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1、CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITALMARKET STUDY CX TRENDS,CHALLENGES,&OPPORTUNITIESJ U N E 2 0 2 32023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities2CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|CX Trends,Challenges&OpportunitiesFor all the talk about customer centricity,some businesses ironically downplay the actua
2、l voice of the customer.They chase trends and make investments without fully considering how these initiatives will transform the customer experience.Unsurprisingly,this great irony has produced a history of disappointment.Frustrating pain points like long wait times have long endured,while customer
3、 satisfaction and loyalty measures have long underwhelmed.This aura of disappointment remains palpable in 2023.CCW Digitals Annual Consumer Preferences Survey reveals that customer experiences are actually regressing,with brands continuing to miss the mark in areas like personalization,speed,conveni
4、ence,empathy,and channel accommodation.Where have brands been going wrong?What opportunities and incentives do they have for reversing course and making customer centricity a reality?By providing a deep-dive into the aforementioned survey,this CCW Digital Market Study reveals the answers.Table of Co
5、ntents2 Introduction3 Methodology&Demographics3 About the Author4 Key Findings5 Scoring Todays CX|Is Customer Centricity A Reality?10 CX Attraction|What Can Brands Do To Win And Retain Customers?13 Omnichannel In 2023|Where and How Do Customers Want To Connect?16 Next-Generation Engagement|How Does
6、Digital CX Impact Trust&Reputation?20 Your Customer Loyalty Blueprint23 Customers Are Shape-Shifting Service.Can your CX Transform with Them?28 Earn Loyalty and Lifetime Value by Perfectly Combining Digital and the Human Touch32 The Top 4 Ways AI is Making Brands More Human36 Making CX Technology Fu
7、ture-Forward By Developing Customer Contact Knowledge41 Appendix42 2022 Editorial Calendar43 Meet the Team2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities3CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|About the AuthorBrian Cantor Principal Analyst,CCW Digital Customer Management Practice CUSTOMERMANAGEMENTP
8、RACTICEBrian Cantor is the principal analyst and director for CCW Digital,the global online community and research hub for customer contact professionals.In his role,Brian leads all customer experience,contact center,technology,and employee engagement research initiatives for CCW.CCW Digitals articl
9、es,special reports,commentaries,infographics,executive interviews,webinars,and online events reach a community of over 150,000.A passionate advocate for customer centricity,Brian regularly speaks on major CX conference agendas.He also advises organizations on customer experience and business develop
10、ment strategies.Methodology&DemographicsTo conduct its inquiry into the state of customer experiences,CCW Digital conducted its annual Consumer Preferences Survey in June 2023.The survey polled 517 US-based adults on their expectations,goals,and sentiments when interacting with brands.2023 CCW MARKE
11、T STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities4CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Key Findings1 Only 4%of consumers feel experiences have improved over the past year,and a staggering 57%feel they have gotten worse.2 Given what consumers routinely face when interacting with brands,these sobering statistics ar
12、e unfortunately very understandable.Only 13%of consumers feel brands are delivering highly personalized experiences,and a nearly-as-disappointing 25%feel brands are failing to deliver quick,easy,and convenient interactions.3 A whopping 66%of consumers,meanwhile,frequently endure long wait times.Pain
13、 points like answering repetitive questions or difficulty reaching a live agent are also disappointingly common in todays customer engagement landscape.4 Despite all the talk about the rising agent standard,consumers have yet to witness notable improvement on the frontline.They,by and large,do not f
14、eel agents are becoming more adept at communicating warmth,knowledge,or empathy.5 Consumers also feel experiences are becoming more restrictive.The majority,for example,experience more difficulty receiving a refund or make-good and more trouble reaching a live phone agent.6 The stakes of finally add
15、ressing these issues are significant.Nine-in-ten consumers are more likely to support brands that offer easy experiences,and nearly as many gravitate toward those that display personalization.7 Brand values matter;two-thirds of consumers care about a brands public stances on hot-button issues,and 84
16、%consider a brands reputation for employee centricity.8 Consumers of all age ranges continue to place more trust in phone calls than any other brand communication option.About 95%,moreover,still expect access to a live agent for some or most issues.9 Many brands are failing to personalize their outb
17、ound texts and emails.To correct this gap,however,they will first have to cultivate more customer trust in their data and security initiatives.10 Online reviews and social media discussions do not shape every consumers perception,but they have enough of an impact to warrant a prominent place in any
