Each new year brings with it technological advancements and changes in consumer habits. The contact centre industry is especially affected by these advancements and changes and should stay up-to-date on the latest consumer trends in order to remain relevant in 2015.
A webinar held by Connect First on Dec. 10, 2014, entitled “The Future of the Contact Center: 2015 Trends and Innovations” directly addressed the question of what new trends will affect contact centres this year. The webinar was moderated by Chris Haerich, Vice President of PACE. Panellists included Geoff Mina, founder and CEO of Connect First; Reid Houser, director of telemarketing and compliance for Sitel; and executive consultant Christa Heibel. Described below are the trends as predicted during the webinar.
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Continued Growth in Mobile App Integration
This is the area that is predicted to experience the highest amount of growth over the next year. With consumers utilising mobile devices for more purposes than ever, it is vital that contact centres create flawless mobile interactions. These interactions should include channels such as email, social media, and live chat. With such resources available, call centres will ensure exceptional customer service experiences for users.
Increased Compliance Issues
Professionals foresee more Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) law suites in 2015. Contact centres should be familiar with regulatory guidelines, keeping in mind that these guidelines apply also to interactions that are becoming more common due to the growth in mobile app integration. Additionally, contact centres are held responsible for any infractions committed by hired third-party companies.
Continued Cyberattacks
Cybersecurity issues were rampant in 2014 and will continue to pose a threat this year. Contact centres should make every possible effort to protect consumer information in order to avoid data breaches. Data is generally made publically available after high-profile security breaches. Contact centre managers should take advantage of this resource and learn from the mistakes of these companies. Use the information to create best practices that will deter similar situations from happening within your own organisation. Because cyberattacks show no indications of decreasing in the near future, contact centre managers should primarily focus on improving digital security in 2015.
The panellists of “The Future of the Contact Center: 2015 Trends and Innovations” also discussed such issues as cloud reliability and stability, and the inability to measure performance metrics. Along with the trends mentioned here, these are also issues that contact centre managers must face and conquer with the new year.
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