empowering customers to find solutions independently.  Finally, features like call recording, AI summaries, speech analytics, and workflow automation, while seeing slightly lower adoption rates, reveal a growing interest in leveraging technology for quality control, process optimization, and, ultimately, a better customer experience.  In essence, SMBs are strategically investing in a blend of technologies that improve agent effectiveness, provide customers with convenient self-service options, and offer valuable insights into customer preferences and pain points.

SMBs prioritize a range of features within their contact center solutions to ensure a high-quality customer experience. Call recording stands out as the most valued, enabling quality assurance, compliance adherence, and effective agent training for consistent professional interactions. Workforce management tools are also crucial, providing scheduling, performance monitoring, and agent optimization to ensure adequate staffing levels and efficient handling of inquiries. Contact center monitoring allows businesses to oversee agent performance and customer interactions, identifying areas for improvement and enforcing best practices. Screen pop functionality provides agents with immediate access to caller information upon contact, personalizing and streamlining interactions. Intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) and chatbots are increasingly popular for automating routine customer interactions, reducing agent workload and improving response times. For businesses with existing CRM systems, integration with contact center solutions is essential for a unified view of customer data and a seamless customer journey. Finally, quality management tools enable the monitoring and analyzing customer interactions, ensuring consistently high-quality service and identifying opportunities for agent coaching and performance enhancement.

Are SMBs Missing the Mark? Aligning Contact Center Investments with CX Goals

Although there's some overlap between the features required for improving customer experience and contact center solutions, gaps suggest that SMBs may be overlooking the broader potential of integrated contact center solutions. The gap indicates a significant opportunity for contact center solution providers to educate SMBs on how a more holistic approach, encompassing the technologies SMBs are investing in, can truly transform the customer experience. Bridging this divide through education and demonstrating the synergistic value of combining investment priorities with strategically chosen features will be critical for SMBs to maximize their customer service potential.

Action Plan for SMBs Adopting Contact Center Solutions

Techaisle conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that have successfully deployed contact center solutions.  These interviews revealed a common, repeatable process and action plan that these SMBs followed, leading to successful implementations.  The following nine steps outline this action plan, providing a valuable guide for other SMBs looking to adopt similar solutions.

A structured action plan is crucial for SMBs looking to adopt contact center solutions. Here's a step-by-step guide to help SMBs get started:

1. Assess Current Needs and Challenges: Before implementing a contact center solution, SMBs should begin by thoroughly analyzing their current customer service processes. This involves identifying existing pain points, understanding the most frequent customer inquiries, and recognizing where current systems lack the necessary functionality. A comprehensive evaluation of the existing IT infrastructure is also crucial, including assessing internet bandwidth, current systems, and staff capabilities to ensure they can adequately support a contact center solution. Finally, clearly defining business goals is essential.  SMBs should determine precisely what they hope to achieve with a contact center solution, whether it's reducing operational costs, improving customer satisfaction scores, or enhancing agent productivity.

2. Set a Realistic Budget: Cost is a significant factor when considering contact center solutions. SMBs should carefully evaluate both upfront investments and ongoing expenses, including cloud subscriptions, software licenses, and potential maintenance fees. Exploring different deployment models—cloud, on-premises, or hybrid—is crucial to identifying an approach that aligns with budgetary constraints. While cost-effectiveness is important, it's essential to avoid sacrificing essential features for the sake of a lower price, ensuring the chosen solution adequately addresses business needs.

3. Choose the Right Solution: When selecting a contact center solution, thorough research is essential. SMBs should identify vendors specializing in solutions tailored to their size and aligned with their specific business priorities. Requesting product demos and comparing different options based on pre-defined needs and budgets are crucial, and a decision matrix can be a valuable tool for evaluating essential features side-by-side.  User-friendliness should be a key consideration, ensuring the interface is intuitive for both agents and administrators.  Finally, checking for integrations with existing systems, such as CRM platforms, is vital to ensure a smooth operational flow and alignment with overall business goals.

4. Plan for Implementation: A successful contact center implementation requires careful planning. SMBs should develop a detailed implementation plan that includes a project timeline, resource allocation, and clearly defined responsibilities. Adequate training and resources for internal IT staff are essential to support the new solution; if internal expertise is lacking, partnering with an external IT service provider should be considered.  Thorough testing is crucial to ensure the system functions seamlessly before full deployment to customer service teams.

5. Train Your Team: Comprehensive training is essential for customer service teams to utilize a new contact center solution effectively. Training should cover all features, emphasizing practical application and best practices. Interactive sessions tailored to different user roles and responsibilities will maximize knowledge transfer.  Ongoing training, including refresher courses, is crucial to keep the team up-to-date on new features and system updates, ensuring they can consistently leverage the solution's full potential.

6. Monitor and Optimize: Ongoing monitoring is crucial for optimizing a contact center solution's performance. Regularly analyzing data and analytics helps identify trends and areas for improvement. Gathering customer feedback through surveys, call recordings, and other data collection methods provides valuable insights.  These combined insights should be used to refine agent training, optimize processes, and ultimately enhance the overall customer experience.

7. Focus on Data Security: Security must be a paramount consideration when implementing a contact center solution. Choosing a solution that provides the necessary security and data protection features is crucial. Businesses must ensure compliance with all relevant data protection regulations, such as PCI and HIPAA.  Regular training for staff on security policies and procedures is essential to reinforce the importance of protecting sensitive customer data.

8. Consider Managed Services: For SMBs lacking internal IT resources or expertise, managed services offer a viable solution. Managed service providers can deliver comprehensive support, covering everything from implementation and maintenance to ongoing security. Carefully evaluating different managed service options and selecting a partner that aligns with budget and operational needs is essential for success.

9. Stay Up to Date: The contact center technology landscape is constantly evolving, making it crucial for SMBs to stay informed about emerging trends and advancements. This can be achieved by attending industry trade shows, subscribing to relevant publications, and participating in online forums. A willingness to adapt and evolve the contact center strategy based on new technologies and shifting customer expectations is essential for continued success.