The Future of Communication in the Contact Centre

The Future of Communication in the Contact Centre

How to improve the customer and employee experience

For contact centres around the world, the pandemic-induced shift to remote working was the driving force behind digital transformation and ripping up the rule book for how we work. With contact centres continuing to adapt and move towards more permanent hybrid ways of working, it’s now time to assess whether current working models and investments can deliver the quality of service and customer experience that is sustainable in the long term.

Staff turnover has always been a concern in contact centres, but the increase in hybrid working has made the task of managing attrition even more complex. The future of communication will be shaped by hybrid working and the rise of intelligent video collaboration solutions that improve the customer and employee experience.

A hybrid way of working to future-proof your business

Businesses have seen the productivity gains of remote working during the past couple of years. There have certainly been difficulties along the way but with the right tools, we have seen that giving staff more flexibility and autonomy over where they work can be beneficial. The challenge is how to adopt the right approach that maintains customer service and performance whilst listening to staff’s needs.

60% of employees prefer hybrid work, according to Jabra’s Hybrid Ways of Working 2022 Global Report. However, only 34% of employees strongly agree that their organisation provides them with the necessary technology to collaborate equally and inclusively from anywhere.

With contact centre attrition rates increasing, technology is critical to retaining and attracting the best talent and creating a successful hybrid workforce. This means creating both virtual and office environments where staff feel motivated, reducing noise levels and distractions, and providing technology and professional devices that enable workers to be productive, wherever they are.

Proactive management with data and AI

Contact centre managers are using data more proactively to manage teams and make informed decisions. Insights into call volumes and capturing data on customer interactions can help tackle issues such as staffing levels at peak times, predicting the level of inbound calls so managers can allocate the appropriate number of employees. We expect data and analytics to play an increasing role in managing the quality of communication and engagement with customers. For example, by being able to identify noisy background environments and poor-quality audio on customer calls, managers can take proactive steps to make changes and improve the experience.

The rise of video: Improving productivity and inclusion

Video is emerging as an effective channel of communication in contact centres. Businesses have invested and see the benefits of technology such as professional headsets and UC platforms, with a big shift to cloud technology. And now, with the growing adoption of hybrid working, video is the natural step.

Jabra’s research shows that 53% feel they can collaborate more productively on video calls than on audio-only calls. Video conferencing keeps workers engaged and in touch with customers. But it also plays a vital role in internal team collaboration, helping staff to feel motivated and engaged.

AI-driven features that optimise lighting or automatically adjust the picture to focus and zoom in on the speaker can drastically improve the user experience, making meetings and training feel natural and inclusive, as if you are in the same room. And when it comes to video calls, 62% of employees say they feel more included and present in meetings when everyone attending has their camera turned on.

Companies can now take advantage of personal video conferencing cameras that deliver professional picture quality and are compact, portable and easy to use; ideal for hybrid working and connecting with teams and customers quickly and reliably.

As we look ahead, the way we communicate will be driven by technology that improves collaboration and the customer experience, enabling contact centres to provide consistent customer service levels across remote, distributed teams. Video collaboration will also play an integral role in improving remote working management techniques, helping contact centres to manage the attrition challenge and win the war for talent.

 

 

Nigel Dunn is Managing Director, EMEA North at Jabra

Jabra is a world leading brand in audio, video, and collaboration solutions – engineered to empower consumers and businesses. Proudly part of the GN Group, we are committed to letting people hear more, do more, and be more than they ever thought possible. Jabra engineering excellence leads the way, building on 150 years of pioneering work within GN. This allows us to create integrated tools for contact centers, offices, and collaboration that help professionals work more productively from anywhere; and true wireless headphones and earbuds that let consumers better enjoy calls, music, and media. GN, founded in 1869, operates in 100 countries and delivers innovation, reliability, and ease of use.

For additional information on Jabra view their Company Profile