Contact Center Pipeline July 2024 | Page 7

LET ’ S PAINT THE LANDSCAPE . ARE YOU SEEING ANY CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF INBOUND LIVE AGENT CONTACTS AND ALSO IN THE REASONS WHY CUSTOMERS REACH OUT TO AGENTS ? AND IF SO , WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS OF THESE CHANGES ?

Catherine Forino ( CF ): We are increasingly seeing more consumers turn to digital channels to solve their issues on their own or with chatbots . CX AI has made this possible by driving more efficient and seamless self-service for consumers .

Additionally , organizations are utilizing proactive outreach more often to solve consumers ’ needs before they have to reach out .

AI has made this more efficient , alerting an organization when to reach out to a specific consumer , with the relevant context needed to deliver personalized proactive outreach . This has left agents with the more complex consumer inquiries that consumers couldn ’ t solve on their own .

Jono Luk ( JL ): The volume of inbound live agent contacts has been growing as customers have higher expectations , are increasingly vocal , and are more inclined to initiate communication with a business .

The human element remains irreplaceable in customer service . Despite advancements in virtual agents and AI , there ' s a strong sentiment that when customers are frustrated or upset , they prefer - and sometimes insist on - interacting with a human being who can understand and respond to their emotional state .

This preference underscores a fundamental aspect of human nature : the need for empathy and understanding , which machines have yet to replicate .

Crystal Miceli ( CM ): The world ’ s digital shift , catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic , and growing consumer expectations for immediate service , have elevated customer engagement with contact centers across all sectors , but especially in industries like healthcare , banking , and retail .

With life ' s conveniences increasingly going digital - from the uptick in eCommerce to telehealth to online education - customer support has largely moved online . Thus spurring more frequent interactions with self-service and virtual support services .

And while virtual agents are now capable of managing some customer interactions automatically , we are still observing a notable rise in live agent engagement , particularly among older demographics .

Now , more than ever , consumers demand immediate satisfaction and the highest level of customer support from every company , no matter the size or industry .

With these heightened expectations , consumers are more likely to attempt to bypass dated IVR systems , weak virtual agents , or outdated self-service portals in favor of immediate , live customer service agents for even minor inconveniences .

It ’ s a scalability issue for contact centers and one that many CX leaders are hoping to solve with more autonomous , Generative AI ( GenAI ) -powered technologies .

" NOW , MORE THAN EVER , CONSUMERS DEMAND IMMEDIATE SATISFACTION AND THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT FROM EVERY COMPANY , NO MATTER THE SIZE OR INDUSTRY ."

-- CRYSTAL MICELI

ARE YOU SEEING AN INCREASE OR DECREASE IN INBOUND CUSTOMER CONTACT DEFLECTION BY AUTOMATED SELF-SERVICE ?

JL : There is an increase in the attempts to deflect inbound customer contacts through automated self-service solutions , such as virtual agents and chatbots . Businesses are exploring these options , aiming to reduce costs and streamline customer service .

In some contexts , self-service makes sense , such as opening a credit card account . However , not all attempts are successful or implemented effectively , as highlighted by public examples of bots that provide inaccurate information that ultimately mislead customers .

These failures can tarnish the reputation of automated systems . And push customers back towards seeking human interaction .

Therefore , while there is an uptrend in efforts to deflect customer contacts via automation , the effectiveness of these attempts varies greatly , and a few significant missteps often lead to a resurgence in preference for human-driven service .

CM : Deflection shouldn ’ t be the goal of the contact center . The goal should always be improved customer satisfaction , which results in greater brand loyalty and corresponding increased revenue .