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Contact Center 101 – Understanding the Basics

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There are plenty of companies that manage lots of customer interactions that could benefit from today’s contact center solutions, yet they’re not looped in on what’s available today. If you’re one of them, your business could be missing out.

What’s the Difference between a Contact Center and Your Organization?

A call or contact center is any facility that receives or transmits a large volume of phone calls. Whether it’s inbound, outbound, or a virtual call center, the traditional definition of the contact center has expanded as UC technology continues to evolve.

Contact center operations can range from a few customer service representatives in a small business to enterprise-level corporations with hundreds of agents spread across multiple regional offices.

Why Does Your Organization Need Contact Center Technology?

The modern contact center has evolved. Today, a contact center can be a small team managing internal help-desk requests, a car dealership connecting prospects to salespeople, or an elementary school office handling an influx of calls from parents.

If your organization handles frequent calls, then you’re a good fit for this affordable technology…

  • Unleash Your Sales, Service, and Support Potential – Start a different conversation with your customers when you give them the freedom to interact with you the way they want (voice, text, chat, video) on any device, and give your employees the tools to manage today’s omnichannel customer journeys.
  • Build a World-Class Customer Center – Don’t just connect with your customers, convince them you care with Mitel’s omnichannel suite featuring workflow designer, speech-enabled IVR, speech analytics, quality and performance management, real-time dashboards, and more.
  • Get Big Results Fast – Improve your customer satisfaction scores, first contact resolution rates, and customer effort scores with Customer Experience solutions.

What Kind of Call Center Technology is Available?

There’s a wide spectrum of call center solutions available to help your business operations. Today’s variety of call center solutions cover all the bases.

TCI’s contact center experts can step you through your options, and when you’re ready – design, deploy, and support your solution. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Mitel Delivers New Tools for Users of Microsoft Teams

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One of the most startling statistics to emerge from the pandemic had nothing to do with communicable illnesses but rather with communications between businesses.

In 2020, from March to June, the use of Microsoft Teams grew by 894%. And, between 2021 and 2022, the number of Teams users rose from 145 million to 270 million. Microsoft Teams has become the de facto communications platform for over one million organizations in just a few years.

This is, of course, good news for Microsoft. And it’s also good news for businesses already paying for Microsoft Office who essentially got a business-class collaboration platform for free, at least initially. But for companies who continued to rely on traditional telephony and vertical industries where video collaboration wasn’t the norm, Teams had some feeling left out.

Fast forward to today, and these customers face the prospect of evaluating Teams phones, taking on E3-E5 licensing and SIP-trunking costs, and they are finding that Microsoft Teams is not free anymore.

It’s a significant incremental uplift in expense for existing capability. Simply put, there isn’t an excellent way to tie legacy voice systems and Teams together without spending more money on additional phone licenses or introducing extra layers of complexity. Until now…

Mitel Delivers New Tools for Teams

For clients who have previously decided to adopt Microsoft Teams, Mitel recently announced a series of tools and applications that seamlessly integrate Mitel’s enterprise-class telephony features with the MS Teams platform for a single, robust communications and collaboration solution.

For example, suppose Teams users choose to activate the phone licenses available on Teams. In that case, they can now enjoy direct routing that connects with Mitel endpoints through certified session border controllers (SBCs), providing a unified telephony framework (albeit with fewer features) that can be controlled from the Teams environment.

What if Teams users don’t want to purchase Microsoft phone licenses? In that case, they can still integrate their telephony system with Teams through Mitel’s Telephony-only client available in MiCollab and enjoy all the robust telephony features that Mitel offers.

This is part of Mitel’s MiCollab offering and can be turned on with a simple toggle switch. In addition, Mitel Assistant is available for free on the Microsoft app store and delivers Mitel softphone capabilities to Teams users’ desktops as a floating app. Mitel Assistant allows you to make and transfer calls, search directories, set speed dials, import contacts, activate three-way conferencing, and more – all from your Teams screen.

Mitel also offers presence integration between Teams and Mitel telephony users, allowing Teams users to see whether a colleague is on a PBX-based phone call – even if that colleague doesn’t have a Teams client. A user’s phone status is visible from their Outlook emails and can help determine direct routing of calls to the next available user.

