6 Contact Center Technology Trends that will prevail in 2023

The pandemic introduced new challenges that pushed the limits of contact center operations across markets.

Many businesses had to deal with a sudden increase in calls. Customers wanted to be heard and reassured. Meanwhile, contact center staff were struggling to adjust to the new norm of remote working.

These challenges changed the way contact centers function.

Hence, companies had to step away from traditional models. New technology was needed to navigate the crisis. It was also essential for long-term stability.

As we enter 2023, here are the most promising contact center trends for this year and beyond.

1. Push for automation and advanced CX self-service

91% of customers prefer self-service channels over call-based support. Self-service platforms are indispensable for good CX. They are here to stay.

In the last year, contact centers have seen their inbound call volumes double. It has led to more work for agents. However, most of the queries are repetitive.

These two factors pushed the need for automation and self-service in contact centers.

Contact centers can function better with good call deflection solutions. Hence, smart IVRs, online FAQs, and chatbots are useful. These self-service modes help customers find answers without agent help.

For instance, banks can employ assisted IVR for queries about pending dues and account balances.  It shortens call queues. It also frees up human agents for other work.

2. Conversational AI and AI-enabled IVR

The global conversational AI market size was valued at $5.78 billion in 2020. It is now projected to reach $32.62 billion by 2030. These numbers suggest that the best is yet to come.

AI is not new to the contact center space. But traditional AI has limited capabilities. Most customers hate the robotic voices and limited functionality of AI chatbots.

However, conversational AI changes this. This new technology took IVR chatbots to the next level. New AI bots mimic human actions with striking accuracy. They use NLP (Natural language processing) to study interactions and evolve. Hence, they offer a high level of personalization.

Conversational AI can transform a customer’s idea of a business. It allows businesses to support customers 24×7. By giving fast and good resolutions, it impresses customers. This results in higher Customer Satisfaction. Hence, it fosters loyalty.

Modern AI systems also improve contact center processes. They offer rich and relevant insights about the customer. Agents can use this information to improve their responses.

3. Omnichannel engagement strategy

Companies with omnichannel customer engagement strategies retain on average 89% of their customers

Customers are present on different channels. Depending on the age and demographic, some prefer voice and chat. Others choose text, WhatsApp, or social media. So, the customer experience is omnichannel.

Today’s customers have high demands. They expect quick responses on their preferred channel. If they do not get it, they take their business elsewhere.

So, businesses must be present on all channels to be relevant. For that, all the channels must be integrated into a single system.

An omnichannel strategy allows contact centers to handle queries on any channel. It allows customers to switch seamlessly across channels.

There are many benefits to an omnichannel strategy.  Engaging customers and providing robust CX is one of them.

The omnichannel also helps agents. It provides a 360-degree view of the customer.

Say, a customer contacts the center on chat. He later switches to a voice call. Since the entire interaction history is recorded, agents can switch channels. As a result, they can proactively respond and resolve the issue faster.

4. Cloud-based Contact Center

Global Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) Market to Hit Sales of 11.74 billion by 2028 

The pandemic made remote and hybrid working the norm. It also increased the demand for CCaaS or contact centers as a service.

Cloud communication technology is a critical requirement for remote and hybrid models. It allows enterprises to store their data on the cloud. It also makes contact center operations more flexible. Additionally, moving operations off-premises improves access.

A cloud-based center allows agents to log in from anywhere. So, businesses can assist customers 24×7.

Contact centers become more flexible once they are on the cloud. Hence, they can go beyond the functionality of premise-based operations. They can also deploy extra staff during a crisis to scale up operations.

Cloud-based centers also reduce the need for many platforms. It can accommodate all the features that agents need. It allows multi-level login, API integration, and real-time data updates.

Cloud technology allows agents to find all data on the same interface. It is easy to access. Hence, it streamlines the workflow. Agents can review old interactions to study customer preferences. It allows them to provide faster and better responses.

5. Advanced Analytics to Improve Customer Service

A Qualtrics XM Institute CX Study reveals that 70% of Gen Z customers switched brands because of poor customer experiences.

Studies suggest that today’s customers desire personalized experiences. They have high demands. They want quick and accurate responses. If a company fails to meet these expectations, they switch companies.

So, businesses must step up their game. Overlooking Customer satisfaction can be expensive. You can lose customers to the competition. Fortunately, modern contact center technology has features to address this need.

Automation reduces the work of agents. Bots filter inbound calls. They handle the bulk of queries. Human agents tackle only complicated cases. Meanwhile, bots manage the rest.

Apart from automation and cloud-based operations, analytics is another powerful tool.

Modern enterprise platforms have advanced analytics and reports. It allows managers to evaluate agent performance. It also sheds light on customer behavior. These systems analyze metrics that affect outcomes. For instance, it provides info about resolution time, average handle time, and reviews.

Thus, managers can use this data to identify gaps in agent performance. Hence, they can plan remedial training. Additionally, it tweaks the workflow. The data helps to develop the right strategy to improve customer service. It results in higher satisfaction and better outcomes.

6. Integrating CRM with contact center

2 out of 3 companies, as of 2021, have started integrating their contact center systems with CRM along with other business applications.

Another fast-growing trend is the syncing of CRM with contact center systems.

CRM or Customer Relationship Management is a central space to store all customer data. It records both existing and prospective client data. The main purpose of CRM is to make interactions easy.

A good CRM tracks customer interactions across channels. It gives agents access to the entire contact history. Thus, they can study customer preferences and offer better responses. It makes it easy to update the info in real-time. They can also set up automated responses.

Additionally, CRM helps agents find upselling and cross-selling opportunities. They can also use it for marketing campaigns.

With predictive AI and automation enhancing CRM abilities, it will soon be indispensable for contact center operations everywhere.

Wrapping up…

Adopting the latest call center trends will help you ahead of the game. It will future-proof your business. Most importantly, it will keep your customers happy and loyal.

To align your business with the latest contact center technology, contact Voxtron today.