The call center industry has historically leapfrogged with the times, and during this last global crisis, it was no different. As a result, many changes and disruptions took place for many businesses, and while there are still many adjustments taking place, we predict even more on the horizon. In this blog post, we’re sharing three trends we believe are here to stay.
3 Call Center predictions for 2022 and beyond
- AI is here to stay
AI is no longer a new shiny technology that we could leverage in the future. The technology is here, and it is critical to start leveraging it if you haven’t already. AI has brought multiple behind-the-scenes benefits to call centers.
AI in conversations has vastly improved agents efficiency and added a wildly practical solution to accurate routing. In addition, the predictive power of AI has decreased wait times and brought the consistency customers crave.
- Omnichannel communication is the new normal.
While omnichannel is not a new trend or concept, it has grown tremendously since 2020. As a result, its importance has become a significant focus for most companies. Currently, most consumers, if not all, own a minimum of one device.
Therefore, consumer trends have shown that consumers do not like being confined to one touchpoint or communication channel. With more devices, platforms and channels to connect, consumers want the freedom to interact with a brand anywhere and anytime.
To provide a consistent, personalized experience to your consumers, an omnichannel strategy is your only way to go. Omnichannel communication is all about unifying customer communications to standardize service delivery.
It’s a way of centralizing and optimizing customer interactions to deliver a seamless and consistent experience across devices and communication channels. In addition, a well-orchestrated omnichannel approach enables customers to navigate between a business’ touchpoints with ease.
- Social Media engagement central to your strategy
As of October 2021, the total number of social media users globally stood at 4.48 billion people, up from 4.2 billion in January 2021. With more than 50% of the world’s population using social media daily, it is hardly a shock that these platforms will be a central feature in customer service.
According to multiple surveys and research, 42% of consumers expect companies to handle their complaints on social media within 60 minutes. The ever-evolving mindset of consumers towards social media has businesses consumed with streamlining their communication strategies.