With these Mitel tools co-existing with Microsoft Teams, a uniquely elegant hybrid solution evolves, taking advantage of premises or private cloud solutions from Mitel’s MiCollab with a cloud-based collaboration solution in Microsoft Teams.

Making Teams More of a Team Player

Microsoft Teams is great for many things, from video meetings to sharing documents. But many businesses still need high-quality telephony applications to run their business.

Schools and universities, for example, rely on mass notification via mobile devices to notify students, staff, and parents of emergencies. Financial services companies must maintain inbound contact centers supporting call recording and other advanced telephony features. Retail businesses need to connect workers on the sales floor to customer service applications via telephone to help customers in real-time.

Let’s look at two more industries to see how Mitel plus Microsoft Teams can help businesses run better.

Healthcare – Consider a network of healthcare facilities. They use Teams for video collaboration between facilities, but what about emergencies where a doctor or nurse needs to respond when they’re not near a laptop? Telephony services can provide the critical link to life-saving answers in seconds. Or what about mobile service workers who are responsible for things like security and cleaning? Telephony apps keep them connected to colleagues with maximum efficiency.

Hospitality – Another sector that can benefit from a telephony-enhanced Teams environment is the hospitality industry. Hotels may use Teams for internal meetings or drive customer engagement, but telephones still play a critical role in their daily life. Guests rely on in-suite phone services to contact staff and receive messages. Cleaning staff can use those same phones to indicate when a room is clean and available for new guests. Combining those communications with Teams enables hotels to stay connected to colleagues and customers from one platform.

Phone calls, SMS notifications, and contact centers still play a vital role in many organizations, but most businesses don’t want to manage two separate communications and collaboration platforms.

With Mitel solutions, they don’t have to because the telephony functionality can be integrated with their overall communications experience, whether they’re collaborating in Teams and need to make a phone call from their laptop or desk phone or browsing the web and want the simplicity of click-to-dial automatically from any phone number.

Contact your local TCI experts to learn more about integrating your Mitel solutions with Teams: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

DC Region’s Extreme Weather & Stronger Storms… Protect Your Business with Cloud & Business Continuity Planning

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TCI’s cutting-edge Disaster Recovery solutions are tailored to help protect your entire IT environment – from data and applications to office computers, mobile devices, networks, and phone systems.

Will your business continue to operate when disaster strikes?

Here are just some of the ways TCI’s comprehensive approach helps you safeguard what counts:

  • Determine appropriate risk reduction strategies, remedies, and alternatives for critical systems and networks, including affordable ways to address voice and data protection measures like off-grid power sourcing and secure off-site storage.
  • Enable a remote work program that can keep your business open when your office is shut down during an emergency.
  • Avoid critical data loss or recovery delays dealing with missing databases, disrupted systems, networks, and more.

And if you’re considering moving to the cloud, remember you don’t have to do it all at once.

Create a plan. Identify what should stay in-house and what should go to the cloud. Focus on what you’d need to operate if a major interruption or disaster occurred. Determine the connectivity your employees need to do their jobs remotely. Also, work toward consistent and seamless end-to-end communications. TCI can help you build a hybrid or full cloud solution that meets your business needs.

The cloud gives your company the agility it needs to respond to any disruption, be it a natural disaster, pandemic, security breach, or a failure of your network or hardware.

Schedule your Business Continuity planning session today. Contact TCI at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Connecting Healthcare Providers with HIPAA-Compliant and Cloud-Based Communications

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As a local technology leader, TCI is committed to delivering the best HIPAA-compliant healthcare communications tools for your facility.

The entire healthcare industry underwent a rapid digital transformation due to the pandemic and continues to evolve as the world changes.

Telehealth, remote treatments, and virtual patient services have grown in popularity, enabling patients to receive care outside the traditional clinical environment.

Healthcare providers are embracing the latest communications technology to keep up with their patients’ evolving digital-first expectations – and many are already taking advantage of the Cloud to achieve healthcare benefits.

