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5 predictions shaping the contact center in 2024
It’s beginning to look a lot like… predictions season! With customer expectations shifting, technology advancing and contact centers in high demand, there’s a lot to consider for 2024.
Whether it’s ever-evolving tech stacks, or a renewed focus on agent wellbeing, contact centers will have their work cut out for them if they want to ensure they’re delivering exceptional experiences for customers and employees alike.
Here’s what we think 2024 will have in store…
1. Accelerated adoption of AI and automation
Probably the easiest prediction to make, the widening availability of AI and automation features in customer service platforms makes it highly likely that we’ll see more and more contact centers jumping onboard.
AI isn’t about agent replacement. The robots do a fine job, but they’re currently best placed when assisting agents and augmenting interactions. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can handle routine queries and auto-evaluate interactions to unearth those must-monitor moments. That leaves us humans to do what we do best: listen, problem-solve and handle complex queries with emotional nuance.
Beyond AI, automation will play its part in driving much greater efficiency in contact centers. Thanks to powerful QA platforms like evaluagent, Team Leaders and Evaluators alike will be able to wave goodbye to routine, time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus their efforts on driving meaningful change within the contact center.
WHITE PAPER
AI: Its place in the contact center
Discover how AI is likely to impact contact centers with our research in partnership with ContactBabel.
Download the white paper
2. Greater emphasis on agent wellbeing and empowerment
While automation handles routine tasks, this could turn into a double-edged sword, with agents getting little in the way of respite from more emotional or complex queries. As a result, they could be at risk of facing burnout. In a role that already suffers from high attrition, this is something that needs to be avoided at all costs.
In theory, those contact centers that are leveraging automation for more senior members of staff should see them become more available for coaching, one-to-ones and training, helping agents to feel more supported day-to-day. This is going to be key moving forward.
Beyond that, two-way communication will become even more important. Empower your agents to ask for clarity or even challenge feedback and crowdsource ideas for wellbeing and engagement directly from them. After all, the best way to keep them engaged is to deliver on the things that truly matter to them and make them feel heard.
3. More stringent compliance standards
With consumers becoming increasingly aware of data privacy and their rights, contact centers will need to stay abreast of evolving data protection regulations, ensuring they comply with laws like GDPR, the ePrivacy directive, and others to maintain customer trust and avoid hefty penalties for non-compliance.
But it’s not just data privacy. Consumer Duty reforms in the financial sector and new standards for energy firms from Ofgem indicate a wider trend that companies will be held to higher standards of customer service within their specific industries too.
Contact centers should stay well informed of shifting regulations and be prepared to demonstrate their compliance with evidence. Nowadays, there are plenty of QA platforms available that can help you keep on top of quality as well as compliance – make sure yours does!
4. More channels than ever before
Today’s customer is demanding! They want support on their preferred channel at the time that suits them. They want seamless experiences across various communication platforms, on their terms.
That’s no small ask. Voice is still highly regarded for its ability to resolve high-risk, high-emotion interactions, but customers also want choice. So, we’ll continue to see contact centers investing in integrating channels like live chat, email, social media, and messaging apps – the challenge will be providing a unified and consistent customer experience across each of them.
With more channels and interactions, QA becomes increasingly challenging. AI and automation will be central here, with 100% coverage now an achievable outcome that can support teams in getting a true picture of their compliance adherence and quality standards.
WHITE PAPER
Voice: Its place in the multichannel world
Customers want multiple channels, but still value voice – discover how to find the balance and deliver great CX.
Download the white paper
5. A greater appreciation for the contact center
With AI and data transparency, contact centers have put themselves in the picture when it comes to building an advanced understanding of the customer. More recently, this has been the realm of formal customer and user experience experts, but brands and businesses will find tons of untapped potential in the contact center – and ignore it at their peril.
Analyzing 2% or even 10% of interactions isn’t enough. In 2024, 100% coverage will be the standard for all contact centers to aim for, allowing them to unearth meaningful insights that truly reflect the customer experience and focus on making improvements where they’ll have the most impact.
This isn’t about creating more data than you know what to do with. Drilling down is where the real value lies, so real-time dashboards and reports that focus on the metrics that matter will be the norm. The result? More joined-up strategies between UX and Customer Service departments, business-wide improvements (not just the contact center!), and happier customers.
In fact, if it could all be summed up in a sentence, we believe 2024 will be all about the intersection of technology and humans. You can’t have a successful contact center that only focuses on one or the other. With a balanced approach to both, you’ll enjoy the strengths each has to offer in 2024, and beyond.
