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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

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6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

// table of contents //

INTRODUCTION // 04

01 // Cloud systems // 05

02 // Mobile usage // 07

03 // Social media interactions // 09

04 // Chat support // 11

05 // Video support // 13

06 // Automatic callbacks // 13

CONCLUSION // 15

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

Call center services are changing more than ever to accommodate new technological advances, stay on top of their competitors and keep customers satisfied. To achieve all of these goals is no small task and requires a large amount of workers, nearly 453,000 to be exact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Why all of the employees?

Because, when it comes to business, customer service quality is one of the most important factors affecting customer retention and satisfaction. Eighty-six percent of customers have dropped a company due to poor customer service, only amplifying the importance of staying on top of call center trends and quality in order to keep customers loyal.

But in which specific ways are call centers adapting and morphing to stay current and improve customer service? We break down what’s trending in call center services here.

// INTRODUCTION //

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

01 // CLOUD SYSTEMS

Just like every other technology service out there, call centers have begun to utilize cloud systems. When it comes to call centers, clouds allow data of all kinds to be sourced through the internet, rather than on a hard drive, making it easier to share and transfer callers and information about those consumers.

Although developed over 15 years ago, it wasn’t until recent years that we saw a spike in cloud-based infrastructures in the call center industry.

The cloud concept speeds up customer service significantly by smoothing transfers and linking consumers with their own data.

According to DGM, only a little over two percent of contact center used cloud-based systems in 2008, but that number tripled in only a few years and has been increasing exponentially ever since.

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

In addition to the rise in cloud-based infrastructures, another trend in call centers across the country is an increase in mobile usage. For some, this means communicating with consumers via text messages. Other call centers have gone as far as developing their own apps.

As of May 2013, over 55 percent of people owned a smartphone, a 20 percent increase in only two years. Because smartphone owners like to use their phones for everything from checking email to tracking fitness stats, it should come as no surprise that they also like to use them for customer support.

In response, many call centers have developed unique apps to assist in the support processes. The apps help sync information and quickly manage data involved with complaints, comments and large orders.

02 // MOBILE USAGE

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

03 // SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTIONS

As more people utilize social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, now more than ever before, it should come as no surprise that businesses have latched onto several social platforms as a way to communicate with their customers.

For call centers, social tools like Twitter and Facebook can help increase response time, a factor essential to the call center industry. Because 42

percent of consumers expect companies to respond to them within an hour of reaching out via social media platform, social tools are amplifying response time and helping staff reach more consumers in a shorter amount of time.

When it comes to social media, call centers really can’t afford not to use it. Sixteen percent of customers who are frustrated with a brand will tweet about it, meaning that not monitoring those tweets could be disastrous for any brand. Therefore, call centers don’t only utilize social tools for the speed factor, but also for helping brands maintain a good reputation.

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

04 // CHAT SUPPORT

Services like chat support are beginning to take the call factor out of the title call centers. Many brands are including live chat support with their services because consumers are demanding it.

Chat support offers several perks, eliminating wait times, allowing consumers to share screenshots and links with their support team members and saving consumers the trouble of taking time to step away from the office, or the task at hand, to make a separate phone call.

Live chat actually shows higher satisfaction rates overall. Seventy-three

percent of live chat consumers report leaving satisfied, while only 61 percent do for email and a mere 44 percent via phone. That’s why, for many call centers, chat centers may be a more appropriate label as these chat services continue to grow in the future.

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

But chat support isn’t the only trend we’ve seen pop up in recent years. Another new service for call centers is video support. Video support is similar to chat support except, instead of typing, consumers talk face-

to-face with their call center rep.

It’s not just for questions and answers though. Some companies are incorporating how-to videos to help answer common support questions or troubleshooting problems before they happen.

With this way of thinking, call centers can actually cut back on the volume of traffic they take in, allowing them to give more timely answers and more one-on-one attention to consumers who do call in directly.

Within the next year or two, 18 percent of managers hope to add video support to their long list of call center technological advances.

05 // VIDEO SUPPORT

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For many consumers, there’s nothing more annoying than waiting on hold for an extended period of time. Many call centers are beginning to learn this and avoid the issue by offering an option for auto callback.

Auto call-back means that the consumer types in their number and, rather than sitting on the line for 10 to 20 minutes, maybe even more, they receive a call just before they’re about to be helped. It’s sort of like jumping out of line, but having a robot save your spot.

This is an idea that almost everyone is crazy about. Seventy-five percent of consumers agreed that this would be a positive aspect of any call center or support service, because more than anything, consumers hate being put on hold. As they say, time is money.

06 // AUTOMATIC CALLBACKS

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It’s these trends that we’ve seen a dramatic increase in within call centers in recent years. These developments save resources and allow call center agents to enhance customer support.

// CONCLUSION //

By employing these new call center tools and techniques, not only does the customer win, so does the company.

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// 6 new call center trends you should take advantage of now

CALL CENTER

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