8 Predictions of the Call Centers that will Improve the CX in 2018

During the past year, the call center community has witnessed the rise of “artificial intelligence” as a “potentially interesting technology” to an “essential contact center”. In this sense, CCW Digital has prepared a report that gives rise to 8 predictions of the call centers that will improve the CX in 2018. 

Fully focused on the notion of a customer experience journey, contact center leaders changed their focus to optimize that journey. Specifically, they began to explore how analysis, automation, and unified systems can reduce customer effort (and maximize value for the customer) in every contact with the company.

However, organizations also considered how these aspects affect the agent’s experience. Companies have come to recognize more and more that by providing agents with the right tools, they can increase customer satisfaction and keep agents happy, committed and loyal.

Although the contact center leaders did not spend the whole of 2017 focusing on the best way to offer the customer experience, they also considered the kind of experience they should offer.

In addition to the best way to offer a good customer experience, companies considered the type of experience they should offer and concluded that it should be quick, easy and personalized.

What Opportunities do Contact Centers Seek to Provide More Value to Customers?

Instead of struggling to justify their existence, contact center leaders finally focus on achieving excellence. The mere conversations about “automation”, “journey mapping” and “optimization of the agent experience” that dominated 2017 are insufficient for 2018. The time to “experiment” with new technologies or “consider” ways to integrate experiences has arrived and it is gone.

The change now refers to the action: What specifically do customers demand? What does a call center (and its agents) require to satisfy these demands? How can leaders take advantage of strategies, management initiatives and technology to foster the necessary empowerment?

What makes this year different (and special) is that the necessary systems and action plans are no longer theoretical (they are here). Artificial intelligence is not an “idea”, but it can really automate and optimize the self-service, workflow and other key tasks of contact centers.

2018 is not just a year of opportunities for the customer contact space. It is a year of urgency. Therefore, CCW Digital has compiled in a report predictions and recommendations from various experts in contact with clients.

8 Predictions of the Call Centers that will Improve the CX in 2018

1.- Self-service customer support will continue to increase its popularity as an optimal solution.

2 .- While most people seem to be focused on artificial intelligence that is used to communicate with the customer, some companies are using it to support the agent. The “machine” listens to the conversation between the agent and the client and instantly gives the agent the necessary information to answer the client’s questions.

3.- To make it even easier, chatbots can be trained to know when to pass calls to the agents so that the client’s interaction is perfect. Together, bots with artificial and human intelligence become more effective service channels.

4.- In 2018, the customer experience will be hyper-personalized and proactive. As companies collect more and more data about current and potential customers, it will be much easier to customize each experience, as well as anticipate the needs of customers.

5.- Companies should make it easier for customers to reach companies through their channel of choice: follow the commitment to omnichannel.

6.- Conventional contact center metrics (average call time, average response speed, first contact resolution and even customer satisfaction score) generally focus on the result of the operation. In the future, organizations will pay more attention to the tools and circumstances that enhance agent productivity.

7.- Companies direct many of their CX (Customer Experience) initiatives to new clients. In 2018, the situation will change and companies will concentrate on communicating new CX developments to existing or lost customers.

8.- The “culture” is unquestionably important, but it does not fully inform about the experience of the agent. The factors that influence daily performance (training, systems, tools, workspaces, etc.) play a fundamental role. In 2018, organizations will increasingly appreciate this reality and will focus on enhancing the agent’s entire experience.