Insights

10 Contact Centre Technologies You Should Know About

In today’s competitive business landscape, exceptional customer service is crucial for success. Contact centres, whether focused on inbound or outbound calls, SMS, chat, email, or social interactions, play a critical role in delivering outstanding customer experiences. To achieve this, contact centre technologies are key.

In this article, we’ll outline ten key contact centre technologies that can help businesses provide better service and utilise their resources more effectively.

Customer Relationship Management Systems

A CRM system is a powerful tool that enables contact centre agents to provide exceptional customer service by giving them access to a 360° view of the customer. This allows agents to quickly solve customer issues and document interactions that can be brought up in the future to help customers even more efficiently. By providing a record of customer interactions, CRM systems can also help to manage issues that need to be shared with a sales team leader for further relationship building.

In addition to improving customer service, CRM systems can also provide insight into all customer interactions across business units, helping with case and issue management. This allows customer issues or cases to be routed through internal processes, and customers can be kept informed throughout the entire case lifecycle, ultimately resulting in a better overall customer experience.

Universal Queuing

Universal queueing is a contact centre technology that enables agents to manage customer interactions from multiple channels in a single queue. With universal queueing, agents can view and manage customer interactions from channels such as voice, email, chat, social media, and SMS in a single queue. This technology ensures that agents can efficiently handle customer inquiries from multiple channels, reducing response times. Universal queueing also provides visibility into all customer interactions across channels, enabling agents to provide a more personalised and seamless experience to customers.

Biometrics

Biometrics is a cutting-edge technology that is being used more frequently by contact centres to enhance security measures. One of the most common forms of biometrics used in contact centres is voice biometrics software. By using a person’s unique voiceprint, organisations can prevent fraud and save time and money. This technology has the added benefit of providing a more seamless customer experience, as customers no longer need to remember passwords or PIN numbers to verify their identity.

Scorecards

Digital scorecards provide a valuable tool for evaluating contact centre performance and improving customer experience. These customisable scorecards can be tailored to match business goals, agent strengths, and industry-specific priorities. By regularly reviewing key areas such as agent soft skills, call centre processes, compliance, and outcomes, organisations can identify trends and areas for improvement.

Self Service

Self-service has become an increasingly important aspect of customer support, with many customers preferring to solve their own issues rather than contacting a call centre. To meet this need, it is crucial for contact centres to provide an online knowledge database that includes frequently asked questions (FAQs) and basic information for success. This database should be easily accessible from any location, allowing customers to find the answers they need at any time.

Call Routing

Efficient call routing is a key component of any successful contact centre. Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) technology helps to ensure that incoming calls are quickly routed to the most appropriate agent or department. ACDs can be configured to use different routing policies, such as round-robin or skills-based, based on the specific needs of the business. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is another important call routing tool that allows customers to choose from pre-recorded options to direct their call to the appropriate department.

Call Recording

Recording calls is a must-have feature for any contact centre. It provides an easy way for agents and managers to review customer interactions and ensure quality service. Recording systems can capture all interactions including calls, emails, and chat sessions. This helps in identifying areas that need improvement and provides an opportunity for targeted coaching. Call recording can be historical or real-time, allowing supervisors to listen in and provide coaching in the moment.

Call Scripting

Call scripting is a useful tool that ensures consistency in customer service interactions. Scripting provides a roadmap for agents to follow, which helps them stay on track and focus on the most important aspects of the conversation. It also ensures that all necessary information is covered and that agents handle customer inquiries and issues in a professional and efficient manner.

Customer Surveys

Customer surveys are an essential tool for gathering feedback from customers about their experiences with your company, products, or services. Surveys can be conducted in various ways, including email, phone, online, or even in person. The data collected from customer surveys is used to identify customer needs, preferences, and areas for improvement. A well-designed survey can help you understand customer satisfaction levels, measure the effectiveness of new initiatives, and identify opportunities for growth.

Quality Assurance

Call Centre Quality Assurance Software is essential for call centres to ensure agents are performing at their best and adhering to internal policies and procedures. QA technology provides managers with insight into employee performance, including adherence to scheduling, workload balance, and training needs.