Contact centers should adopt automated, self-service tools
Contact centers should adopt automated, self-service tools
January 7, 2013
The contact center is much different than it used to be, as managers are now forced to deal with more knowledgeable consumers and an increasingly tech-savvy workforce. This is inevitably transforming the contact center into a much more sophisticated and innovative setting.
A recent report by Call Centre Clinic highlighted the evolving contact center industry, noting that customers don't care how difficult it is to maintain a multiple channels or deploy innovative metrics to measure success. In general, clients only want company representatives to know who they are, help them complete what needs to be done, and remember them down the line.
In addition to these demands, customers want interactions to be quick and precise. For this reason, contact center managers should consider automating routine procedures and implementing a self-service portal so callers can resolve simplistic issues on their own, Call Centre Clinic noted.
In today's highly mobile consumer world, people usually want to be able to call a contact center at any hour to eliminate a problem. This means interactive voice response systems, which allow customers to navigate through the problem-resolving process on their own.
The potential for voice recognition
A recent report by BCC Research highlighted the growing market for voice recognition software, which is forecast to generate more than $16 billion in revenue by 2017. This expansion is being driven by advances in voice-enabled navigation tools and automatic speech identification - both of are important in interactive voice response systems.
Unfortunately, the legacy interactive voice response solutions used in many contact centers are antiquated and have therefore given the overall technology a negative reputation. For this reason, decision-makers need to adopt innovative solutions that make it easier for clients to navigate the customer service process without having to repeat information or be transferred to several departments.
Another report by TMCnet said the tone of an interactive voice response system can have a significant impact on performance and overall satisfaction of the solution. However, this is only one of many characteristics that have an effect on how customers feel about the automated, self-service portal.
As interactive voice response technologies mature and evolve, contact center managers need to consider implementing the tools to keep clients happy and reduce the time employees waste trying to resolve simple issues individuals can figure out for themselves.
