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Next-generation reality: 5 building blocks you need to create true next-gen customer contact


Johannesburg, 14 Sep 2012

So you want a next-generation customer contact experience? Of course you do! These days, it's what everyone wants. And for good reason: Consumer 2.0 has higher demands - and more channels through which to make those demands - than consumers past, and they expect your organisation to be as connected and agile as they are.

Organisations across the country have made it clear that an improved customer experience is a top priority. But even with that stated goal, a recent Forrester survey found that just over one-third of all US brands deliver a good customer experience. And consumers aren't exactly blown away, either - 93% say companies fail to exceed their service expectations. Organisations need to begin taking real action to improve their customer service.

So how, exactly, do we facilitate and implement a next-generation contact centre? Ultimately, it comes down to fostering five foundational "building blocks":

Enterprise collaboration

The motivation behind this one is simple enough: by providing a UC platform that supports internal collaboration and knowledge sharing within the contact centre and across the broader enterprise, you can treat customers to a more intelligent, flushed-out contact centre experience.

Social enablement

Web 2.0 communication channels, including the Web, SMS, social media and mobile, can catalyse company-customer collaborations, while additional Web 2.0 channels, such as voice, e-mail and chat, can improve the efficacy of traditional customer-company collaborations. Translation: a better, richer customer service experience across multiple channels.

Advanced analytics

Harvesting data from the contact centre can give you insights into what your customers want and how to provide the most effective, efficient solutions. Companies should provide actionable intelligence to all relevant areas of the business in a way that is interactive, accessible and easy to understand.

Workforce accelerators

This one needs little explanation: a streamlined, intuitive interface provides agents with the information they need to reduce handle times and improve efficiencies. And reduced handle times means you'll not only have happy customers, but more happy customers. Everybody wins.

Optimisation and automation

The next-generation consumer wants the same service experience across all channels. By facilitating integration and automation of customer-facing processes in the front and back offices, companies can ensure different departments all have access to the same, consolidated view of information and data.

So there they are, the five foundational building blocks for the next-generation contact centre. The next step is assessing your current contact centre capabilities and developing a roadmap for integrating this functionality in a strategic way. It may seem daunting, but a strategic approach to implementation can help get you there. And with your customers demanding a better experience, there's no time to waste.

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Aspect Software

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Editorial contacts

Prem Mungul
Ninzi Connect Software
(+27) 11 482 3600
prem.mungul@ninzi-connect.com