How cloud contact centres enhance public sector service delivery

Nearly three quarters of customers expect immediate support.

The same goes for members of the public. With the pressure for premium service ramping up across the board, local authorities are in the hotseat. Over nine in ten customer service teams agree that expectations have never been higher, and for public sector bodies, this means that community trust hinges on their ability to meet demand.

To enhance delivery and maintain those all-important optics, public organisations need to modernise their communication, navigate compliance obligations and optimise their services. That’s where cloud contact centre solutions come in.

Customer-centricity

Taking the notion of “communications for the customer-obsessed” quite literally, 8x8’s cloud contact centre solutions are designed to help local governments enhance citizen service with innovative tools and strategies.

Boosting CX
Delivering an excellent customer experience is a top priority for local governments. Cloud contact centre solutions provide the tools and capabilities they need to achieve this goal. With features like intelligent call routing, real-time analytics and integrated CRM systems, local governments can step out of clunky, old-school communication processes, and ensure seamless and personalised interactions that enhance public satisfaction and trust.

Embracing omnichannel accessibility
Nine out of ten consumers want an experience that offers seamless service between communication channels. Not only does this cater to varying platform preferences, but it promotes accessibility for all members of the public, regardless of their requirements. Cloud contact solutions offer a unified platform for phone calls, emails, chats, and social media interactions, ensuring consistent and responsive service across all channels – even when people choose to swap platforms partway through.

Tailoring service delivery
Advanced data analytics capabilities enable never-before-seen insights into citizen needs and preferences. By leveraging real-time and historical data, local governments can gain a deeper understanding of citizen interactions, trends and satisfaction levels, which can simultaneously highlight what they’re doing well, and pinpoint areas of concern. What’s more, this data-driven approach allows for tailored public service delivery that addresses the unique and varied needs of vulnerable people, enhancing inclusivity.

Enhanced performance

75% of customer service team leaders plan to move to a cloud contact centre by 2024.

This is no surprise. With public sector organisations keen to leave archaic communications in the past, they’re on the hunt for solutions that provide efficient and streamlined service delivery.

Driving performance metrics
To maintain citizen satisfaction, it’s vital for public sector bodies to optimise processes and push performance. 8x8’s cloud contact centre solutions leverage advanced analytics and reporting tools, which enable local governments to monitor key performance indicators, such as CSAT scores, wait times and first call resolution rates. This empowers authorities to make informed decisions, allocate resources effectively and continuously improve service delivery.

Automating workflows
By automating routine tasks like call routing, ticketing and customer enquiries, cloud contact solutions reduce the manual admin burden and free up staff to focus on higher value tasks. And, since task switching costs 40% of productivity, automating processes dramatically improves efficiency – which, in turn, gives local authority employees the bandwidth to respond faster, provide better service and achieve top levels of customer satisfaction.

Seamless integration
Whether integrating with existing CRM systems, ERP platforms or other third-party applications, cloud contact solutions offer a cohesive communication environment. And, with simplified license management, it’s easy for local governments to scale their operations, add new features and manage user access, leading to smooth implementation and easy ongoing management.

Improved adaptability

65% of customers expect companies to adapt to their changing needs and preferences. On the other hand, 61% say most companies treat them as a number.

Adaptability is crucial for local authorities to respond effectively to changing demands. But with a rapidly shifting landscape, as well as a huge range of citizen requirements, they need modern solutions designed to provide flexibility and real-time insights.

Empowering decision-making
Access to key performance indicators, such as CSAT scores, wait times, and first call resolution rates, enables local authorities to gauge the effectiveness of service delivery initiatives. With comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities, 8x8’s cloud contact centre solutions provide real-time insights into citizen interactions, empowering informed decision-making and strategic resource allocation.

Enhancing productivity
Workforce optimisation tools and performance dashboards monitor agent productivity and identify areas for improvement. These tools offer insights into agent performance, call handling times and customer interactions. By analysing this data, authorities can implement targeted training programs, adjust staffing levels and improve operational efficiency. This proactive approach enhances workforce productivity, streamlines operations and ultimately leads to improved service quality.

Accelerating agility
Whether scaling operations to meet demand or addressing new challenges, local authorities need to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and emerging trends. With cloud-based infrastructure, local governments can easily add new features, integrate extra systems and adjust capacity as needed. Ultimately, this level of flexibility ensures continuous service availability, resilience and adaptability.

Wavenet: supporting 8x8 customers across the public sector

Wavenet works in partnership with 8x8, providing local authorities with access to solutions that optimise their contact centre operations.

As one of the top 8x8 partners in the UK, Wavenet has expertise spanning the public sector, with experience across multiple authorities, and many of our engineers are 8x8 accredited.

Together, Wavenet and 8x8 support local authorities with unified cloud solutions that improve safety, agility and services across the public sector, enabling them to connect with citizens on a platform they can trust.