Lately, I have been bombarded with this notion of the death of the call center. It’s certainly a bold apocalyptic affirmation that seems in tune with the current global events. However, I think it’s a bit too early to propagate such ideas.
In this article we will be looking at why professionals in this field are rushing to declare it dead and look at, what contextually could be called the formula for eternal life.
Analyzing the Mass Panic
In all started at the beginning of May when Rob Locascio, CEO of LivePerson, boldly declared that the coronavirus ushered the death of the call center. And yes, voice may be losing its position in favor of text, but contact centers are very much alive, thank you!
This is not the first time people have been eager to declare the time of death of call centers. I remember a similar prediction from 2012 when self-service solutions first appeared on the market. It’s been 8 years since and contact centers are alive and kicking. And you know why? Because they adapt to new technologies to offer the best experience possible for the user.
Back in 2012 the death of the call center was ushered by the popularity of smartphones, analysts believing that smartphones would completely change the game. And they did. And we adapted. That’s what a company does, it grows and adapts. Evolution is what keeps a business going, not clinging to a single model to the grave.
What’s the Next Step in The Contact Center Evolution Chain?
Now that we established that there is no death, but only a continuous evolution process that constantly adapts to the needs of the user, let’s take a look at the future of the contact center industry.
Think Big… and Simple
As predicted back in 2012, with this mass migration to smartphones and the ever-growing popularity of social media, voice solutions are simply not enough anymore. Contact Centers need to adapt and offer support through multiple channels. But how do you decide which channels are worth our attention, you ask? That’s simple. All of them!
If you want to be a part of the Contact Center future, you need to understand that an omnichannel integrated solution is the best approach to keep your customers happy.
Why? Why not!!!!?
And while it may sound like the death of the agent, it’s actually a simple solution that, if anything, can make the agent’s life easier. With the right tool you can bring all channels on a single screen.
But Isn’t AI the Future? You Ask
Yes. And not only for call centers. But there’s still a long way to go before AI can take over the entire workflow of a contact agent. For now, the best and most efficient way of using AI is to integrate it in your IVR solution to facilitate a quicker response to common customer queries and leave your agents free to handle more complex problems that need more time and aren’t that repetitive.
Understand Adapt Overcome
To sum it up, the magical formula for eternal life is evolution. As long as you understand and anticipate the needs of your user and work to always adapt to their requirements, you won’t be perceiving change as such a dire thing.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