18、companys customer experience strategy.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Scoring Todays CX|Is Customer Centricity A Reality?Customer contact leaders can call it the era of customer centricity.Brands can declare their commitment to competing on the c
19、ustomer experience.Unfortunately,this talk,enthusiasm,and investment is not positively impacting reality.Customer experiences are not improving.Only 4%of consumers feel that their experiences with businesses have gotten much better over the past year.Even more troublingly,a staggering 57%feel experi
20、ences have actually gotten worse.In general,do you feel businesses have gotten better or worse at delivering customer service over the past year?Customer service has gotten much worseCustomer service has gotten somewhat worseNo changeCustomer service has gotten somewhat betterCustomer service has go
21、tten much better24.95%32.11%24.37%14.70%3.87%2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities6CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Whats Going Right(And Wrong)?What makes the lack of improvement so concerning is that experiences are already weak.Consumers are,therefore,not faulting brands for faili
22、ng to move from“good”to“great.”They are criticizing brands for allowing inefficient,impersonal experiences to persist at a time when customer centricity is supposed to be a driving force.Just 13%of consumers feel that experiences are highly personalized to their needs and expectations,which actually
23、 marks a regression from last years sum of 15%.The absence of personalization,notably,does not correspond with an emphasis on speed.Less than one quarter of customers feel their typical experience is quick or convenient,underscoring the dramatic extent to which brands are failing.They are neither re
24、specting customers time nor tailoring interactions to their unique needs.Success is also scarce for areas like predicting and proactively addressing customer needs(a common experience for less than 14%of consumers),going“off script”to support special customer requests(14%),using technology that enha
25、nces interactions(14%),and engaging customers in meaningful conversation(16%).In a startling testament to the present-day absence of customer centricity,more than 28%of consumers feel brands are doing nothing right.Consider your typical customer service interaction over the past year.Which of the fo
26、llowing would you say are true?None of the aboveThe experience was very quick,convenient,and easyThe experience was highly personalized to my specific needs and expectationsThe interaction was very conversational with a lot of small/personal talkThe business predicted exactly why I was getting in to
27、uch and immediately knew how to helpI was able to choose exactly where to interact with the business(phone,email,chat,etc)The employees seemed really happy,helpful,knowledgeable,and could empathize with my issuesThe company/employee went“off script”to give me a special resolutionThe technology used(
28、such as chatbots,mobile apps,screen sharing,etc)made the experience much better28.05%24.76%12.57%16.05%13.54%25.92%21.86%14.31%14.31%2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities7CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Persistent pain pointsAs they fail to deliver key value tenets like efficiency,p
29、ersonalization,proactivity,and friendliness,brands are subjecting consumers to numerous points of frustration.Nearly 66%of consumers,for example,say that they frequently experience long wait or hold times when interacting with brands.Other common pain points include having to answer too many repetit
30、ive questions(51%),struggling to reach a live person(50%),and spending too much time authenticating their identity(40%).The prevalence of these pain points should not catch any brand by surprise.Long wait times have consistently ranked as the biggest pain point since CCW Digital began conducting the
31、 Consumer Preferences Survey several years ago,and the other issues have often ranked near the top of the list.The real kicker is that these pain points are readily addressable in todays customer experience climate.Brands are supposed to be using proactive engagement and lower-touch digital options
32、to better manage contact volume and ensure customers who require agent assistance canget the help they need without delay.Brands are supposedto be using modern analytics and authentication solutionsto improve customer recognition,eliminate repetitivequestioning,and deliver quick and personalized sup
33、port.Since the tools and best practices already exist,brands have little excuse for not eliminating these long-enduring pain points.Consumers,in turn,have little reason to give brands a pass for underwhelming experiences.They meanwhile have every reason to condemn brands for failing to make noticeab
34、le improvements to their customer interactions and journeys.Which of the following challenges/issues do you often encounter when interacting with businesses(such as for customer service)?Long wait/hold timesHave to answer repetitive questions/share repetitive infoHave to spend too much time verifyin
