The beloved contact center – how we have a love/hate relationship with the calls we need to make. We want to resolve an issue on first contact with an agent who speaks English clear enough that the experience is seamless. Likewise, if we receive a call, we want it to be relevant, quick and lead to adding value to the relationship.
That being stated, it’s a challenge for the organization to deliver a consistent experience with all customers if expectations are not the same across the board. Interestingly, customers are not that different from one another. At the end of the day, they just want great service. How they want to receive it, however, is where the future looks a little murky. Contact center software is a great first step toward delivering what customers want, but it needs to go a bit further.
Customers have interesting demands – they want to be able to call the shots, conduct self-service transactions and have instant access to a live agent. They want to know how to navigate all menus, yet also want the one-step process to resolution. They want more information and less information. It’s a complicated dance if you’re in the business of making customers happy. Fortunately, there are technology advancements that can help – in a big way.
A recent article on Electronic Design highlighted video and voice over Internet Protocol, also known as V.VoIP. As a standalone function, this application has become pervasive in residential, business and small-office/home-office markets. It is also growing into one of the most widely adopted features on mobile platforms. While the business traveler loves the capability, it’s also gaining ground when integrated with next-generation applications and products.
If consumers are rapidly being drawn to V.VoIP, it just makes sense that it should become a part of contact center software. The deep integration with social media apps provides a seamless opportunity to connect with customers in a way that is not only relevant, but also one they use every day. And, given the rapid adoption rates of mobile devices, the fact that it syncs perfectly ensures customers can easily connect through channels they use on a consistent basis.
V.VoIP is also appearing on wearable devices. Customers wearing smartwatches (can you believe they are finally here?!) supporting full operating systems allow users to run real-time applications. If a customer could press a tab on their watch to change a billing date or otherwise complete a simple transaction, how much value could that deliver for the contact center? This is self-service at its best.
As consumers are still in the early stages of adopting V.VoIP as their primary communication method, now is the time for deep integration with contact center software. Companies seeking ways to connect directly with the current and prospective customer base could leverage considerable opportunities with this technology. Certain deployments will have to happen to be ready to connect on this level. Now is the time to make that move.
Edited by Alisen Downey