In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, universities must evolve to meet students’ communication preferences and ensure seamless support across a variety of channels. The students of today are multichannel communicators, toggling between chat, email, and voice depending on their needs and convenience. For decision-makers in higher education, this reality poses a significant challenge: how can institutions ensure their communication infrastructure is robust, scalable, and flexible enough to meet these diverse demands? This article explores the growing need for multichannel contact center solutions in universities and demonstrates how Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams can provide a scalable, flexible solution. Through insights from key figures at institutions already leveraging Landis, we’ll uncover how it helps universities manage peak traffic periods, reduce call transfers, and improve overall student satisfaction.
The Case for Multichannel Communication in Higher Education
Universities are dynamic environments where communication plays a critical role in day-to-day operations. From student inquiries about enrollment and financial aid to IT helpdesk issues, institutions deal with a broad range of communication needs. The 2021 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report from Ruffalo Noel Levitz highlights that effective communication is a top priority for institutions looking to improve student satisfaction, with increased attention on how they manage digital communications during and after the pandemic. Younger students increasingly prefer chat-based communication, while older students and parents may feel more comfortable using voice or email.
One IT professional at a higher education institution that uses Landis cloud-contact center solutions notes that they’ve observed this multichannel communication preference firsthand. “We have found that our students are quick to use chat for quick questions, but when it comes to complex issues, they turn to voice,” he explains. This shift in communication preferences means institutions need systems that can easily manage and switch between different types of communication. Relying solely on email support can alienate students who prefer faster, digital-first communication. A multichannel solution provides the flexibility to engage students across their preferred channels, ensuring no communication breakdowns.
The Landis Contact Center Advantage: Native Integration with Teams
For institutions considering a multichannel solution, the ability to integrate seamlessly with existing platforms is crucial. This is where Landis shines. Designed to integrate natively with Microsoft Teams, Landis offers a multichannel contact center infrastructure that supports chat, email, and voice interactions—all within a single system. At one university, the system – initially implemented for the IT helpdesk – has since expanded to other critical departments, including the student financial services team, public safety, and enrollment services. “We started with our IT helpdesk, and now we’ve rolled it out to engagement services, financial aid, and even public safety. The seamless integration across departments has made it easier to handle calls and inquiries efficiently,” an IT director explains.
Because Landis Contact Center integrates directly into Microsoft Teams, it simplifies the communication process for institutions already using Teams as their primary collaboration tool. Students can engage with their university through chat, voice, or email, all while staff handle these inquiries within the familiar Teams interface. This simplicity reduces training times, makes onboarding new agents easier, and minimizes downtime during peak periods such as registration or exams.
Scalability and Flexibility for Future Growth
One of the standout features of Landis’s multichannel solution is its ability to scale. Universities face significant fluctuations in communication volume throughout the academic year, from registration periods to final exams. Landis is built to handle these surges effectively. During their busiest times, institutions often bring in staff members who don’t normally interact with the system. With Landis, they can quickly log in, assist with calls, and log back out when things settle down. The system handles the increased volume without a hitch. This scalability ensures that universities don’t need to overhaul their communication infrastructure every time traffic spikes. Instead, Landis Contact Center’s flexibility allows institutions to adjust in real time, adding temporary staff during high-volume periods and scaling down when traffic decreases. This agility is crucial in managing costs while ensuring high-quality service.
Additionally, as universities increasingly look to implement CRM systems, Landis Contact Center’s multichannel solution is designed with future growth in mind. Teams are already integrating Landis Contact Center with their institution’s CRM systems to streamline processes further. The ability to grow with an institution’s needs, whether through scaling communication capacities or integrating with other platforms like CRMs, makes Landis a future-proof investment for higher education.
Reducing Call Transfers: Streamlining the Student Experience
One of the most significant pain points for universities is managing high call transfer volumes. Students often get passed from one department to another before they find the right person to handle their issue, which leads to frustration and reduced satisfaction. Landis Contact Center offers solutions to address this challenge head-on. “At our institution, we noticed a high number of call transfers due to students contacting the wrong department. Landis has helped us streamline the process. Now, instead of passing students around, frontline staff can quickly identify which department is best suited to handle the inquiry,” noted one user.
By providing tools such as an intuitive agent console and detailed call transfer tracking, Landis empowers agents to handle calls more effectively. With these insights, staff can avoid unnecessary transfers, reducing overall call volume and increasing the number of resolved inquiries in the first interaction. However, the Landis solution is not just limited to voice calls. In cases where a student reaches out via chat or email, the same seamless transfer and routing mechanisms ensure that their inquiry is handled efficiently. The ability to track a call or inquiry from start to finish, across multiple channels, provides valuable data for improving processes and training staff.
Encouraging Higher Education Institutions to Take the Next Steps
As universities increasingly recognize the need for better communication systems, the question becomes: what steps should they take next? Implementing a multichannel contact center solution like Landis doesn’t just solve today’s problems—it sets the stage for future growth, flexibility, and enhanced student satisfaction. For decision-makers in higher education, the time is now to explore how a multichannel communication strategy can improve operational efficiency, enhance student engagement, and reduce staff workloads. Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, with its scalability, and its future-proof design make it an ideal solution for universities looking to modernize their communication infrastructure.
If your institution is grappling with high call volumes, inefficient call transfers, or the need to engage students across multiple platforms, it’s time to explore how Landis can help. With the ability to scale during peak periods, integrate seamlessly with CRMs, and support a wide range of communication preferences, Landis is poised to be the backbone of your university’s communication strategy.
Reach Students With Landis Multichannel Contact Center Solutions
In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, effective communication is critical. Students expect timely responses, regardless of their preferred communication channel, whether it be voice, chat, or email. A multichannel approach offers the flexibility and efficiency that today’s universities need to meet these expectations.
Landis Contact Center provides the robust infrastructure necessary to build a multichannel communication system that is scalable, flexible, and designed to grow with your institution. From seamless Microsoft Teams integration to supporting peak traffic periods and potential CRM integration, Landis Contact Center is the solution universities need to enhance communication and deliver exceptional student service.
Take the next step by exploring how Landis Contact Center’s multichannel solutions can transform your institution’s communication infrastructure. Book a demo with our sales experts to learn more about how we can help your university meet students’ needs across every platform.
