A recent video clip has been making the rounds featuring the late Michael Jackson (or the likes of Michael Jackson) singing Bruno Mars’ latest hits. It’s entertaining at best, till you realize that it looks so real, it’s creepy! With the advent of deepfake in face and voice, is the demise of voice services a possibility? The quick (and most real answer), is a resounding NO. Voice is here to stay. Replacing voice agents is still a long shot for the simple reason that humans by instinct, prefer real, live, human engagement. Digital technology and AI are definitely here to stay but for the moment, they are most helpful as an additional service to swiftly handle items that can be automated. Everything else is better served by live interaction.
How will contact centers look in the next decade? If you think that the rise of omnichannel choices like chatbots, social media messaging, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and automated responses would signal the end of voice, think again.
Humans will always be around. Your living, breathing agents continue to reign supreme when it comes to cutting-edge services, despite the fact that the ways we interact with businesses and customers are always expanding. The goal of automation is to replace humans with machines for routine, low-skill jobs like changing passwords or withdrawing money from a bank. The whole idea is to provide your agent more freedom to work on jobs with higher added value that call for the use of various skills.
Self-service has a place, but it doesn’t foster long-lasting brand relationships or the kind of advocacy that lasts a lifetime.
360 CEOs participated in a Forbes.com study where they were asked which channels they utilize and which ones they thought would be most popular in the next ten years.
1. Engage in live chat with an agent
2. Voice (phone) support
3. Email
4. Mobile apps, and
5. Social Media
6. Text
7. FAQs (Self Service Option)
8. A chatbot
9. IVR Assistant (Interactive Voice Response)
10. Forums for discussion
Their forecast for the next ten years is:
1. Engage in live chat with a genuine agent
2. Email
3. Voice (phone) support
4. Mobile Apps
5. Chatbots
6. IVR Assistant (Interactive Voice Response)
7. Self-service knowledge base
8. Text or SMS
9. Social media,
10. Forums for discussion
The above list tells us that the demand for live chat with a human agent is still very strong — despite the overwhelming preference for automation. Another thing to note is how social media rose to the ninth spot. Although social media support has gained popularity, not all contact centers may find it to be an easy transition. (Perhaps you wouldn’t want to communicate with your bank using TikTok? Or even cancel your movie subscription via Instagram). While social media support may work well for some industries (like retail), some age groups and demographics are better served by a human agent.
What should a business do if they seek to upscale and go offshore? What kind of contact center will businesses of the future require?
Partner with a contact center equipped to handle a specialized, highly trained environment.
Whenever possible, automate. Through chatbots and IVR, for example, shipments may be tracked and questions about order confirmation can be automatically answered. But always choose a real person to do the “more complicated encounters” that call for a touch of real engagement.
Consider angry calls to telehealth companies or even consulting calls to a design business. For customers, automating these exchanges can be a headache. It can even be downright hair-raising to discover that the “person” they’ve been speaking with for the last 10 minutes wasn’t real.
Think of the alternative. The moment your clients don’t get the help they need, it’s more than good reason for them to come knocking at your competitor’s door. These calls you can’t just automate (no matter how smart your artificial intelligence can be).
Of course, you can’t just put anyone on a headset to talk to them. The agents handling these have to be trained. You will need fewer of them in 10 years, but these same agents will make your company. They will be highly-paid specialists with in-demand communication skills and industry expertise.
Consider this scenario. A customer might phone an agent to inquire about which styles of tennis shoes will be on the shelves by the holidays. BUT, in the future contact center, the agent can be an expert and talk about the “greatest” footwear or the one that best meets the callers’ likes and lifestyles – WITHOUT coming across as pushy. The interaction makes a difference because the second scenario is more intimate, engaging, and, well, human.
People, at the end of the day, want quick service. However, it pales in comparison to interacting with a cheerful, talented, and involved agent.
Take your business to the next level without losing that personal touch.
NEARSOL is a US-based BPO and service company that offers clients custom-design solutions. With major hubs in Manila and Iloilo, it began operations in 2011 and has since gained a strong presence in the Latin American regions, the Caribbean, and the Asia Pacific, winning many awards for quality and service along the way. Most recent of which is its Great Place to Work-Certified™ Recognition, a global accreditation that tells stakeholders what employees think of the company culture.
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