Written by American journalist Scott CLARK – specialist in customer experience and AI – this article explores the crucial trends shaping the future of contact centers. Originally published on CMSWire on 11 December 2023, the article, entitled “6 Contact center trends to watch in 2024”, is based on the latest expert reports to draw up a list of the “must have” for customer satisfaction and experience.
Here is a summary of the original article, which can be found in full here.
1) AI and Automation
- AI, in particular chatbots and algorithms, will play a crucial role.
- Predictions suggest widespread use of generative AI to improve productivity and customer experience.
- Customers support AI for a variety of tasks, although the preference for live support persists.
2) Customer Experience (CX)
- AI is seen as a complement, not a replacement, for human agents.
- Focus on the customer is crucial to stand out from the crowd.
- New measures (CSAT, NPS) take priority over traditional ones.
3) Omnichannel communication
- Omnichannel strategies aim for seamless and efficient customer experiences.
- Conversational AI and self-service options are essential for engagement.
- Transformation of digital customer service is expected to have a significant impact on customer satisfaction.
4) Data security and confidentiality
- Concerns about the impact of AI on security and privacy.
- Crucial importance of the implementation of advanced security protocols, encryption and AI-driven threat detection.
- Compliance with privacy regulations and securing cloud infrastructure are priorities.
5) Improving the employee experience (EX)
- Investment in technology to reduce agent workload and stress.
- Focus on skills development, career advancement and mental health initiatives for employees.
- Satisfied employees contribute to improved customer interactions.
6) Speech technology and Natural Language Understanding (NLU)
- Integration of advanced speech recognition and NLU technologies.
- Conversational User Interfaces (CUIs) are seen as key to meeting changing customer expectations
In summary, contact centres need to adapt to AI-driven changes, prioritise customer experience, implement omnichannel strategies, strengthen security and privacy, invest in employee wellbeing, and leverage voice technology for effective interactions.
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