Contact Center Pipeline July 2024 | Page 8

-- JONO LUK

The rise of GenAI has allowed brands to put forth virtual agents that can interact with natural language , solving customer needs : and even anticipating them . Which , in turn , is leading to a decrease in the number of customers who need to speak with live agents to solve problems .

That said , productivity gains from call deflections will vary based on the sophistication and effectiveness of the virtual agent technology in the contact center , as well as how well it is implemented to meet the demands of their customer base .

The means to go about that goal may include methods that result in customers getting their needs served without having to interact with a live agent , but avoiding that contact is a secondary objective .

We are seeing that the secondary objective of deflection increases as contact center technology advances and virtual agents become equipped to handle customer interactions autonomously .

There is now a growing array of customer interaction channels . But which ones are customers actually using ?

Catherine Forino : Agents are not just handling calls anymore . They are handling voice and digital interactions which include social . Agents are meeting consumers on their preferred channels , which are increasingly digital / online .

We ’ re seeing more automated , unassisted interactions across channels , voice and digital , as repetitive , mundane interactions are offloaded from live agents to free up their time for higher priority tasks .

Jono Luk : There is a discernible shift toward more adoption and experimentation with non-traditional channels such as social media to complement core live agent channels .

Businesses are increasingly using [ social media ] platforms not just as a means to interact but also as listening posts to gauge customer sentiment and issues .

A customer may start by expressing a concern via a direct message on social media , but for more in-depth resolution , the conversation often transitions to more traditional and higher fidelity channels such as phone or email .

This is because while social media provides valuable signals about customer needs and frustrations , these platforms are not always optimally designed for detailed service interactions or to provide comprehensive resolutions .

Therefore , while there is a recognition of the rich data provided by social channels , they often serve as the starting point for customer service interactions rather than the sole medium for resolution .

Crystal Miceli : We are seeing increased interactions on mobile devices , via SMS and often inside applications , whether banking apps , shopping apps , healthcare portals , or directly on social media platforms .

If there is a means to reach a brand on any channel , customers will take the opportunity to use it : sometimes even attempting multiple channels simultaneously to see what is the fastest .

A great illustration of this is travel disruptions . If a flight is canceled , a passenger may call , post on social media , request help via the application , and stand in line in person at the airport : all at the same time .

We are seeing contact centers mature to support these customer expectations . One way they are extending their ability to operate across multiple channels without significant expansions in staffing is through GenAI-powered contact center technology .

[ It ] can operate 24 / 7 in multiple languages via multiple channels : even if brands don ’ t have the resources to support after-hours resources or multilingual teams .

Similarly , GenAI is helping to expand the accessibility of live agents , by equipping them to communicate using SMS , through virtual chat applications like WhatsApp or in their collaboration apps like Microsoft Teams : in any language automatically .

Offering the ability to interact with customers virtually and live without the limitations of language or time-based availability is a differentiator that helps to avoid the risk of customer frustration stemming from cultural differences and lengthy wait times .

Brands with outdated support models based on legacy technology like IVR systems with hefty setup and maintenance requirements , especially to support global or complex use cases , are already losing brand reputation at a time when alternative options are rapidly expanding for consumers .

8 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE