Every company leader can agree that customer service can make or break the business. According to a 2020 Customer Expectations Report, 84% of consumers go out of their way to spend more money with a brand that creates great customer service experiences. Delivering excellent service should be a top priority, but it’s not an easy task. Competition is steep and customer expectations are continuously evolving. Analysts, including findings from Glady’s 2020 report, outline several customer service trends companies need to be aware of, including: 

1. Quality of service can directly affect a company’s revenue.
2. Expectations around having multiple channels are increasing.
3. Delivering personal service experiences matter more than the speed. 

Omnichannel is king

Because of these trends, companies are investing heavily in contact center technology. More than giving customers more ways to engage, today’s contact center solutions help organizations deliver a real omnichannel experience. It’s about creating hyper-personalized experiences and offering seamless support across all channels – phone, email, chat, SMS message, social media, etc. A business can increase brand loyalty and customer engagement by taking these steps. Agents also benefit from having context about each customer right at their fingertips. Managers can use analytics about customer interactions and response times to make tweaks and improve processes. 

Advanced features will take you further 

Contact centers are also getting extremely high-tech, with advanced features that go way beyond omnichannel and efficient support. What are they? Let’s explore. 

1. Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere – AI works behind the scenes in contact center solutions to aggregate information about each customer. That context is then presented to the agent to handle the customer’s issues faster and more accurately. Call routing and skills-based algorithms also route conversations to the ‘most qualified’ agents quickly. AI also recognizes patterns and makes suggestions to aid agents. For instance, AI can identify and predict behavior by studying inflections and tone of voice (or text if using chat) to determine if a customer is upset or agitated. The solution can make recommendations to agents about how to respond to mitigate negative emotions appropriately. 

2. Analytics aids in smarter decision making – Advanced analytics tools provide metrics that organizations can use to improve call center performance. Several software programs now include statistical dashboards on users’ interfaces, so that call agents and managers receive real-time updates regarding customer experiences. 

3. Recall technology – Advanced ‘recall’ technology makes waves in the contact center by eliminating or delaying messages with errors. Organizations can cancel messages, resolve any errors fast, and stop any forms of misinformation. Besides correcting mistakes and saving time and money, there’s no negative impact on the conversational flow. This recall feature equips contact centers to transmit correct and relevant messages to enhance the customer experience further.

It’s time to get personal

Thanks to these advancements, the contact center continues to be an integral part of cultivating strong brands and delivering personalized customer experiences. Want to upgrade your contact center in 2021? Do you have questions about communication options or other technology challenges? Call or email us. We can help you get more out of your current contact center solution or assist in making plans for the future.