Contact centers have already proven themselves the future of call centers, but what will the contact center of tomorrow look like? If we look at contact center technology trends today, we see a rise in omnichannel communication, the internet of things (IoT), self-service for customers, and the integrative use of AI. While there is a lot to keep track of, one thing is clear: customer service is more efficient, productive, and high-quality than ever before. The latest in call center technology promises a bright future for customer service—one with happier customers, happier customer service teams, more productivity, and communication across all channels.
If you’re wondering how you can improve your contact center, you’ve come to the right place. At InterVision, we fit customer service teams with the right technology to help them connect with their customer base. Keep reading to learn more about call center trends and the possibilities technology can bring to your customer service.
Will Call Centers Become Obsolete?
In truth, they already have; call centers have been all but replaced by contact centers—and the reason lies in their name. Reaching your customers through a call is not the only way to contact them, and in today’s world customers often prefer other ways of communicating. Instant messages, emails, social media, and even video chat are all ways customers want to correspond with businesses. And these methods are becoming less of a desire and more of the norm, especially with the rise of technology.
What can call centers do to adapt? Thankfully, modernizing a call center doesn’t require a huge overhaul or massive spend; virtual contact centers create a way for businesses of all sizes to keep pace with call center trends. Virtual contact centers scale up or down with business needs, and can be customized to best suit how that business communicates with their customer base. And through the use of digital technology, call centers agents can easily gather customer analytics from every interaction.
What Is the Future of AI in Contact Centers?
AI will hold a critical role in contact centers—but it’s not here to replace human interaction. Instead, AI will act as an integral partner to contact center agents, empowering data collection and automation capabilities. In turn, agents will have more time and energy to spend on customer interactions.
When it comes to technology in customer service, the data is clear: machines can’t replace everything. It’s true that customers enjoy the rise of chatbots and self-service stations, but ultimately they still see technology as a helpful supplement to their experience. Contact centers in the future will still need agents at the helm; if anything, agents will need to be at the top of their game—something that AI technology makes possible. In fact, agent empowerment is one of the most compelling reasons for using AI in the first place. With technology automating much of the time-consuming work in customer service, agents have a more unified work environment where they create a better experience for their customers.
What Is the Transformation That Contact Centers Need?
Contact centers must keep up with rising customer demands, more technology, a greater need for agent productivity, and a need for happy work environments. Virtual contact centers make all of this possible. Through the use of cloud-based technology and Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), a customer service team can have a contact center that suits their customers, agents, and operations goals all in one.
For contact centers to thrive in the 21st century, they need to focus on three categories of excellence:
- Omnichannel Communication: Connecting with customers in more ways than the telephone
- Agent Empowerment: Unifying customer service teams and equipping agents with more tools
- Customer Analytics: Working with AI to compile data, develop customer profiles, and more
All of these are more than possible with the best in contact center technology at your disposal. And if you’re ready to see what that looks like, we at InterVision can help find the right solution for you. We pair organizations with technology, empowering them with educational resources as they go to help them succeed. We do this not just with contact center technology, but cybersecurity, cloud services, managed IT services, and much more. So whether you’re an established call center that’s looking to upgrade or a new business that wants to connect with its customers, we can help you succeed.
To learn more about InterVision and what we do, visit our website or feel free to contact us directly. We look forward to meeting you and empowering your operations!
