Modernising Contact Centres: The Technological Revolution #June24
Welcome to the latest edition of our monthly newsletter, which tackles the most pressing topics in Customer Experience (CX) and Trust and Safety (T&S). This month, we explore the transformative power of automation and digitalisation in contact centres. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our expert insights. Happy reading!
Automation and Digitalisation: Revolutionising Contact Centre Efficiency and Customer Experience
In today's business landscape, the necessity for increased contact centre efficiency and digital enhancement has never been more crucial. With customer patience diminishing, time becoming an ever more precious commodity, and brand loyalty at a premium, companies must adapt to meet many evolving expectations to secure trust, loyalty, and long-term buyer relationships.
In recent years, consumer behaviour and expectations have significantly shifted, profoundly impacting how shoppers engage with brands and shaping their demands for service levels and convenience. This underscores the importance of seamless interactions, timely responses, and omnichannel availability, all while prioritising empathy, understanding, and personalised care at every stage of the customer journey. Numerous statistics emphasise this trend, including those below:
Another pivotal issue is the growing frequency and intensity of brand-customer interactions, which generate more activity and involvement among contact centre staff. No matter how skilled and professional agents are, they can become overwhelmed with incoming inquiries without the right technological support. This can impact their efficiency and accuracy as managing and addressing expanding demands becomes increasingly challenging. Furthermore, in the worst-case scenario, they may struggle with exhaustion and frustration, potentially leading to burnout or depression and resulting in prolonged absences from the organisation. From the buyer's perspective, this can be disastrous, severely impacting their experience and satisfaction.
For instance, according to IBM, typical manual agents spend approximately 75% of their time searching for and retrieving customer account details during support conversations. This data, provided just a couple of years ago, underscores that a significant portion of the contact centre employee workday was devoted to administrative tasks rather than directly addressing customer issues or providing superior assistance.
Luckily, this trend is changing over time.
Contact Centre Transformation: Embracing Technology
Companies aware of the issue's significance and the need for its prompt resolution deploy various tools tailored to reduce risks associated with the decreasing effectiveness of contact centres and the declining quality of modern customer interactions. Consequently, they are taking steps to optimise service operations, ensure full accessibility and cultivate outstanding experiences.
In terms of the strategies employed, organisations leverage different strategies where technological solutions are the cornerstone, such as:
Routine Task Automation
Automation is pivotal in streamlining CX processes and reducing manual tasks in contact centres, freeing their employees from struggling with time-consuming, repetitive duties. Key components include:
Going Digital and AI Integration
Transitioning to digital platforms is a must-have option for expanding reach and engaging with consumers through their most preferred channels. This involves:
Data-driven Approach
Leveraging data-driven approaches empowers businesses to tailor services, make informed decisions, and boost customer satisfaction. This includes:
Benefits
The benefits of tech empowerment are manifold. Enriching the CX initiative with automation and digitalisation improves productivity, resulting in quicker response times, greater customer satisfaction, and enhanced employee well-being.
Such undertakings also save time and money. They enable contact centres to scale operations efficiently without compromising on the quality of services, even when dealing with larger volumes of inquiries.
Access to data-driven customer insights facilitates the evaluation of various work aspects, ensuring consistent delivery regardless of the time of day or the specific agent handling the interaction.
It is also a great opportunity to meet consumer expectations wherever and whenever they prefer to engage, tailoring communication and suggesting specific solutions based on individual preferences and past interactions.
Ultimately, automated systems enable companies to consistently apply policies and procedures, maintaining compliance with industry standards and regulations set by governing bodies.
How does it work in real life?
While this theoretical understanding is valuable, its true worth is realized through practical implementation and testing in real-life scenarios. Below are three case studies showcasing how these concepts translate into tangible results and impact businesses in different industries.
1. Empowering EU Citizens with an Outstanding Contact Centre of the Future
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Industry: Public sector.
Project: Modernisation of the Europe Direct Contact Centre (EDCC), a Multilingual Citizen Support Line run by the European Commission.
Provider: Consortium consisting of Conectys and the European Service Network (ESN).
Approach: Transforming the contact centre into a digital hub that engages EU inhabitants across modern channels, enhances native support, offers cutting-edge mobility solutions, increases efficiency, and leverages cultural alignment.
Delivered: EDCC was modernised with advanced digital solutions, including integrating AI, RPA, and MLA technologies to streamline operations and enhance services. Additionally, an omnichannel CRM system was implemented to improve citizen engagement and support, ensuring multilingual assistance and scalability for handling an increased volume of inquiries.
Results: Successfully handled an annual volume of approximately 200,000 cases, ensuring each request was addressed promptly. Consistently surpassing the target citizen satisfaction rate of 80%.
2. AI-empowered Customer Support Revolution in Online Shopping
Industry: e-Commerce, consumer electronic goods.
Project: AI-driven customer support transformation amidst rapid growth.
Provider: Conectys.
Approach: Balancing human expertise and technological empowerment, aiming to streamline workflow, enhance operational efficiency, increase employees' well-being and productivity, and ultimately restore consumer trust and satisfaction.
Delivered: The project's foundation was a modern multi-channel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform with next-generation AI algorithms. The modern features included across-channel communication, AI-driven ticketing and ticket routing, intelligent inquiry categorisation, tailored assistance through personalisation, robust analytics, and comprehensive real-time reporting.
Results: Digital CX transformation led to a 45% ticket deflection rate and a 30% enhancement in efficiency, significantly improving overall customer support operations (45 %).
3. Transforming Airline Customer Experience with Automation
Industry: Prominent airline company.
Project: Automation of the most critical processes to meet modern travellers’ expectations.
Provider: Conectys
Approach: Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to streamline passenger support processes, enhance system interoperability, and prioritise traveller data security.
Delivered: The project was built upon a modern, multi-channel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform enhanced by AI-driven elements. This framework aimed to boost efficiency, ensure more accurate data analysis, and enable personalised interactions with travellers. Additionally, the initiative included custom connectors for integrating legacy systems and rigorous security measures.
Results: CX automation has enabled the achievement of significant benefits, including a 35% increase in customer satisfaction, a 60% improvement in system interoperability, and a 33% reduction in manual work.
Technology vs. Human Touch: What is the right path?
Navigating the evolving landscape of customer experience enhancement raises a critical question: technology or human interaction? The key lies in striking a balance between the two.
The collaboration of elements such as artificial intelligence and human agents is essential for CX excellence, and this trend will likely persist. This synergy offers consumers the best of both worlds - AI's proficiency and the genuineness of human connections.
Technological advancements bring operational efficiencies, allowing for anticipation of buyer needs, personalised interactions, self-services, and real-time responsiveness in many cases. At the same time, they empower human agents to perform better, focusing on important issues where their understanding and expertise are critical and irreplaceable.
A good example is the Fintech company, where technological advancements such as proactive financial recommendations and 24/7 chatbot support may foster productivity and customisation. However, human agents remain essential for handling complex issues with empathy and expertise, such as when a customer faces a fraudulent transaction or needs individual financial planning advice.
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