Customer service and customer experience blog for call center professionals
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.
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:
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
Companies in the financial sector place extremely high demands on their call center. The complicated and sensitive nature of the calls handled requires an agent who is highly trained and experienced. This, in turn, leads to a high cost-per-call. At the same time, customer relationships are long-lasting so sacrificing caller satisfaction in the short-term is not an option.
This creates a tough challenge: How do you decrease the cost-per-call, while improving the customer experience? Here are three contact center trends that financial companies must keep in mind. Continue reading
How to Efficiently Manage Service Levels with the Right Technology [Webinar]
On the Horizon: Customer Service Trends in 2019
