Top 3 Trends Call Centers Must Adopt to Stay Ahead of the Change Curveball

09 Feb

Top 3 Trends Call Centers Must Adopt to Stay Ahead of the Change Curveball

Technology catalyzes change in the call center industry. It can be leveraged not only for customer support, but also to increase revenue. Omnichannel communication, cloud migration and analytics all help in providing better customer service and generating insights in customers who are likely to give an ear to sales reps.

1. Omnichannel communication keeps agents in sync with customers

Omnichannel support unifies customer communication to deliver consistent service. A customer can reach out to you over –

Calls
Email
Live chat
Text message
Social media

The same customer can reach out to you over multiple platforms. He could first call you, then switch to email or text message, if he finds it more convenient. If he has to repeat his issue each time, he will become increasingly frustrated.

A customer could start with a social media message, which turns in a live chat and then a video chat, all in the same interaction. Also, customers are now aware about omnichannel communication and expect it from companies.

Your CRM will consolidate customer interactions in one place, enabling service personnel to know a ticket history, rather than asking a client to again describe the issue he is facing. This helps your team resolve issues faster and results in a better customer experience.

Omnichannel communication gives businesses a better context about their customers. It also helps sales personnel identify opportunities for future sales easily. Omnichannel communication enables you to provide a personalized and cohesive experience to customers.

2. Cloud migration makes call centers more flexible

Businesses everywhere are increasingly relying on services offered by cloud providers, and this trend continues when it comes to call centers. It is quick and easy to set up and manage a call center in the cloud – often the set up can be done in just a few minutes.

If you choose an on-premises solution, you will have to get new physical equipment when required, install updates when required, etc. If you go for a cloud provider, maintenance is their lookout, and updates are automatically installed. Being on the cloud reduces your IT and infrastructure overheads.

With cloud contact center technology, you can work from anywhere. If you hire personnel strategically all over the world, you can offer 24 hour call center services. During unprecedented events like COVID-19, working on the cloud ensures you can continue to seamlessly offer contact services.

Cloud call centers automate support for common requests like password reset or status update of a task, reducing the number of calls coming in. Features like IVR and prioritized callbacks also free up agents’ time. They can offer better service then, increasing customer satisfaction. Managers are able to review calls easily as well and setting up analytics is a snap.

Cloud based call centers offer better compliance and security. They also experience less downtime. It’s also easier to scale up if you experience a sudden increase in demand, as adding a virtual assistant or chatbot is possible in a few clicks.

3. Analytics drives call center efficiency

Analytics helps you understand data, for more informed decision making. Dashboards show you data points like call volumes and questions callers ask frequently. Other metrics like average handling time, first call resolution, call abandonment rate, agent idle time will help you better evaluate your customer service team’s performance.

Based on data, you may decide to add personnel during peak hours, or identify areas where your team will benefit from training. If a manager knows the number of live chat requests coming in daily, he can plan workflows better. Advanced predictive analytics analyze customer sentiment to pinpoint the customers who would be most receptive to sales pitches.

If the customer has interacted over a phone call, speech analytics aid in analyzing his conversation with the agent to identify keywords. Agent interfaces now have statistical dashboards, enabling managers to see real-time updates on customer experiences.

Connecting call center systems and website analytics tools like Google Analytics will show you how customers are engaging with your website and when they reach out for support. Armed with this knowledge, your customer reps can contact customers proactively.

Over 59% of customer service companies have increased productivity and reduced operational costs after implementing Big Data analytics, according to a recent survey. 1 in 3 respondents also reported their decision making improved.

Summing up

Contact centers should be future ready, and technology is a disruptor that will help them stay ahead of change. Flatworld Philippines has always proactively leveraged technology to optimize business processes for customers.

We offer multi-channel customer support, ranging from email, live chat support, video chat assistance to social media. Flatworld Philippines provides omnichannel communication to your clients so that they can choose their preferred medium.

Migrate contact center services on the cloud with us, to significantly improve your customer support. Flatworld Philippines has integrated advanced technologies such as analytics to provide you with accurate insights into your call center operations. Real-time performance reports of our agents enable you to monitor your customer engagements and ensure that your customer service needs are constantly met.

Contact Flatworld Philippines today to outsource your call center requirements and future proof your customer communication.