35、g my identity(mothers maiden name,pets name,etc)Cant interact in the channel I want(example-I want phone,they only offer email)Difficult to get in touch with a live personDifficult to move between channel(example-its hard to start in email,then switch to phone)Customer support is slow,inconvenient,o
36、r difficult to accessEmployee/agent seems rude,unhelpful,or unaware of the best way to helpThey cant help me due to“policy”or other generic rules/scriptsI receive inaccurate or inconsistent information when speaking to different employees/checking different websitesFrequent transfers or escalationsT
37、hey seem too focused on selling/marketing,not enough on serviceNone of the above65.83%50.87%39.81%29.51%50.49%28.54%22.33%18.45%24.47%23.50%15.73%3.30%15.15%2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities8CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Is Agent Support Evolving?In a survey for CCW Digitals C
38、ustomer Contact Industry Review,contact center leaders revealed that todays agents require an unprecedented ability to deal with complex issues,work autonomously,go“off script,”and interact with emotionally hostile customers.The overwhelming majority of consumers,unfortunately,do not feel agents hav
39、e risen to the occasion.They have simply not seen meaningful improvement when it comes to agent warmth,knowledge,or empathy.A mere 11%,for example,feel agents are better at detecting and responding to customer sentiment.The numbers are similarly discouraging for knowing about customers and their nee
40、ds(16%),conveying excitement about their jobs(16%),thinking“outside the box”to devise resolutions(17%),engaging in meaningful conversations(17%),possessing essential product knowledge(20%),demonstrating warmth and friendliness(21%),or caring about supporting customers(22%).A troubling 33%do not feel
41、 agents have improved in any of these areas.This lack of agent growth is particularly problematic amid the evolving engagement landscape.With self-service options at their disposal for simple issues,the expectation is that customers will primarily rely on agents for complex,personal,or otherwise hig
42、h-stakes issues.In order to provide the requisite support,agents will absolutely require higher levels of product mastery and emotional intelligence.Their current abilities will not be enough.And insofar as the majority of customers are jumping through hoops and enduring long wait times just to spea
43、k to these agents,the fact that they are unable to provide stellar service is a real slap in the face.It is a direct affront to the idea of customer centricity.Consider the typical customer service agent with whom you interacted over the past year.Do you feel they have improved in any of the followi
44、ng ways?None of the aboveThey seem friendlier/nicerThey seem more willing to engage in a conversation/less rushedThey seem like they care more about solving my problemsThey seem more excited about their job and the company they supportThey seem like they know more about me/dont have to ask as many q
45、uestionsThey seem like they know more about the business and products they supportThey seem more likely to“think outside the box”and give me a resolution that isnt in the script/policyThey seem more aware of my anger/frustration and try their best to calm me down32.82%20.97%17.48%22.33%15.92%15.73%2
46、0.39%16.50%10.87%2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities9CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Is Service Becoming More Restrictive?Despite talk about economic uncertainty and budgetary scrutiny,contact center leaders maintain their commitment to exceptional service.More than 60%claim they
47、remain as(if not more)willing to go“above and beyond”for their customers.The majority of consumers do not believe the walk supports the talk.From their perspective,brands are indeed cutting corners.They are indeed saying“no.”A staggering 58%,in fact,say they have had a harder time getting refunds,re
48、placements,or special resolutions in response to their inquiries.It is worth noting that asking for a refund though more financially costly than a simple apology may not even constitute going“above and beyond.”It may simply be the appropriate response to a given situation.The fact that brands are mo
49、re inclined to resist providing refunds,therefore,negates any illusion of them providing exceptional service in todays economic climate.The resistance to refunds and make-goods is not,moreover,the only area in which consumers have noticed some cutbacks.More than 71%believe it has become harder to ge
50、t in touch with an agent over the phone.Whether due to the outright removal of phone options,the introduction of more complex digital journeys,or a heavier use of IVRs,brands have been preventing customers from engaging in a tried-and-true manner.They have been scaling back one of the absolute corne
51、rstones of the customer engagement process.Over the past year,do you think it has become harder to get refunds/replacements/make goods/special resolutions from businesses when something has gone wrong?Over the past year,do you feel that businesses have made it harder to get in touch with and speak t
52、o a live customer service agent/employee/representative over the phone?58.03%Yes41.97%No71.76%Yes,it has been harder to get in touch over the phone28.24%No,it has not been harder to get in touch over the phone2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|CX At
