If your enterprise has been researching unified communications solutions in recent months, chances are you have read and heard about some of the technology’s most popular features like video conferencing and great voice quality at a reduced price. The most robust unified communications providers, however, provide functionality beyond these regularly cited features, one of which is presence management technology.
Presence technology provides users with more fluid communications with colleagues and clients. Here’s how:
1. Better Collaboration Through Status Notification
Let’s say Employee A has a crucial client presentation in 20 minutes and realizes he needs to ask a colleague a question about a particular point in the pitch. Employee B is actually traveling, unbeknownst to Employee A, meaning a call to a desk phone will go unanswered. With presence management technology, Employee A can see just by looking at a single interface that Employee B is out of the office and can be reached only by cell phone. Question answered, presentation aced, and client signed.
2. Faster Communication With Instant Messaging
Email has become nearly ubiquitous in business, but it is not always the most efficient way to communicate quickly. When two colleagues or a client and employee need a rapid exchange, instant messaging can be faster, particularly when one word or short answers will suffice. Instant messaging is even more powerful when combined with presence management, as it makes it easier to determine when it is most appropriate to use.
3. Improved Customer Service
A customer service representative may not know the answer to every query immediately, but presence management solutions allow that agent to see which of the company’s experts are available at that moment to help resolve an issue with a specific product. Leveraging the technology can improve crucial measures like first time fix rates, which in turn lead to better customer satisfaction rates.