Crouching Tiger, Hidden Contact Center.
Like most of you, I have come to really enjoy online shopping. At times, admittedly, maybe too much. But when I actually realized that I no longer needed to make the trek to a mall, maneuver the jammed parking lot, search aimlessly for an item I might like, all the while praying that it’s available in my size, I was ecstatic. Not only that, but I didn’t have to involve myself in the awkward judo-knife fight that is returning or exchanging something at a box store? Sign me up.
How much useless garbage have I accumulated over the years? I can’t be certain. But what I am sure of is that I have ended up returning a lot of those items. On some of those occasions, I even needed to speak with the vendor’s customer service team to get the process started.
What I began to notice about the companies that I felt inclined to do more business with was the efficiency at which they handled my particular issue, whether it was by phone, email, or chat. I am not talking about falling on their sword and unquestionably refunding me for items, or “the inconvenience” I’d experienced. That would be a lame thing to expect. What was impressive to me was that these companies had their ducks in a row with their technology, which allowed them to engage with me like a human and remediate my problem. Not only could they fix my current issue, they also asked about a previous order and if the products and experience were satisfactory, which made the whole experience more personalized.
Until recently, it would be safe to say that contact centers were similar to umpires. You never really noticed them, or felt the need to talk about them, unless they were not doing a stellar job. With the advancements of features and the integration of IT tools, companies are now able to funnel their customers’ requests into one easy to find place, thus handling them in a more efficient manner. In an age where consumers will take to Twitter in a heartbeat to air their grievances over a lukewarm latte, this is a solution that can be viewed as a beachhead for creating a solid experience that your customer will want to come back to. Not just damage control, but a way to improve the overall customer interaction via the channels they are most comfortable using.
In the traditional sense - A contact center can be viewed as a department or an office in which incoming/outgoing inquiries from prospective or existing customers are handled by a team of agents. It is traditional for companies offering services or products to have call centers for the purposes of:
? Offering customers support
? Answering their questions
? Carrying out telemarketing
? Conducting market research
Our friends (and partners) over at Talkdesk have said that 1 out of every 10 representatives within an organization operates under one, if not all, of these functions. Now, these hardworking folk may currently be supported by the standard Unified Communications hunt group or basic automatic call distribution (ACD) features, but groups like this are exactly who would benefit from the robust contact center capabilities that this new age of Omnichannel technology is delivering.
Why are so many brands investing in the contact center? At its core, contact centers are valuable to companies because they provide a platform where the company has the opportunity to enhance its image, resolve problems and create a more loyal customer base. These are companies that are seeking to stave themselves from transactional one-off interactions and instead create an end-to-end customer experience. In addition to this, the data that call centers store is becoming increasingly valuable. Organizations are using this to personalize service and track each customer’s journey in order to be proactive and provide the best possible experience.
Because we have entered an age where transaction are increasingly being done online and customers are demanding personalized attention, businesses need some level of contact center functionality. It would only make sense to take advantage of the benefits offered by one-stop shop communications service providers to fulfill these needs. This makes contact center services an increasingly important factor in your Unified Communications purchase decisions.
Most providers will tell you about forecasted cost savings and speak on the advantages of selecting one provider for UC and Contact Center. While we generally agree with that, we argue that the benefits should not stop there. Prospective buyers should consider whether management of the two services is truly unified, as this capability streamlines staff training and can save significant time on overall day-to-day management tasks. As mentioned earlier Teo and Talkdesk are partnering to deliver this exact solution, and we’re excited to be bringing these enhancements to our customers.
By observing how communications needs are changing, and responding by delivering necessary solutions to meet market needs, we continue to support our mission statement:
We build thriving partnerships and deliver tailored solutions that empower the world with flexible business communications.