53、traction|What Can Brands Do To Win And Retain Customers?Clearly,brands are not delivering great experiences.They are subjecting customers to journeys that are heavy on difficulties and delays and light on relevance and convenience.Not simply disappointing in theory,this failure to demonstrate custom
54、er centricity is costly in practice.Todays consumers may not ignore price or product,but they absolutely consider the overall experience when determining which brands to support.Speed,Personalization,or Both?In the status quo,brands are neither meeting customer expectations for speed nor personaliza
55、tion.If they want to win customer satisfaction and loyalty,they need to deliver both.More than 90%of consumers say they are more likely to support a brand that delivers quick,easy,and convenient experiences.A nearly-as-significant 85%say highly personalized experiences have a direct impact on winnin
56、g their business.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities11CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Collectively,the statistics confirm that consumers are aware of their power.They know they do not have to settle for experiences that fire on some cylinders;instead,they can demand journeys that
57、are frictionless,personalized,predictive,and proactive.They can leverage the competitive nature of todays market to find brands that are willing to elevate all facets of the customer experience.Granted,if they had to choose,nearly 67%would choose speed over a deeply conversational experience.This do
58、es not mean consumers will ultimately waver on their demand for highly tailored experiences.Rather,it means that they value a more productive form of personalization.They are not necessarily looking for brands to“show off”what they know about customers in the form of frequent name-drops,excessive sm
59、all talk,and over-the-top conversations and gestures.Instead,they want brands to use their knowledge of customers to anticipate needs,eliminate friction,and deliver the most efficient and relevant support possible.Are you more likely to support a business that delivers quick,easy,and/or convenient c
60、ustomer experiences?If you had to choose between a customer service interaction that was extremely easy and quick or one that involved a really friendly and personalized conversation,which would you choose?Are you more likely to support a business that delivers customer experiences that are highly p
61、ersonalized to you and your needs?90.29%Yes9.71%No66.99%Id rather have the easy,quick interaction33.01%Id rather have the warm,friendly conversation85.44%Yes14.56%No2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities12CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|The Power of ValuesIf the goal is to build huma
62、n connections with customers,it stands to reason that a brands values not just the service experience it provides would impact satisfaction and loyalty.Validating this notion,a substantial 67%of consumers say that a brands public stances on polarizing issues will impact their support for a brand.For
63、 some,knowing that two-thirds of customers care about a brands politics will cause risk aversion.They will refrain from publicizing any stances,fearing that their position may do more than simply generate a few mean Tweets.It may have a legitimate impact on their relationships with customers.Others
64、will see silence as the riskier option.They will interpret the statistic not as a reminder to stay neutral but as a reminder that customers want to know and feel good about the people behind the brand.Without putting forth a real,human identity,they will inhibit their ability to meaningfully connect
65、 with customers.Consumers,of course,are not simply evaluating brands on the basis of their political views.They also care deeply about a companys actions,particularly when it comes to the employee experience.Nearly 84%of consumers say that knowledge of employee mistreatment would impact their willin
66、gness to support a brand.The connection surely speaks to the fundamental empathy consumers have for frontline employees.Just as they criticize“Karens for rudely confronting service employees,consumers are holding business leaders accountable for their treatment of the workforce.They know what it is
67、like to work in a difficult frontline job and they know what it is like to be unappreciated by management.If a brand will not do right by its employees,why should they reward that brand with their wallet share and loyalty?News of employee mistreatment may,moreover,signal potential customer mistreatm
68、ent down the road.If a business will not even protect its employees who come into the office or store and contribute every day,will it really go above and beyond for random customers with whom it may only ever interact a few times?Numerous brands have made headlines for taking stances on political,c
69、ontroversial,or otherwise polarizing issues.Does this affect your willingness to support the brand?If you found out that a business did not treat its employees well,would that impact your willingness to buy from/support them?67.12%Yes,a brands public stances/views/values impact my willingness to sup
