By Neil Leyland, Chief Contact Center Strategist at InterVision on April 30, 2024
Four years ago, the pandemic accelerated digital transformation, drastically changing how most consumers receive information and do business. Suddenly, contact centers needed robust omnichannel capabilities, such as text messaging support and chatbot solutions to service at-home consumers. However, fulfilling these expectations with the same (or fewer) resources proved challenging. In fact, many organizations continue to struggle with the demands of the modern contact center.
Yet meeting consumers where they prefer remains pivotal. Nearly half of consumers (42%) rank being able to reach customer service agents on their preferred channel as the No. 1 factor in a positive customer experience (CX). Critically, that same percentage of consumers indicate that they would drop a brand altogether after two negative CX experiences. These sky-high expectations place a heavy burden on contact centers and their staff.
How can organizations evolve to offer seamless, responsive, always-on customer service? Perhaps more importantly, how can contact center leaders achieve these lofty goals while creating a positive agent experience? Let’s unpack the expectations placed on modern contact center agents through the lens of the three E’s. Then, we’ll discuss how technology can help contact centers keep pace with their digitally native audiences.
