NICE President Speculates Spike In Contact Center Investments in 2022

The importance of contact centers has been revitalized as a result of the global pandemic. After decades of disrespect and lack of attention, business leaders are finally recognizing how properly run contact centers can boost revenue, improve business reputation, and generate new customers. Because of this sudden reevaluation, some experts within the industry are expecting a surge in contact center investments next year. 

According to a recent article by John O’Hara, President of EMEA at NICE Systems (News - Alert), 2022 will mark a critical turning point for investing in contact center technology. Because customers expect immediate service in the digital age, business leaders want to guarantee customer needs are met at any time of day, with or without the support of a human agent.

“In 2022, brands will realise the value of existing digital technology that will deliver ‘micro-moments’ of instant gratification – at scale on every channel – either through self-service that really works or well-prepared agents,” O’Hara explains, “This will have a cumulative impact on a more meaningful, lasting CX.”

Customers are becoming increasingly impatient with slow, inefficient service. Because of this, customers will not hesitate to take their business to more accommodating competitors. In fact, research by Forrester finds more than half (53%) of online shoppers are likely to abandon online purchases if questions are not quickly answered. This could easily become a problem for businesses with minimal contact center support, as well as for companies with low agent numbers as a result of labor shortages. 

Luckily, there has never been a better time to invest in new contact center technology. Cloud infrastructure options are widely available to support remote employees, which could open new opportunities for recruitment outside of traditional office settings. Automation and self service features enable customers to answer their own questions and perform simple tasks, without waiting on the phone. And digital training resources make it possible for businesses to analyze previous customer interactions, so employees can continuously improve performance and generate brand loyalty. 

Business leaders have no more excuses for low quality contact center operations. With the vast number of solutions available, every customer-focused company should consider investing in contact center tech in 2022.

Edited by Luke Bellos