An Analysis of Current Call Center Trends and Best Practices

The call center industry has seen a significant shift in how it operates over the last decade. With an increased reliance on technology and automation, there are many new practices for companies to consider that will improve customer service and lower operational costs.

Best practices are constantly evolving. The use of data to better understand customer requirements and trends, the increased adoption of social networking for service delivery, and the growing demand for multilingual support are just a few examples of how call centers must rethink their processes to keep up with customer expectations. This white paper examines some recent industry trends and best practices to help you determine how to best respond in your environment.

For example, many companies are now using virtual call centers to answer calls in place of their brick and mortar facilities. The process is much more cost-effective because only one person can answer hundreds of calls daily without having to pay for office space or extra employees who may not even be needed all the time.

The Key Benefits Of Virtual Call Centers

Call centers, virtual or otherwise, are usually staffed with professionals who follow a script that they know by heart. This is meant to ensure that the content of their calls and conversations remains on track along with standard customer service protocol.

However, many customers do not like being guided through their challenges and prefer to be able to get to the point as soon as possible. Through the use of technology, virtual call centers can take calls from customers and provide them with information that is relevant to their needs in real-time without having to abide by a script. This allows the conversation between customer and service rep to be much less formal and more free-flowing so that all concerns can be addressed promptly.

In addition to helping customers get to the point quickly, virtual call centers are also able to utilize technology that fully engages the customer. An example of this is by allowing the caller to see your name, photo, and live video feed during their conversation with you. This helps build trust because the customer can put a face to a voice and immediately feel more comfortable while they work through their issues and questions. It also allows the service rep to be more welcoming and friendly, which can go a long way if there is a language barrier or cultural difference between the customer and rep.

Advanced Call Center Technologies

To keep up with the latest technology trends, many companies use a combination of both virtual call centers and in-house call center agents. By doing this, they can provide customers with the most up-to-date service technologies while still having direct access to real people when needed so that no need is left unanswered.

1. Advanced Analytics Software

Some businesses use advanced analytics and reporting software to monitor call center data daily. This software is extremely helpful for business owners because it will allow them to analyze each sales person's performance in terms of quality, cost per sale, conversion rate, and other critical metrics that can be used to make better staffing decisions in the future.

2. Self-Service Technologies

There is no doubt that self-service technologies have changed how business customers request services, orders, and information. Today's businesses rely on systems like web chat, email autoresponders, and mobile applications to answer a majority of customer questions. This has left call center agents free to work with customers who need live human interaction during their support calls.

Using self-service technologies to reduce the number of calls that require a live support agent can have an immediate impact on your business' cost per sale. According to one analyst, businesses that fail to adopt self-service software and other advanced automation techniques risk losing customers who simply give up on receiving help from customer support teams.

3. Increased use of technology

With the growing competition in the market, sales and customer service representatives need to be equipped with advanced technologies that will make their jobs easier by allowing them to connect on a personal level with customers and prospects. And that is not all. As customer service evolves, agents are turning more to technology than ever to help them understand and solve customer problems. When it comes to online live chat software, for example, customers who have a problem or question are generally expecting a response within five minutes, which is the average resolution time for 90% of issues – according to the consumer research firm, Forrester.

4. Big Data Analysis Tools

Big data is one of the biggest buzzwords in customer service today, and for good reason. To successfully provide high-quality care to customers all around the world, companies can no longer rely on gut instinct alone when answering their customers' questions. As a result, they need technology that can analyze and process enormous amounts of data with simple integrations. It's critical for customer success teams to have the right software that can employ big data analysis to keep their organizations up-to-date on new technologies and best practices, as well as identify issues in the care process immediately so they can resolve service problems quickly before they escalate into major customer complaints.

5. Robotic Automation

Robotic automation is quickly becoming a "must-have" service for many call centers, and for good reason: Robotic calls are personal; they're natural-sounding and feel exactly like talking to another person. They provide the perfect solution for retention programs, appointment setting, lead generation campaigns, and product demonstration promotions.

6. Web Chat Integration

Webchat is a rapidly developing customer communication channel and provides the perfect alternative to traditional multi-channel communications, which are often costly and complicated to implement. By integrating web chat into their existing contact center technology infrastructure, companies can easily provide 24/7 customer service without having to hire additional personnel or increase costs.

Conclusion

The need for customer service is growing. Customer service has been proven to generate more revenue than other marketing channels, and it’s a core part of any business strategy. If you don't have the right skills or resources in place, contact us today! We can help with your call center technology needs from setup to ongoing management so that your company isn't left behind as trends continue to change. Let's discuss how we can work together now!