The Key Benefits of Cloud-Based Healthcare Communications

  • Enhanced Data Security and Compliance – Hospitals and other providers are among the biggest targets of hackers and ransomware due to the sensitive data they must store and transmit. Patient information is more secure in the Cloud, protected by encryption and access controls. TCI offers Cloud-based UC solutions that are updated continuously to comply with the latest privacy and security standards, including HIPAA and GDPR.
  • Scalability and Flexibility – Healthcare systems with Cloud-based UC solutions can seamlessly transition to remote operations and manage increased volumes of patients during a pandemic or short-term crisis.
  • More Cost-Efficient, Effective Processes – Private and hybrid Cloud communications solutions reduce infrastructure and maintenance costs using digital rather than physical storage. Integration with medical apps streamlines complicated processes. Time-consuming administrative tasks can be automated for improved operational efficiency.
  • Advanced Analytics and Insights – Cloud-based UC solutions can use powerful predictive analytics tools for data-driven decision-making.

All aspects of your healthcare communications can be elevated to the Cloud, such as:

  • Contact Centers
  • Patient Portals
  • VoIP Phone Systems
  • Video Calling and Voice Messaging
  • Collaboration Software and Teamwork Solutions
  • Text Alerts and Reminders

Take Your Healthcare Communications to the Cloud with TCI & Mitel

TCI deploys HIPAA-compliant Mitel solutions that empower your clinical staff to spend less time on administrative tasks and more on critical care by supporting streamlined workflows, seamless file sharing, and API integration.

Innovations like AI-enabled automation, self-service tools, and virtual assistants will increase patient engagement, trust, and satisfaction with their healthcare experience.

To future-proof your healthcare communications, look for the deployment model – private, hybrid, or public Cloud – that best fits your clinical needs, data security requirements, and budget.

Contact your local TCI experts to learn more about migrating your healthcare communications to the Cloud: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

TCI Host Service – Customized Contact Center, Team Collaboration & Business Communications

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Empower your people to serve your customers better

For a single, low monthly price, you can upgrade old phones to advanced mobile-enabled desktop phones and use Mitel’s award-winning capabilities to dramatically improve your Customer Experience.

Cloud communications isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor

There are several deployment models to choose from depending on your business’s unique situation, and you can shift from one approach to another over time. Managing a multi-site business? TCI Host can bring your offices closer together.

In and Outbound Contact Center / Call Center

Whether you’re a small or big business, you can support omnichannel queues that let customers contact you the way they prefer. Track your customer contacts and get real-time metrics for informed decision-making and better team coaching.

  • Integrate with your CRM, like Salesforce, Microsoft, and others
  • Offer Live Agents, Web Chat, Email, Text Messaging / SMS
  • Monitor and respond to Social Media feeds (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
  • Automate and access Full Reporting on Your Customer Interactions
  • Improve Customer Experience
  • Become more efficient

Powerful Collaboration Capabilities

Explore some of the Mitel-powered team-building and conferencing tools your users can tap into with their mobile or desktop phones…

  • Virtual workspaces for team meetings, conversations, content review, and project management
  • Team Video Conferencing and Recording
  • Participant management
  • Desktop application sharing
  • Team and private chat
  • Web-based file sharing
  • Document management

Unified Messaging and Integrated Apps

With access to these Mitel-powered tools, your team’s work can be tackled on more devices from any location:

  • Integration with business applications from tech leaders like Microsoft and Google
  • Presence Tools
  • Softphone App on Mobile Devices
  • Unified Messaging
  • Remote control of desktops
  • Outlook client plug-in
  • MS TEAMS integration (Mitel Assistant App)
  • Message retrieval from one synchronized message store

Our TCI Host Cloud Voice Service is all about flexibility

Add new cloud-based tools to your existing business phone system, and when you’re ready, migrate your entire platform to the cloud to reduce your overall telecom costs.

Schedule your TCI Host demo. Call us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Simplify the Banking Experience to Earn Customers for Life

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In the DC region’s highly competitive financial services industry, banks must ensure customers enjoy an easy and efficient experience at each journey stage. There’s simply too much risk that poor experiences will tarnish the bank’s reputation, turn away customers, and harm the bottom line.

Today’s communications solutions and technologies empower banks to break down unnecessary walls between their internal processes and customers. With these barriers removed, banks have new freedom to increase transparency, build trust, and foster personal experiences that help them earn customers for life.

