Item: 8x8 Contact Center
Rating: 10
Author: John Marshall

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Fenwick was a multi-site hospitality company that was looking to setup a centralized reservation call center to offload host workload during peak times as well as handling calls professionally in off-peak, pre or post-shift times. It was crucial that each location main number was answered as if the caller was reaching that site. 8x8 Contact Center (VCC) allowed us to not only name the incoming "call channels" so that agents could answer appropriately, but it also allowed site-specific messaging and in-queue music to be unique to each. It also allowed us the option to direct calls to the sites when all agents were busy to provide tier 1 service and responsiveness. Since VCC is cloud-based, when inclement weather kept agents at home, they were able to perform normal duties elsewhere without missing a beat. Its flexibility lends not only to a centralized call center but just as naturally to a distributed solution, which taken to the next level means there are multiple layers of redundancy built-in.

Pros and Cons

Centralized or distributed agents, prioritize by skill set or skill level across all communication types - voice, chat, email, screen-share, voicemail, and call-back.
Unique handling of each main incoming pipe while still sharing common or separate queues.

There is a steep learning curve on scripting and some of the nuances are not well documented.
Due to its flexibility, system design used to recreate legacy system functionality does the new user a disservice. Its value is its ability to remove legacy obstacles but one needs to fully understand the capabilities going in which is not always possible.

Return on Investment

Low cost of entry/minimum required seats.
Integrates with the 8x8 VoIP solutions.

Support Rating

8x8 understands that call center solutions place a lot of eggs in one basket and that if things go wrong the issue gets exponentially bigger very quickly. 8x8 prioritizes VCC issues while also offering other options like email and live chat for everyday issues, changes, etc.

Key Insights

Do you think 8x8 Contact Center delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with 8x8 Contact Center's feature set?

Yes

Did 8x8 Contact Center live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of 8x8 Contact Center go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy 8x8 Contact Center again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Audacity, 8x8 X Series (Formerly Virtual Office)

Likelihood to Recommend

It's a scalable solution that can satisfy the most demanding call center needs, while also providing a great entry point for smaller organizations trying to leverage the efficiencies of centralized calling, even if the implementation is distributed. Elimination of hardware allows the system (or your business) to grow, morph, and move at a moment's notice while being used and administered anywhere in the world.

Finally a call center suite for SMB and up!

Overall Satisfaction with 8x8 Contact Center