Call centers were part of a booming phenomenon not so long ago. Recently, the growth has somewhat stabilized and the focus of call centers has expanded. Many industries are now adopting contact and call centers, digging a new way into the future.
So with recent advancements, what do you think is going to be the future of call centers?
Here are some of the prophecies regarding the future of the call center industry. Some predictions are made by experts and some are public opinion.
Less Brand Loyalty
Unlike the smartphone industry where loyalty seems to be centered on the brand image and uniqueness, the call center is very likely to have a future where convenience will be the filler for loyalty.
Trends from past years show that loyalty is declining, while three out of four customers say that easiness is what they will prefer in the future. Thus coming times will be fully utilizing scores that measure how easily a consumer gets what he/ she wants.
Call centers will have to make sure that the agents are knowledgeable and easygoing and the callers get to their virtual destination ASAP.
Unified Communications and Omnichannel Communication will reign
In times to come, traditional communication means like emailing will greatly decline if not perish altogether. Newer means web chat and video conferencing will completely take over.
Webchat will Prevail Over Social Media
90 percent of the customers want constant support, especially when they are actively seeking something. Webchat gives consumers support without them quitting or minimizing the interface. 88 in 100 consumers are already satisfied and 26% believe chat to be their preferred channel. So don’t be surprised in the future because it’s what the numbers say.
I know everyone thinks highly of social media, but many people, including experts, think that Facebook will feature too many ads in the next few years and will be more commercial than social.
Smartphones will change the attitudes of both consumers and agents
The majority of first-world countries use smartphones. Since smartphone customers are active 24/7, they demand 24/7 services. Failure to provide the empowered customer will result in serious damage to the call center’s image thanks to social media.
Call Center System will Change
49% of customers call for support when they face a problem. 85 percent say the agents put them on hold because they didn’t know. A big 58 percent said there are others who helped them better than agents. This trend is alarming for call centers and will have to change if the industry is to move forward.
VoIP and Cloud Based Communications will be the Norms
This is already taking place and the wave of decentralized call centers is gaining traction. VoIP and cloud-based computing is already reshaping the future of the contact center industry. Dialer software and unified communications have rendered non-real-time communication obsolete. It is only a matter of time before every call center business succumbs to its might.
Another prediction related to decentralization is that the TLs and supervisors will be able to monitor the agent in real time with the help of Hosted Call Center Software.
Synched Info and Customer Database
This is what agents and managers want, a complete, synched record of each and every customer. This will allow customers to get acquainted with the complete history of the customer, giving the agent that extra edge to assist the customer.
Mobile Care Will be Standard
Smartphones are already dominating every aspect of business and soon we might see smartphone applications that will support click-to-call and allow customers and agents to interact via video chats.
Transparency will Reign
A transparent system will mean all fraudulent businesses will vanish and legit reviews and services will prevail. Customers will be able to contact the transparent call center and immediately get their problems solved by the desired agent.
Technology Will Help Agents, Managers, and Customers
As strange as it sounds, managers and customers rarely care about the agent’s emotional well-being. The technology will be able to monitor how agents feel, giving supervisors the tools to keep the agent happy so he/ she can keep the customer happy in return.
Speech Analytics Will Improve the Agents’ Efficiency
In the future, call center agents will be able to predict speech patterns and emotional states in real time via software. This trend will change the industry forever and make up-selling and cross-selling more productive.