What's trending right now in customer service?

The company I work for is in the process of creating an ultimate customer service platform where call center employees will be able to be a "one stop shop." For example, if a client calls into the VRU and is identified as having an auto account, a mortgage and a personal loan, that client will be transferred to 1 agent who will answer questions and provide service on any of the products. The agents of the future will be known as "super agents" and they will be able to access any system so that they can provide the client with a satisfying experience. This eliminates dropped calls and numerous transfers to individuals that don't know the issues along with horrendous wait times in queues.

2011 is going to be a very interesting year for contact centers I think.

Like Roger allready mentioned, I think we will see the first (crude) apps for Apple I-Pad's and clones. These will be chat based, as the costs for this form of customer service is lower than telephone calls.

I also expect chances for training centres who offer multi channel training to agents, as more and more organisations will implement web based support services from chat to social media. Consultants (like myself) will probably also benefit because specialised knowledge is still thin.

The big trend that I expect to pick up momentum in 2011 however is the importance of culture as a factor in customer expectations. With unemployement arround 10% in the US I think that several businesses will pull their telephone support from Asia. Non-vocal services will probably remain because customers do not notice it as much. This might be controversial and I really want to emphasize that this is not a quality issue but rather social influence on business.

Looking forward to what you guys think.

Niek Bosch
NBC3 Consultancy

Social media monitoring and a renewed focus on 'the customer is always right'. Social media provides ordinary people with a loud voice to easily spread a bad message. Instead of having to deal with a call center, they can voice their message online and expect to be contacted by a representative from some of the major companies... they may also be contacted by competitors seeking to steal business.

Additionally, you're going to see an ongoing push towards being able to do all purchasing online.

Zach
www.trendhunter.com

Susan has identified a growing Customer Care Strategy for Contact Centers – the move away from viewing the Call Center as a “Cost Center” - where Average Speed of Answer (ASA), Average Handle Time (AHT) and Maximizing Calls per Agent per Hour are emphasized as the Key Performance Indicators – and evolving to operate your Call Center as a “Profit Center” - where the Key Performance Indicators are Customer Satisfaction and First Call Resolution (FCR).

Susan has also correctly identified the growing need for “Super Agents” - Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) who are better able to serve and communicate with your customers. Customers want their questions/issues resolved by a CSR who acts professionally – is easily understood - who is not a ‘script reader’ - and who is empowered to make this a “one call & done” experience.

It’s all about the quality of the ‘Humanware’ you deploy in your Contact Center to begin with.

A tightly-scripted Call Center environment is typically found where the primary focus is on Cost Containment. In order to maximize Average Speed of Answer (ASA) and minimize Average Handle Time (AHT) Agents are usually required to rigorously follow a script. A tightly-scripted Call Center environment is also sometimes determined by an Industry Sector: such as Financial Services/Insurance/Healthcare - or by a Client’s Service Level Agreement (SLA) for an Outsourcer.

An unscripted Call Center environment is typically found (and should be encouraged) where your Key Performance Indicators are Customer Satisfaction and First Call Resolution (FCR) – and where you operate your Call Center as a “Profit Center”. That’s not to say that an unscripted Call Center environment shouldn’t employ training aids/general ideas/key phrases. Ideally these should form a framework of points upon which an Agent drapes their own personality and phraseology.

Scripted and unscripted call handling are discrete and different pursuits - requiring separate Personality/Job-Fit/Temperament Factors. Someone with the Intellect & ‘Verbal Artistry’ to serve a caller in an unscripted fashion as a “Super Agent” is rarely a good fit for a tightly-scripted Call Center environment. Equally – it is rare for someone who performs well in a tightly-scripted Call Center to successfully make the transition to unscripted “Super Agent” caller interactions. Few people possess the ability to work successfully long-term in both a scripted and unscripted Call Center.

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I am looking for an increased emphasis on customer service due to the continued decentralization of the economy. This means the people at the big box stores will be trained and monitored to be more responsive and cordial because people are starting to get fed up and are increasingly turning to small businesses to meet their needs.

Of course, this also means we will see more competitive wages, which could make it easier for businesses to find the right people to fill customer service and management positions.

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