In one of the most intriguing stories from around the global telecommunications ecosystem, Sweden recently became the first country to implement a national cloud contact center.
Now, Swedish citizens can register as volunteers using a mobile application and talk with callers across the globe about anything related to Sweden. Upon dialing 1-800-CALL-A-SWEDE, callers are randomly paired with anonymous agents. Each call is tracked and monitored, and reports are generated for quality control purposes.
Sweden’s decision to launch a contact center is amazing news for a few reasons. First and foremost, it’s fantastic to see a government entity place its trust in a cloud contact center. Sweden’s decision should send the message that the cloud is secure, affordable and convenient—something every government entity should consider relying on.
What’s more, this bold and creative marketing strategy will help Sweden break down barriers with foreigners who may otherwise be deterred from entering the country. It will also undoubtedly attract tourists and immigrants, and help outsiders to connect with the country, improving relations on a global scale.
The U.S., along with every other country, would be wise to follow in Sweden’s footsteps and consider implementing its own cloud-based contact center. It should be one that embraces multichannel customer service, and allows customers to connect over any channel—from live chat to SMS.
In the meantime, we encourage you to pick up the phone and contact Sweden to see what you can learn. Who knows—you may just wind up booking a Scandinavian vacation!
