Inbound/outbound calls, SMS, and chat are primary functionalities contact centres provide. On top of that lies internet communication services such as 5G or wireless modem related connectivity.
Things get complicated quickly when we combine all these with social interactions, email support, and other types of customer service. Even though the complex system runs inside the customer/call centre, there are a lot of technologies you should give attention to in 2022.
Whether you’re a business owner, entrepreneur or a sole individual who consumes content in spare time, chances are you have, had or will have contact/call centre interaction. Organisational needs may vary depending on conditions, and technologies may also differ, which can make your business run smoothly.
Among countless techs we have today, a lot neglects customer support tech due to its manner of profiling. Clients or customers find it helpful and know good service when proper contact/call centre technologies are implemented. So here are a few key contact/call centre technologies you should give attention to in 2022.
a. Computer Telephony Integration: Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) helps computing tech and telephone systems in a systematic way that may look seamless if formed correctly. CTI uses computers to manage incoming calls from customers send data to their mail, such as OTP or networking profiles. A separate group of staff was given telephone-related tasks and another to do the computing work. Or they were indifferent ecosystems under the duplicate desk rows.
Now they are as seamless as our social networking applications; all bonded together. The customer service provider can pick up all customer details in one glance and send relevant information back. Today, if you contact a customer service centre, location and relevant information pop up automatically with the help of CTI, saving time for both parties.
b. Universal Queuing: Let’s face it, if you had some experience in problem-solving, you wouldn’t take all of them at once. Even if you could, it wouldn’t be efficient. Universal queuing is self-explanatory, but we can explain it as a simple queue for information’s sake. All customers contacting will be in the same line whether they are trying to communicate via call, text, or email. All in the waiting list gives customers priority on a first-come, first-serve basis.
c. Customer Relationship Management: We previously covered an article with the latest information regarding CRM, and it’s expected to reach a $114.4 billion market by 2027. CRM is an easy solution across the whole enterprise to manage customer profiles easily yet navigable. CRM solution provides 360° information on customers and offers valuable information to support agents as quickly as possible. There are tons of similar answers out there, some are custom made to serve a range of data, and some use functionalities from full-fledged CRM software.
Security is a concern today; CRM makes sure only necessary personnel can access the data required to get the job done. Servicing applications can gather data to feed the CRM application, which can be of more benefit in future. Transparency from the sales team to the marketing team, the engineering team, and the support team can work efficiently.
Routing customer issues through the internal process is a great way to reach satisfaction and potentially increase business.
d. Workforce Management Software: Workforce Management Software, also known as WFM, is another excellent addition to current contact/call centre services. There is no surety of when a rapid surge may arrive where many customers face issues simultaneously.
WFM predicts the forecasts with the whole team’s interaction. A sudden increase in the queue for voice or chat-based solutions can get frustrating for both the service centre and customers. WFM predicts that and lets decision-makers hire an optimal number of agents to ensure customer transactions.
Suppose your service is marketing children’s toys; chances are, the contact centre will receive an increased volume of orders during Christmas or holidays. What if there is not enough workforce to handle the task. Of course, cloud-based solutions can handle that, but that is on a different side. WFM is generally tied to workforce optimisation solutions to give the best result.
e. TDM & IP: Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) & Internet Protocol (IP) plays an essential role in the telegraphy system. Even though the technologies are decades old, they are some of the soul properties of a computing system. A direct way for customers to interact with the contact/call centres is essential for reliable communication. TDM & IP can segment multiple data streams in the universal queuing.
Even though IP replaces TDM, both are a great way to handle customer/call centre transactions.
In the ever-growing era of technology, we may think only the latest is better. But specific key facts remain the same, which was our goal in the article. Of course, plenty more technologies can improve your business as it evolves down the line.