contact-center-trends

Time is of the Essence: Keep customers waiting at your peril

By Ben Ringshall on February 20, 2020

Today’s consumer is busier than ever. Digital technology hasn’t just made instant communication possible, consumers have come to expect it.

This new but rapidly proliferating expectation of ‘always-on’ support — particularly from tech companies — has businesses scrambling to find ways to meet it.

Artificially intelligent automation could help provide this level of customer support, as long as it’s executed well.

If there’s one thing for sure, the companies that find a way to deliver quality support to their customers 24/7 will reap the benefits.

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The State of the Contact Center in 2020 | Peter Ryan Interview

By Ben Ringshall on February 11, 2020

A few weeks ago, our CEO, Shai Berger, sat down with Peter Ryan, Principal Analyst and Founder of Ryan Strategic Advisory, to discuss the state of the contact center going into the new decade, and how the industry is expected to develop in the coming years.

In it, we discuss:

Why voice is the most omnipresent channel and will remain so for years to come
If the utility of chatbots has been overstated and why they won’t replace humans
The real reason why companies are investing more in their contact centers
A major problem with ‘AI’ in the call center today, and how smart AI providers can position for success
The truth about call center outsourcing and why most people are wrong about it, and
Why clever companies are spending more developing human talent than technology.

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Contact Center Trends 2020: A New Age for the Contact Center

By Fonolo Team on December 17, 2019

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Change is the only constant trend.

Everything from the way we shop to how we listen to music has changed in the last two decades. This includes our experience as customers. Modern consumers are no longer willing to accept poor customer service. In fact, more than 80% of customers now say the experience a company provides is as important as its products.

It’s been a journey: The contact center evolved from the humble call center, as more channels of communication became commonplace. In order to keep up with the demands of modern consumers, the contact center is destined to evolve further, into the ‘Customer Experience Hub’ of the future.

As part of this, many businesses are already moving away from the view of call centers as ‘cost centers’ and towards one that views them as a centers of opportunity for businesses — one where the opportunities the center creates well outweigh the costs of running it.

With this ‘meta-trend’ to give us some context, here are three of our top trend predictions for the call center in 2020. Continue reading →

4 Takeaways from Our Live Discussion on The Future of BPOs [Video]

By Drew Wilkinson on February 5, 2019

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Last week, Fonolo hosted an insightful live discussion on the future of BPOs. The expert panel discussed whether reshoring is a permanent trend, the impact of AI on BPOs, and so much more. To save you some time, we’ve extracted video snippets showcasing highlights from the discussion.

First, let’s take a quick look at the panel of speakers: Reagan Miller, Jeremy Watkin, Thomas Laird, and Shai Berger.

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17 Surprising Stats About Call Centers

By Astrid Monge on January 29, 2019

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We have 17 gifts for you today, or rather, 17 intriguing facts about call centers!

You may know a few of these already, but trust us: It never hurts to revisit some of the pivotal advancements, trends, stats, and interesting facts that have made waves in the call center industry (both past and present). With the “era of the customer” in full swing; the increase in customer expectation for omnichannel communication; and the never-ending developments in communication methods through AI-powered self-service; it is easy to overlook the importance that the call center plays in the customer experience.

Although customers begin their service journey with self-service before contacting an agent, the reality is that once self-service fails (which it does when the support issue is too complex, or when the stakes are higher for the customer), customers will take to their phones to resolve their issues. So, there is a limit to self-service, which will always lead the customer back to the loving arms of the call center.

Without further ado, here are some surprising, fundamental, and/or entertaining stats about the call center, a customer service lifesaver that is here to stay:

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3 Critical Contact Center Trends to Watch in 2018 [Webinar]

By Daniela Puzzo on January 4, 2018

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Every year we read about what promises to be the hottest contact center trends. This list can, all too often, be endless. As important as it is to try new things, especially in an industry that relies so heavily on the customer experience, it’s just as important to prioritize those strategies. The call center landscape is more complex than ever, and wasting time on trends that don’t benefit you will only lead to failure. Continue reading →

9 Critical Contact Center Trends for 2018 [White Paper]

By Daniela Puzzo on November 29, 2017

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Today, changes to the contact center are a response to consumer behaviour, and not simply the result of business initiatives. In a climate where technology and customer preferences change at a breathtaking pace, it can be overwhelming to consider all the ways that your contact center needs to evolve.

This coming year, several key trends are poised to make a significant impact on contact centers around the globe. Some of these have transitioned from being “nice-to-haves” to being essential, while others are brand new and expected to play a substantial role. Ultimately, every call center needs to make decisions from the perspective of their customers.

Here are trends for 2018 that are sure to shake up the industry. Continue reading →

Top 10 Trends Shaping the Future of the Contact Center [Whitepaper]

By Nicolina Savelli on March 29, 2017

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Looking for the lastest contact center trends?
You can read our 2020 Contact Center Trends report here

The contact center is becoming quite the paradox. It must be open-ended but also secure, both customer-centric and employee-centric, legacy-based yet modernized, and the list goes on. The reasons why are fairly simple: Consumer demands are continually evolving and so are the channels used to communicate those needs. The problem is that technology advances at a much faster pace than the contact center is able to adapt to, at least, for now.

The contact center industry is currently in a transition phase, where legacy systems will be refashioned by modern ones, and the once ‘low-level’ agent positions will be replaced by robust technology. It’s essential that your contact center is built for the future. And while the thought may seem daunting, there are a number of new ways to resolve the problems that will erode the success of call center operations around the world.

Here are the 10 biggest trends that can help call center professionals stay ahead of the curve. Continue reading →

5 Short Videos on the Contact Center’s Future

By Shai Berger on January 3, 2017

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5 Short Videos on the Contact Center’s Future We’re always on the look-out for new industry research and we try to point our readers at the best ones we find. But, just like you, sometimes we’re not in a reading mood and, for those times, videos can also provide great information in a “lean-back” mode. Companies put out lots of product videos these days. Sadly, they are often filled with stock video, unnecessary animation and generic, buzz-word filled dialog.

In today’s post, we’ve assembled some videos that are actually informative. They cover aspects of the contact center that are all connected somehow with this year’s main trends.

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Whitepaper: Top 10 Contact Center Trends for 2015

By Daniela Puzzo on January 8, 2015

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As a contact center manager, you’re faced with challenges we couldn’t have imagined, decades ago. In the past, dealing with the nuances of the phone system and agent training were the biggest hurdles. Today, those challenges span multiple channels and include demanding metrics and increased competition.

Want to know the lastest contact center trends for 2020?
Read the 2020 contact center trends report here

Adapting to changes in the call center industry has become an annual requirement; this is especially true for organizations that stay in tune with the latest trends. Here are the top 10 trends that contact center leaders must understand and address this year. Continue reading →