Without technology, the modern call center or contact center would not be as efficient or as widespread as it is today. Advances have enabled companies to maximise the performance of their agents and deliver better customer relationship management on an unprecedented scale.
Several studies have found that around 80% of customers say that the customer experience offered by a company is just as important as its products or services. Indeed, customers are increasingly turning to companies that can guarantee the quality of customer service, as they look for faster and easier ways to resolve their issues.
In this article, we’ll explore how contact center technology has developed in leaps and bounds to keep pace with the digital age, as well as the key omnichannel contact center technology trends that aim to improve customer relationships.
What is contact center technology and how has it evolved over the years?
Contact center technology is any form of hardware or software that can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of customer service. In recent years, this technology has advanced rapidly and, with customers looking to make contact in different ways, the omnichannel contact center has emerged.
Technology within the contact center has enabled agents to communicate remotely with customers located anywhere in the world. With an Internet connection, agents can be reached by e-mail, instant messaging, social networks, live chat and, of course, by telephone. The sole aim of all this innovation is to improve the customer experience, build loyalty and increase customer lifetime value.
Call center technology was born in the late 1950s, before becoming mainstream in the 1970s. It was initially based on PBX (Private Branch Exchange) networks, which allowed calls to be switched between lines and service agents. At that time, switchboard operators had to physically connect these lines and install the equipment on site.
Today, call center technology has migrated to the Internet, with cloud-based systems offering far greater flexibility and adaptability, without the need for overly complicated hardware installations.
These systems enable call center to be set up much more quickly and offer solutions that can be operated remotely by a skilled workforce. They also offer greater reliability and the ability to interact directly with computer software, CRM software and omnichannel communications thanks to the integration of computer telephony (CTI).
This technological advancement within contact center has led to the creation of sophisticated solutions designed to optimise customer relations.
What are the main technological trends in contact center?
Things are moving very fast in the world of contact center, but we can mention some of the main technological trends that have had an unprecedented impact on this area of activity.
Firstly, there is the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. This is an automated Internet telephony system where callers communicate with pre-recorded menus and instructions.
With a few clicks on the telephone keypad, this system routes the call to sub-menus or to call center agents if the customer wishes to ask a question. IVR helps to prioritise and route calls to the best-equipped agent to increase the chances of resolving the caller’s query.
In addition, this technology enables high call rates to be organised, queuing to be managed and personalised messages to be pre-programmed to help callers find a solution to their problem before they even reach a human agent.
Secondly, the software technology of a modern contact center provides much more data for analysis and reporting, giving managers the opportunity to track performance, measure productivity and analyse the health of the contact center as a whole.
The technology makes it easier to spot call trends so that corrective measures can be devised and implemented to improve customer relations.
Indeed, understanding and analysing key indicators such as the number of call transfers, waiting time and average conversation time is a way of identifying areas for improvement in the contact center and perfecting the customer journey.
Finally, it’s impossible to talk about technological trends in contact center without mentioning omnichannel solutions. Customers are looking for an increasingly diverse number of ways to contact companies for complaints or queries.
Omnichannel support allows agents to operate across communication channels such as social networks, email and live chat, as well as answering phone calls. By integrating all these elements into a single system, agents can handle tickets efficiently, switch between channels, analyse workflows and keep an eye on customer issues.
Tracking customer communications across all channels is also essential to ensure that records are kept up to date with the progress of all queries, regardless of where the conversation takes place. Omnichannel support allows administrators to streamline team management and consolidate reporting across all support channels from a unified platform.
Now that you have more information about the new contact center technology trends and the benefits they can bring to the quality of customer relations, all you have to do is contact us for an offer tailored to your company, its products or its services. ?