For so long, the automobile industry has been a consistent field. Reinforced by the needs of every potential customer segment — as consumers, businesses and agencies all need reliable transportation — the demand for vehicles has traditionally been viewed as stable, even as clamor has grown or waned.

Of course, the last two years have taught us to expect the unexpected. Since the onset of COVID-19, more people than ever are working from home and driving less. This factor, paired with severe logistic and supply chain issues, has hit the auto industry in a very noticeable way. Car manufacturers frequently struggle to meet present demand, with many of them even logging a drastic decline in the number of U.S. vehicles that they are able to produce.

Today’s automotive sector needs any edge to help drive customer service, production and, most importantly, sales.

Enter UCaaS. Alternately known as “Unified Communications as a Service” UCaaS is a cloud-hosted portfolio that brings on-demand access to the enterprise communications and collaboration tools that are vital for today’s businesses. Available over a single, streamlined user interface, UCaaS covers aspects such as mobility, business telephony, conferencing, unified and instant messaging and other communication applications.

Generally speaking, a UCaaS system such as Sangoma’s helps to streamline operations in many different ways, making it an optimal choice — on the front or back end alike — for anyone competing in the auto sector.

Reinforcing CRM

UCaaS can help to optimize customer service, presenting elements to aid CRM, including sales oversight, query fulfillment, customer retention and quality assurance. At the same time, the auto sector’s customer-facing window is vastly expanded, replete with in-person and virtual options for car shopping and service requests that only complicate matters.

By employing a UCaaS system, more call center employees can work remotely, providing access to resources via traditional phone, messenger, website popup or app.

Improving Call Management

The UCaaS interface is streamlined to provide quick, easy access to its features. Employees can field, answer and route calls, view and navigate the customer queue, handle queries, record calls, generate custom reports and interact with colleagues over this messaging interface.

Plus, UCaaS supports other elements to streamline your workflow, including call screening, worker presence and pre-set custom routing and forwarding.

Promoting Worker Mobility & Oversight

Car sales/support team members can access UCaaS features from any connected device, including a personal mobile phone. This aspect promotes a work-on-the-go atmosphere while simultaneously making the call center more accessible than before.

The software also supports internal collaboration, helping to monitor calls, enter private chats and intervene in discussions.

Streamlining Operations to Lower Cost

The auto sector can benefit from UCaaS in the same ways as any other industry: by helping to keep your operations organized, putting employees — and even customers — on the same page and promoting streamlined collaboration.

On the basic level, such pay-per-use offerings from Sangoma and other companies help to save money because of their convenience, subscription package options, as well as the a la carte availability of the options they provide.

Vehicle manufacturers need to re-establish a legitimate connection with the customer bases that fuel their success. Given fewer commutes, increased gas prices and reduced inventory, the gap between them may only continue to grow.

Today’s auto sector, at large, would be smart to consider any option that increases its customer satisfaction, operations and cost efficiency. For many, the answer may actually come in UCaaS.