Executing a successful call center strategy in 2020/21 will be more difficult than ever. The primary reason for this is an increase in competition between companies and rising demands from the customers. Nothing less than exceptional call center services will see you through, so brace up for the new challenges by learning about the forecasts for the future.
AI will have a greater role to play
In the past, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was treated as a novelty. Companies that used AI in their daily workflows were always considered a cut above the rest. But in 2020/21, AI is expected to become the norm. The quality of AI solutions, whether it is in CRM or IVR or Live Chat, will come to determine how well the company performs in the coming years. No longer the wisdom of managers will be the sole power behind tactical decisions.
Business owners will prioritize the insights generated from call center software over everything else. This change in decision making can be attributed to a number of factors. First of all, AI has become more advanced than ever before. Secondly, Big Data technologies have the capability to see the business model as a whole and not just from a single perspective. For example, a manager might have a restricted vision due to his limited visibility into the overall business, and he/she might prioritize a particular KPI over another. On the other hand, AI can tell you exactly how a particular KPI impacts your business goals and provides a comprehensive solution to fix the entire problem.
Self-service will be the key
Customer enablement will become the new standard on which a call standard operation stands upon. So, the search will be for those call center outsourcing vendors who not only have the manual resources but also the technical wherewithal to conceptualize call center solution for self-service. For example, you can have an automated IVR that is fully-capable of taking orders over the phone. Such a technology will reduce the call volume and at the same time empower customers to make their own orders. This can be a great alternative in cases where online platforms are experiencing a downtime.
Omnichannel and blended approach towards call center work
Customers no longer contact companies via the phone alone. Voice-based communication is still important but not the only channel. We will see a shift towards other modes of communication like Live Chat and email support. Also, the need for blended processes will rise, in which, one call center agent is equipped to handle customer communication via all channels. Such a strategy will lead to better customer handling, improved data acquisition and faster resolution of customer issues.
Introduction of recall technology
With non-voice communication becoming popular, it has become crucial that you have the capability to recall wrong messages conveyed to the customers. For example, if you have an intermediary point where all communication with the customers is stored, then you can go back and change the response if an error has been made in the first communication. A call center outsourcing company that has the recall technology will be preferred over other vendors.
Social media will become a major channel of customer communication
Social media is rising in popularity and it is only a matter of time before it becomes the de facto channel of communication between companies and customers. A company would need to have better social media presence to address customer queries on platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Social media initiative would allow companies to control customer fallout, in case there is a negative situation. And, if there a positive situation, then you would be able to leverage your brand with organic word-of-mouth publicity.
