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TRANSFORMATION OF THE CONTACT CENTRE
The modern multichannel contact centre finds itself adjusting to dramatic operational changes while responding to significant changes in what customers need, want, and expect, amid a global pandemic. These acute pressures have forced major changes in the way most contact centres operate, reshuffling their priorities, goals, and pain points. The Contact Centre has transformed into a Hub of Excellence in the post pandemic era.
But this “new normal” is not just re-prioritizing, it is about ringing in a whole new mindset change to respond to the modern consumer needs and ambitions of CX-driven enterprises.
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Elevated customer expectations are here to stay
Services Customers Expect More of (%)
How have customer expectations changed during the pandemic?
CX is a bigger driver of brand loyalty than ever, and customers expect an omnichannel experience like never before.
Some of customers’ higher standards are more clearly connected to the pandemic: Expectations around multi-channel service are higher, as almost all in-person communications are shifted to phone, chat, email, and other digital communications. Expectations around video conferencing have surged, as video communication has become the closest approximation to face-to-face contact available in a socially distanced world.
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Human interactions are still critical
Many of the customers’ heightened expectations are centred around human interactions.
While self-service, automation and bots, may hold significant promise for the contact centre, customers need more emotional empathy in their interactions, as well as a stronger need to “feel heard.” All these expectations — empathy, validation, complex support — are things that only a human agent can deliver.
Contact Centre Analytics will define the new engagement rules
The contact centre is home to an incredible trove of strategic insights delivered straight from the mouths of customers. Harnessing these voice-of-the-customer (VOC) insights can help an organization understand customer needs, wants and expectations as they evolve in real-time.
Most Valuable Contact Centre Analytics Insights
Customer sentiment and satisfaction Customer problems or needs Product or service needs All businesses must relearn what customers want, need, and expect — as all of this may have changed significantly. The organizations that understand their customers better, are those that can display customer empathy more consistently. And those businesses will succeed disproportionately in this new set of circumstances.
A new paradigm in agent engagement
Forward-thinking contact centres have been increasing their focus on workforce engagement in the contact centre world for a decade now — and for good reason. Compelling evidence links employee engagement with employee retention, customer loyalty, Net Promoter Score (NPS) and even revenue.
In fact, studies show that even a 5% increase in employee engagement in the contact centre can drive 3% incremental gains in revenue.
The most important new agent skills are:
Self-Management
With agents working remote, flexible hours, managers say the ability to self-manage is now the most important skill.
Problem Solving
Between customers’ increased demand for complex support and help, and agents working more independently from home, dynamic problem-solving ability is essential.
Technology Setup/Security Awareness
As part of their self-management skills, agents will need to be able to handle the operational and technological challenges of working remotely.
Team Collaboration
Agents must be willing and adept at using new cloud-based collaboration tools to work with their decentralized teams.
On-Camera Presentation
The sudden introduction of video chat in many contact centres requires agents to deliver an effective and professional visual presentation.
