It’s set to be a big year in 2020, with the increased use of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and customer experience (CX) are set to be the big brand differentiators. So, what else should be on your watch list for 2020? Here are our top five predictions:
1 - Getting the channels right for CX
[caption id="attachment_23162" align="alignright" width="200"]
Tim Kimber[/caption]
It’s important to understand how and where your clients are contacting you. Are they coming through your website? Picking up the phone? Identify a couple of key channels and invest in them to ensure people can communicate with you in the way that they want.
Chatbots and AI usage is on the rise and rightly so, there have been big improvements in this technology meaning that basic queries can be easily sorted. There should be a holistic approach towards customer contact, ensuring that all conversations that take place are centralised and easily accessible by agents as required. A customer should be able to continue a previous conversation on the same query and across different channels.
2 - Agents’ roles will change to problem solvers
With more of the menial tasks managed by technology, agents’ roles will change to manage the more complex issues that emerge. Ensure your employees have the skills to handle these types of calls efficiently. Solving these queries effectively and confidently will mean training staff to ensure they have the right tools in place to handle challenging calls. Upskilling employees could reduce churn as agents feel more confident and able in their roles.
3 - Increased use of AI
The integration of AI in contact centres has increased over the last few years and can be a vital part of customers’ contact with businesses. It can effectively manage low level queries, ensuring that customers have a low-effort experience in resolving their issues. This can enhance customers’ interactions with companies while also increasing productivity within the business, as more calls are quickly solved.
AI and technology is set to improve over time, meaning that more and more tasks will be handled without agents’ involvement. Now is the time to look at what AI can offer contact centres and whether your company can move towards advanced solutions. Establish what is needed to help customers with their queries and create the best solutions for them.
4 - Monitoring calls in real-time
Being aware of the conversations taking place in real-time is a big boost for supervisors. They can ensure agents are compliant with policies and procedures and holding positive conversations that have value for customers.
Technology can be used to monitor conversations, picking up keywords, and can flag when problems arise, meaning supervisors can step in when there are difficulties. This could boost confidence as agents know that they are supported during complex calls. It will allow the company to understand the types of conversations their agents have, and how they manage them. This information can be used to develop training as required for employees so they can handle calls effectively.