Engage in Meaningful Interactions Every Step of the Way

To engage each customer more effectively in the right way at the right time, banks must seamlessly blend digital and human interactions. According to McKinsey & Company, banks that shifted to a more integrated, multimedia approach to customer communications have had convincing results, including:

  • Double the number of digital sales to customers
  • Three times more success in cross-selling bank services
  • A 40% increase in customer activities with the bank
  • One bank even reduced its cost to serve customers by two-thirds.

How to deliver technology-driven Banking Experiences that streamline every step of the Customer Journey:

Make it Fast and Easy to Navigate the Process

Initiating a new loan application with a bank can be very intimidating for people, especially when it’s their first time making a significant purchase, such as a house. They’re unfamiliar with the bank’s processes or what will be required.

When customers can easily set up a new account online and apply for a mortgage in minutes, it helps alleviate stress. User-friendly online forms and virtual agents answering questions along the way can efficiently step customers through the application requirements.

To further accelerate the process, customers can upload supporting documents such as bank statements and identification documents without leaving the user interface.

Connect with Customers their Way

Even with the most intuitive online forms, helpful virtual agents, and proactive communications, your customers sometimes need the reassurance and conversational exchanges that a person can best provide.

While AI is fast and helpful, customers want to communicate using their preferred media, which can mean connecting with a human. Collaboration apps put personalized text, voice, and video communications with bank agents at your customers’ fingertips.

A conversation may start with a voice or video call. Those communications can be followed up with text and email messages that provide additional support and links to more information.

Provide Timely Updates and Guidance

As the loan application moves through the bank’s internal processes, it’s crucial to keep customers informed about its progress and help them take full advantage of technologies that further accelerate the process.

When customers instantly receive text or email notifications confirming their application has passed through each process stage, the bank builds confidence. When customers can track the status of their application in real-time through a secure online portal, that trust is further strengthened.

Providing support and guidance is essential. This support can include walking customers through the steps to provide electronic signatures and providing clear, easy-to-follow instructions to access the bank’s secure online portal.

Timely communications will help customers successfully navigate their digital interactions without a trip to the bank or triggering a delay in their application.

Deliver Exceptional Banking Services with TCI

When banks and other financial institutions dramatically simplify their services, they eliminate many of the unknowns and fears around banking processes for their customers.

TCI takes the same approach when helping its local customers choose, deploy, and integrate the communications solutions and technologies needed to deliver exceptional banking services. It’s one key reason DC Metro banks and financial institutions trust TCI to help make their customer experience vision a reality.

Together with our Mitel-powered financial services solutions, TCI provides everything required to deliver the seamless, personalized customer experiences described above, including:

  • Secure, end-to-end Unified Communications services
  • Contact center solutions that incorporate advanced technologies, such as Google Cloud Contact Center AI and desktop co-browsing capabilities
  • Electronic signature solutions
  • Biometrics solutions for secure identity verification
  • Multimedia collaboration and meeting applications
  • Integration of communications solutions with the third-party applications banks depend on

If your bank is looking for communications technology that will support your efforts to earn customers for life, contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Safeguard Your Customers and Data with Advanced Unified Communications Security

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The bad guys will not stop… Cybersecurity challenges are never-ending.

This is a big concern in virtually every industry, especially those where most interactions have gone digital to meet customer preferences for self-serve and engagement through the channels they prefer – at the time they want.

While this is convenient for customers, it has created significant operational and cybersecurity challenges for contact centers. To provide excellent customer service experiences, contact centers must authenticate a customer’s identity, address questions and concerns, and process transactions quickly and efficiently.

Throughout the process, customers must feel like every interaction is secure, and companies must ensure they protect customer privacy during and after a call. With the proper unified communications (UC) tools, organizations can streamline and secure all contact center conversations to meet omnichannel service expectations before, during, and after a customer connects with a live agent.

Voice Authentication personalizes Service and Reduces Fraud

Large and small organizations are implementing digital transformation strategies designed to streamline contact center interactions. Since only some customers need the help of a contact center agent, these efforts are focused on automating processes with self-serve channels that lower costs. For example, chat and voice bots are being introduced to act as virtual agents, deliver services, promote new products, and provide personalized customer experiences — all without connecting the customer to an agent.

