Before 2026, contact centers that deploy a "connected rep" strategy will improve operational efficiency by 30 percent – according to Gartner.
The market analyst defines such a strategy as one that allows agents to perform high-quality assisted service at scale.
In doing so, it bridges the gap between technology and talent, empowers agents with context and guidance, and drives consistency across all customer conversations.
Kathy Ross, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, suggests that this is the future of customer support.
"As CSRs (customer service reps) handle more complex customer interactions, upskilling or recruiting strong talent is a challenging and costly approach to help reps respond, especially in a tight labor market," she says.
"Instead, leaders must go beyond traditional talent levers and include rep enablement technology as a core component of talent strategy. This is the crux of the connected rep."
A "Connected Rep" Strategy Also Increases Agent Engagement
As Ross indicates, investing in such a strategy may relax the reliance of service teams on recruitment initiatives, simplifying the agent role and increasing engagement.
With a March 2022 Gartner benchmark finding a 25 percent median attrition rate among contact center agents, these benefits will likely appeal to many.
"Rep enablement technology can create lower rep effort, drive consistent outcomes, and promote customer experience (CX) and efficiency," continues Ross.
A dollar invested in rep technology is a dollar that stays when the rep leaves.
With that said, additional Gartner research suggests that 45 percent of contact center agents avoid new technologies.
As such, the analyst suggests contact centers implement a thoughtful shutdown strategy of old technologies. Nevertheless, additional action is likely necessary.
