Contact center agents have transformed into influential brand representatives who sit at the nexus where organizations and customers meet to do business .
The agent ’ s job is to establish emotional connections with customers and offer consultative and proactive service across all the company ’ s channels . The profile of an agent is no longer those looking for part-time work or students but is now across a much broader age range for those looking for long-term careers .
There has also been at the same time a rise in agent expectations : for intuitive easy to use tools , flexibility in their working week , and the ability to work from home . This last one means geographic restrictions are no longer tying agents to a specific center in a specific town .
And the competition for good customer service agents is fierce . So the easier their experience the more likely businesses are to retain them and keep them engaged .
THE DIGITAL SHIFT
Digital transformation continues to reshape customer interactions ' focus and prioritization . The adoption of various digital technologies provides customers with diverse communication channels , from email to social media , creating a need for businesses to adapt .
Convenience is a key driver as customers seek faster and more efficient interactions through 24 / 7 accessible channels . Multichannel and omnichannel experiences are now crucial , offering a seamless journey across platforms , and self-service adoption .
DIGITAL SHIFT AS A COST CUTTING PRIORITY
Reducing the cost to serve is a primary focus of channel shift initiatives , but caution is urged to avoid the pitfalls of past industry shifts .
The move to offshoring customer service teams in the early 2000s saw a reduction in headcount costs of 50 % plus . But businesses raced to nearshore or homeshore when the CX was hit to such a degree it was impacting retention and satisfaction rates .
The challenge lies in finding the right balance between cost-cutting objectives without compromising customer satisfaction .
50 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
Businesses must ensure that technology aligns with the personal channel preferences and the understood intention of the customer .
Technology can support the delivery of channel shift initiatives . But there is a need for businesses to understand that the technology alone will not deliver this objective – it is the “ CX road system ” – so they must provide signposting . Say if you want to offer a human agent at any point during the call . Then your artificial intelligence ( AI ) model needs to accommodate options for this at any point during the customer journey .
CLOUD IMPLEMENTATION AND COST EFFICIENCY
Migration to the cloud is a prevalent trend , driven by expectations of cost reduction and the advancement of technical capability . However , achieving cost efficiencies in the cloud requires careful planning , resource optimization , and leveraging appropriate services .
Simply moving old workflows and processes and trying to retrofit them into a new cloud solution will not work .
Look at , for example , the challenges faced at Birmingham City Council , the largest local authority in Europe , which has declared itself in financial distress after troubled Oracle project costs ballooned from £ 20 million to around £ 100 million ($ 125.5 million ).
Organizations must be very clear on their expectations before embarking on their journey to cloud-based solutions .
By evaluating the alignment of cloud solutions with their specific goals , whether it be cost savings , increased NPS , or CSAT there is a much greater opportunity to unburden yourself from tech debt and legacy processes and deliver an ROI .
ORGANIZATIONS MUST BE VERY CLEAR ON THEIR EXPECTATIONS BEFORE EMBARKING ON THEIR JOURNEY TO CLOUD-BASED SOLUTIONS .
U . K . CUSTOMER SERVICE
THE CX TECH AND CONTACT CENTER VENDOR LANDSCAPE
Ultimately the CX is impacted by the effectiveness of your customer service . Outsourcing can lead to a significant enhancement of this crucial aspect of your business .
From substantial cost savings and access to specialized talent , to scalability and enhanced focus on core competencies , outsourced customer services can connect your business to new opportunities and competencies .
However , with more players than ever across the contact center tech stack many buyers refer to - or in some cases fully rely on - the top analyst firms to determine which vendor to invest in . Many of these include Gartner , Frost & Sullivan , and Forrester .
The diligence put into the assessment of vendors by these analyst firms is very comprehensive . However , some are more focused on different aspects and not always useful to the solution you may require .
Being named in the Gartner Leaders quadrant is a significant achievement , but it doesn ’ t guarantee that a company is the best fit for every organization ' s specific needs . Different companies may prioritize different aspects of CX , and what works for one may not work for another .
Therefore , it ' s essential for organizations to carefully evaluate their own requirements and goals when choosing a CX solution or partner , rather than solely relying on the positioning from analysts ’ firms .
Having started as an agent , Keith is passionate about organizations that recognize and value their people as well as their customers . He became CEO of the Customer Experience Foundation ( CXFO ) in April 2021 , curating and providing a range of content , resources , and thought leadership , including coaching to up-and-coming managers and advisory work .