But regardless of which digital self-serve path is available, chances are that a caller will eventually want to go beyond simple questions to discuss a specific account. At that point, a live connection with an agent will be needed. When that happens, the agent must be assured of the caller’s identity before dealing with personal account information. While security questions were enough to protect the customer and the business in the past, today’s cybersecurity landscape is a lot more complicated. A disembodied voice on the other end of the line may not be who it claims to be.

Speech recognition systems can be integrated with existing UC platforms to add a layer of cybersecurity protection. These systems can identify the caller’s intent, authenticate the customer using voice biometrics, and then segment and route the call to the best agent to handle the request. With these digital workflows, companies can streamline the call management process and enable a more personalized interaction because the agent will spend less time authenticating the person on the other end of the call and more time dealing with the customer’s specific questions.

Integrated Voice Response and Recording Capabilities enable Advanced Cyber Protection

TCI offers contact center solutions that include an embedded, self-service Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system with an optional speech recognition feature that enables authentication before an agent is connected. With our customized UC platforms, businesses get a complete communications, collaboration, and customer experience solution designed to maintain the security of contact center interactions for any organization.

Organizations that want additional cyber protection for contact center calls can opt for Interaction Recording (IR) to record all calls and then search for, play, and interrogate call recordings for security and privacy regulation compliance. Advanced speech analytics capabilities built into the system enable companies to analyze recordings for potential fraud, categorize calls as “high risk,” and then suggest countermeasures that can be taken to avoid losses.

TCI’s advanced solutions can be applied to support both centralized contact center operations and decentralized organizations with multiple branch offices that manage customer calls.

Privacy Features that ensure Regulatory Compliance

Of course, in addition to maintaining a high level of cyber protection for all contact center interactions, companies must also comply with data protection regulations designed to protect the privacy of customer data. The changing and complex regulations surrounding data privacy and security compliance have created another challenge for both centralized and decentralized operations.

TCI offers solutions built to protect personal data captured during a call by contact center agents either on an agent’s screen or a voice recording. For example, information collected by workflows can be masked to protect personal data as it is being collected. To control access to stored data, information required by the system to perform certain functions (name, phone number, email address, and voice and multimedia transcripts) can be automatically deleted when no longer required to provide service. Plus, multi-level security privileges can be applied to limit access to all data based on user profiles.

Enable Great Customer Service while optimizing Cybersecurity

Ultimately, the cybersecurity protection that businesses build into their contact center processes should be seamless and efficient. Self-serve options should authenticate a customer’s identity before connecting to a live agent. Agents should be able to address customer questions and manage transactions quickly and efficiently without being bogged down by cybersecurity protocols. UC tools enable enterprises to achieve this level of protection without compromising omnichannel service objectives.

Learn how TCI can help your contact center thrive in the digital age, improve your bottom line, and adhere to security, compliance, and fraud mitigation requirements.

Call us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Prepare for Tomorrow… 5 Steps to Future-Proof Your Workforce

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What technology and skill sets can you invest in today that can help your employees successfully meet the challenges of the future? Follow these five steps to engage your employees and ensure your business is ready for whatever comes next.

1. Practice Curiosity

You and other decision-makers at your company have probably spent a lot of time asking yourselves big questions: How do we fulfill our mission statement? Who is our client base? Where are our growth opportunities? Much of the time these discussions occur behind closed doors, and while they’re important conversations to have, they’re not the only ones that should be happening.

Take time as you plan for 2024 to practice curiosity about your business on a granular level. Talk to your employees about their experiences and ask them for their thoughts. Often, those on the ground floor have the most interaction with your clients or know the smallest details that keep everything running. What works for them? What concerns do they have? What do they have to contribute and how can you facilitate that?

Begin these discussions with an open mind, asking new questions and understanding that you might not already know the answers. Explore avenues that might not be the most obvious. Try different ideas, and don’t be afraid to fail. Exercising genuine curiosity is an important leadership trait that takes practice but ultimately leads to exponential possibilities for growth.

2. Embrace Empathy

This second tip builds on the first. Curiosity is the start of connecting with your workforce, but empathy puts it into action. Meeting Management software leader Zipdo reports that leaders showing compassion for work environment issues and staff well-being was essential in increasing motivation in 96% of employees.

The pandemic made it clear that work styles vary and what works for one person may be completely unproductive for another. When you begin to ask questions, be prepared for a variety of answers and know they might all be correct on some level.

One key aspect to maintaining your workers’ well-being is to meet them where they are. The last few years have been a wide-scale experiment in new styles of work. According to the Harvard Business Review, many companies recognized that personalized, non-traditional schedules and workplaces lead to increased productivity and happiness, with 58% of organizations having invested in their employee experience.

Allowing flexible workdays, recognizing progress, encouraging mental health, and sometimes simply listening, not only makes you a better leader but keeps your employees feeling fulfilled, healthy, and engaged.

3. Foster Collaboration

Once you’ve worked to understand your employees’ needs, it’s time to come together and collaborate. It looks like non-traditional offices are here to stay, with a majority of people saying they want to work from home at least part of the time.

With blended workspaces blurring the line between in-person and remote, it’s essential to ensure everyone feels connected no matter where they are. Zippia found that “86% of employees in leadership positions blame lack of collaboration as the top reason for workplace failures” and that job satisfaction increased by 17% through collaboration.

Real-time communication is critical, whether you use chat, video conferences, phone calls, or email to keep up with projects. Using all-in-one tools and integrated collaboration software facilitates switching between modes of communication and promotes trust between colleagues, which encourages creativity, a sense of belonging, and that elusive authentic culture many employees value.

4. Adopt and Adapt Technology

When the COVID-19 lockdowns first took effect, companies were thrust into the digital-first world, ready or not. Almost 3 years later, even the most self-identified “technology laggards” have gotten on board, with many workplaces experiencing significant increases in operational efficiencies.

Taking advantage of technology is no longer optional for companies. Investing in cloud storage, unified communications systems, and employee training is critical for success. Adopting the right technology can make or break the productivity of your workforce.

5. Maintain Flexibility

The final way to future-proof your workforce is something we’ve all been practicing for a while now – maintaining flexibility in the face of whatever comes next. Though it may be challenging, continue to embrace change and allow your company to grow and adapt.

Listening to your employees and recognizing that each of them has unique needs will not only make you a better leader, but it will help guide your business through whatever lies ahead. Meeting workers where they are reminds them that you care and encourages satisfaction. After all, a happy employee is more productive and dedicated to their job.

Technology has helped with this transition already and integrating it into your workflow will keep your employees engaged and your company successful. Using new tools instead of trying to force old ones to work will keep you connected and on top of your game.

2023 was a year of technological evolution for many companies, and 2024 will be the year to reap the rewards of that evolution.

No matter your needs, TCI can help you prepare for tomorrow. Call us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Position Your SMB for Success with the Latest UC Capabilities… Connect Your Employees & Customers

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As we look toward the new year, small business owners have a lot to consider…

  • After navigating a global pandemic and high inflation, small business owners know they need to be ready for the next unexpected business disruption.
  • Customer expectations have reached an all-time high, and delivering an optimal customer experience has become more critical than ever.
  • Employee needs have also changed, with many desiring more flexible and fulfilling work options.

These increasing demands present new challenges for SMB owners and IT professionals who now must develop a strategy for connecting a distributed workforce while interacting with customers wherever they happen to be.

The SMBs that will be the most successful are implementing the latest Unified Communication (UC) tools to provide resilience over the long term.

Today’s UC tools are integral in streamlining business processes by combining features like Team messaging, AI-powered chatbots, Video chat, and Third-party app integrations.

  • Delivering an Optimal Customer Experience – UC solutions provide SMBs with the flexibility to connect with customers on their preferred channels – whether it be contact center, SMS, Web chat, email, social media, or even virtual agents. SMBs need UC solutions that easily follow a customer conversation from virtual chat to phone to email.
  • Providing Flexibility to Employees – 98% of employees want to work remotely at least part of the time. As your workforce moves toward a hybrid work model, long-distance collaboration will be essential. A single easy-to-use UC interface simplifies this process for both employees and IT departments bringing together phone, chat or messaging, audio and video conferencing, web collaboration, and more.
  • The Cost Consideration – Lost productivity from poor communications strategies can cost SMBs significant dollars – funds that small business owners can’t afford to lose. They need reliable UC tools that are scalable and can grow and change with their business. Their UC deployment models must adapt to what’s best for business – whether that’s on-premises, in a private or public Cloud, or hybrid arrangement.

Plan Now for a More Prosperous 2024

As many SMBs prepare for the new year, there’s no better time to start implementing UC tools into business practices. Customers will spend money with businesses that are easy to communicate with and can solve any issues that may arise, quickly and efficiently.

Prospective employees looking for a new opportunity will also be attracted to businesses with systems that make their jobs and lives easier.

Let’s talk about your challenges and goals and map out a plan that will move your organization forward. Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


 

Why TCI? Best Practices & Questions for Choosing the Right Tech Partner for Your Business Communications

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Many companies sell communication solutions but lack the product expertise and experience to recommend the right product or migration strategy for your business. They’re simply focused on making sales.

A true technology partner is focused on developing a long-term relationship with your business. It acts as a trusted advisor — actively engaged in your mission, understanding your goals, and fully dedicated to helping you achieve them.

The Right Balance: A Local Partner with Global Backing

When you’re evaluating technology partners, proximity is essential. Your ideal technology partner should be near enough to your business that company representatives can get to your site, if needed, in a reasonable timeframe.

But size and stability are essential, too. Choose a partner backed by a well-known, proven global organization with a robust, established partner program.

This combination will give you peace of mind, knowing your partner is fully trained in their communications systems, and you have fast, easy access to additional expertise and insight when required.

You’re an expert in your business area, but your technology partner’s job is to bring expertise in the best communications strategies and solutions to drive your business forward.

Look for a knowledgeable partner who can clearly explain each technology and solution, the difference between an update and an upgrade, the reasons you need both, and the best way to approach a communication solution that can grow alongside your business.

Your technology partner should also be able to speak about the security risks of using outdated communications technologies and the security benefits of keeping your system current. It should be able to help you evaluate the different deployment models available to ensure you choose the approach that best fits your business.

Flexible and in it for the Long-Term

Be wary of technology companies that take a short-term “in-and-out” or “one-size-fits-all” approach. If you feel their primary goal is to sell you on a particular strategy or solution – ‘move to the cloud today or go away’– or simply to get you to sign on the dotted line, it’s time to look for another partner.

The ideal technology partner understands where you want to go but isn’t panicking to get you there. They realize you need to make decisions that are right for your business. They also understand that there are as many different paths to communication solutions as there are companies. As true partners, they take a consultative approach to meeting your requirements in the short term and the long term. Their goal is to get you from here to there in the way that best matches your business goals, budget, and priorities.

Specialist in Your Industry and Business Size

Depending on your industry, choosing a technology partner with specialized knowledge of industry requirements and a history of working in your industry can be extremely important. For example:

  • Businesses in the healthcare industry need communications systems that enable compliance with regulatory and privacy requirements, helping streamline workflows and improve conversations between care providers and patients.
  • Businesses in the hospitality industry need communications systems that help them improve guest services, simplify complex workflows, and integrate communications across locations and systems.
  • Government organizations need communications systems that reduce operational costs, enhance service delivery, and make it easy to support a hybrid local and remote workforce.

Best Practice: Ask a Lot of Questions

You must feel fully informed and comfortable with your choice of a technology partner. When evaluating potential partners, don’t hesitate to ask every question that comes to mind. Consider questions related to:

  • Technology options, where they’re installed, and how they’re managed.
  • Communications features and functions and how they’re accessed.
  • Short-term and long-term IT efforts required on your side.
  • Solution deployment and migration processes and timing.
  • Payment options, schedules, and processes.
  • Ongoing communications and notifications about updates and upgrades.
  • After-sales service and support.

Talk to the Partner’s Other Customers

The best technology partners will ask if you’d like to speak with other customers they’ve served. If they don’t proactively offer the opportunity to contact their other customers – especially customers in your industry – ask for it. If they hesitate or don’t want you to speak with their other customers, it’s important to ask why that is.

TCI supports voice and data network solutions for 3,000+ businesses, associations, and governments in the DC region. Let’s talk about your organization. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.