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How to realise the contact centre of the future
There is an argument to be made that there has never been more pressure on companies to deliver an optimal contact centre experience.
Recent studies show an increasing number of consumers are no longer willing to tolerate poor customer experience (CX). Almost 50% of customers left a brand they had previously been loyal to in the past 12 months due to poor CX, and 32% will stop doing business with a brand they love after just one bad experience. Given their role as a bridge between organisations and customers, contact centres are crucial in avoiding this fate.
At the same time, contact centres are grappling with a technological revolution that is both welcome and overwhelming. The likes of artificial intelligence and cloud computing are changing the entire CX landscape, with many contact centre managers struggling to balance quality research and measured implementation with the rush to keep pace with competitors. Such innovation also means companies and their agents have never had access to more customer data but the irony is many have no idea how to best digest and utilise such information.
Stage 1 - Discovery: figuring out the gaps and what you need to do
When many executives envisage the contact centre of the future, their mind immediately turns to technology. With so much hype surrounding various platforms and solutions, they make the mistake of believing that simply adopting the latest innovation can put CX excellence within reach. What they fail to realise is that true digital transformation starts with a conversation.
To build the contact centre of the future, organisations must first understand their current operations and identify gaps. This involves a comprehensive analysis to pinpoint blockers and bottlenecks that hinder quality experiences for both customers and agents.
Innovior's expert consultants excel in this deep-dive analysis, engaging with stakeholders at all levels to gather valuable insights and determine the necessary technology and processes to achieve best-in-class CX. This consultation-led approach allows us to identify the CX goals and facilitate the technology and processes needed to achieve them.
It is not simply a case of talking to CIOs and Heads of Operations. While their input is undoubtedly crucial, it is equally important to gather insights from those at the coalface. The likes of agents and team leaders are best placed to highlight the challenges they face when dealing with customers and the technological hurdles they are forced to navigate on a daily basis.
To use a colloquial term, our aim is to ‘look under the hood’ and we often find that while companies may have clear visions of their CX goals, they do not have the right technology or data-capturing platforms in place to realise them. In what is akin to reverse engineering, our consultation-led approach allows us to identify what they want to achieve and then facilitate the technology and processes they need to achieve it.
Stage 2 - Implementation: getting the right partner and using the latest tools
Once the gaps are identified, the next step is implementing the right technology and solutions. Innovior's expertise includes deploying platforms like Salesforce, Anaplan, and cutting-edge technologies such as self-service portals, chatbots, and AI-assisted agents.
Our proprietary tool, Oration, enhances call routing and customer interactions, reducing handling time and improving efficiency by leveraging the latest AI technology. Additionally, consolidating customer data into a single platform empowers agents to deliver superior service.
Current trends emphasise omnichannel support, where seamless customer service is provided across various channels such as social media, chat, email, and phone. Additionally, leveraging AI and machine learning to predict customer needs and personalise interactions is becoming increasingly important. The integration of voice recognition and sentiment analysis also helps in understanding and responding to customer emotions in real-time.
Stage 3: Change Management: making change stick and ensure team members leverage the tech
Implementing new technology is just the beginning. Ensuring team members effectively use these tools requires robust change management. Innovior offers Managed Services to handle configurations, upgrades, and health checks, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and providing ongoing support, Innovior ensures that the benefits of new technology are fully realised and sustained.
Moreover, continuous training and development programs are essential to ensure agents are well-equipped to use new technologies. Regular feedback loops and performance metrics can help in refining processes and ensuring that the technology is being used to its fullest potential.
Conclusion
A true technology provider should never just talk to a business about its problems. It is crucial they also map a solution to those problems and, in many cases, help them overcome problems they did not even know existed. The smallest changes can reap the greatest rewards, and a short-term consultancy can unveil countless opportunities for contact centres to empower their agents and elevate the CX they deliver. Technology is evolving rapidly, and Innovior's strategic approach positions organisations to thrive in this evolving landscape.
For more information on how Innovior can help your organisation realise the contact centre of the future, get in touch with us here.
