Contact Centers have definitely experienced quite a lot of challenges in 2020. The main culprit, of course, is COVID-19 – or simply the coronavirus. But even when faced with problems, Contact Centers still pushed through with their operations to provide the most exceptional customer experience. 

Now moving forward to 2021, there are bound to be expectations which aim to further enhance the modern Contact Center. The emphasis should be on developing the Contact Center in response to what has transpired to last year. But, it certainly would not be limited to that. Essentially, these will continue long after the pandemic has ended. 

Below, we state 5 expected trends in the Contact Center industry this coming 2021:

COVID-19 will continue to affect everything

When thinking of how Contact Centers will be in 2021, one cannot help but associate it with the current global pandemic. Contact Centers especially was, and is still, continuing to be affected by the changes. Furthermore, the pandemic restricted the movements of every country affected, meaning going outside is usually discouraged – limiting the citizens’ movements, so to speak. Of course, the Contact Center industry was not exempted from this lockdown.

Therefore, the best solution to be done is by making the agents work remotely – in other words, a Work From Home (WFH) arrangement. Remote working or WFH arrangement means, obviously, ditching the office and working in a remote arrangement – more often than not at one’s comfort at their own house. There are a number of benefits Contact Centers can enjoy with remote working. 

First, agents are happier working at home rather than on-site. Second, companies can cut costs. Additionally, absences can be reduced working from home. Agents would not have to fear for their health while staying at home.

It is not an overstatement to say that the WFH arrangement is a huge success. This 2021, for better or for worse, remote working will continue to stay – not to mention be more encouraged.

Mobile will be more important 

There has been a steady rise in mobile usage over the past few years. This year will be no different. People on Earth, more often than not, have mobile phones – either one or multiple – for their everyday lifestyle. 

Basing from the statements above, COVID-19 spearheaded a sort of mobile revolution. Gaming, shopping, and socializing have especially taken off nowadays. This is primarily because of the lockdown; no one can go outside and do as they please anymore. So, the next best thing  they can do is tinker with their mobile phones to relieve themselves of boredom and get things done at the same time.

The same holds true for how Contact Centers should work in 2021. Ever heard of the term “mobile-first”? Essentially, it is not exclusive to just customers calling by phone and agents trying to solve their problems. Gone are the days wherein the phone’s only use is to chat and email. Instead, there has been a whole “mobile ecosystem” from apps such as Facebook, Telegram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. In other words, mobile phones have now become more flexible which the Contact Center industry can utilize to its full advantage. 

Understanding the customers

Providing exceptional customer experience means understanding them. In essence, companies should go out of their way to personalize customer experiences. Every product or service they buy, customers want it to be personalized. This 2021, personalization is at an all time high when it comes to prioritizing changes in the Contact Center. 

So, it is imperative for agents to get a hold of the proper information they need to better serve their customers. And, getting the said information should be a piece of cake to them. They must have a good idea on the customer to provide what they want whenever. 

Cloud will dominate further

The stay at home restrictions prompted Contact Centers to utilize the cloud more. This is, of course, to continue operations even with the absence of a physical office. Cloud can help businesses compete to the market changes through digital means. Additionally, it can provide the opportunity to continue business procedures, enhance data security, increase production, and give a better experience.

AI

Lastly, a Contact Center trend in 2021 will be Artificial Intelligence or AI, for short. It is one of the latest technology that can help with Contact Centers. IVR, Omnichannel, even Text to Speech (TTS), and other aspects will greatly be enhanced with Artificial Intelligence. With this, the repetitive processes and inquiries will be easily taken care of and agents will be left to tend to much more important problems that requires resolution.

Tegsoft

Contact Centers need the proper technology to function efficiently. Tegsoft provides just that! Tegsoft is a well-design platform capable of helping companies provide the best customer experience. Contact us for more information.
 
Reference/s:

https://www.callcentrehelper.com/contact-centre-predictions-2021-164296.htm
https://www.conectys.com/four-ways-that-contact-centers-are-changing-in-2021-and-beyond/