70、port32.88%No,a brands public stances/views/values have no impact on my willingness to support83.50%Yes16.50%No2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities13CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Omnichannel In 2023|Where and How Do Customers Want To Connect?Customer contact industry trends do not
71、 always align with customer demands.Nowhere is this notion more obvious than within the context of the omnichannel revolution.As brands obsess over digital transformations and AI-driven self-service,consumers are showing an enduring presence for agent-led phone conversations.This does not mean brand
72、s should cease investment into their digital experiences.It does,however,mean they should consider slowing(if not ceasing)any initiative that leads to the elimination of live agent phone calls.The Persistence of the“Call Center”As a general rule,any brand that is eliminating or restricting access to
73、 live phone support is directly ignoring the voice of the customer.Phone remains the most trusted customer service channel,with 70%of consumers confident they would receive a resolution by calling.By comparison,49%and 43%of consumers have the same faith,respectively,in live chat and email.Trust leve
74、ls are even lower for messaging(29%),chatbots(20%),digital helpdesks(18%),and social media(14%).This general hierarchy,notably,holds across demographics.Even consumers under the age of 30 those who have had access to the Internet and mobile text communication for most(if not the entirety)of their li
75、ves resoundingly trust telephone calls more than any other option.Obviously,this finding does not mean most consumers the same ones who prefer texting and Tweeting in their everyday lives truly prefer calling for customer service.It does not mean that they secretly long for the days in which voice c
76、alls dominated the conversation landscape.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities14CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|More likely,it reflects an ongoing dissatisfaction with digital channels.Consumers simply do not feel they have access to the same caliber of support and the same caliber
77、 of resolutions and make goods when emailing,chatting,texting,or engaging with a bot.If brands were to make good on their promise of a digital transformation and actually elevate experiences within these environments,they would likely earn customer trust and change the aforementioned hierarchy.Once
78、customers become less reliant on phone support,brands can begin reaping the efficiency and scalability rewards of digital engagement.Granted,cultivating digital trust will not be an overnight endeavor.Brands have had years(if not decades)to perfect options like email and chat,but consumers still fee
79、l these channels are inferior to the phone.And though generative AI like ChatGPT is garnering hype for its potential impact on self-service,consumers are not yet certain it will drive the requisite transformation.Only 41%of consumers have become more willing to use self-service this year.Suppose you
80、 have a customer support issue.In which of the following channels would you trust companies to successfully solve your problem?Has the buzz over AI technology like ChatGPT made you more willing to use self-service(such as chatbots)for customer service or support issues?41.39%Yes58.61%NoPhone/voiceLi
81、ve chat(web or mobile)Chatbot/web self-serviceSocial mediaE-mailText/messagingHelpdesk/ticket systemInstructional videos70.43%49.42%19.65%14.40%43.19%29.38%17.51%5.64%2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities15CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Keeping The“Human”In“Human Connection”Consume
82、rs are simply unwilling to abandon their belief that customer service should,at least in some cases,involve a live agent.Nearly 95%expect access to a live agent in at least some cases,and 65%feel an agent should be available for most inquiries.This is not to say that customers are unwilling to use s
83、elf-service,but it is a reminder that brands cannot simply eliminate the live support option in an effort to cut costs or chase trends.If they want to maintain customer trust,they will provide an option to receive live assistance.If reducing consumer reliance on agents is possible,it will come via e
84、ducation on and confirmation of the value of self-service options.If consumers consistently experience irrefutable proof that they can receive the same quality of support(and same caliber of resolution)in a convenient AI platform,they would have no incentive to endure the waiting and repetitive ques
85、tioning common to live agent support.They would want to use self-service.Unfortunately,many brands are squandering this opportunity.Rather than working to get customers excited about self-service,they are simply forcing them into these channels.They are breeding resentment rather than enthusiasm and
86、 thus delaying customer adoption of a support option that should,in reality,be in everyones best interest.When you have a customer service issue,do you feel it is important for the business to at least give you the option to speak to a live customer service employee(via phone,messaging,live chat,etc
87、)?64.98%Yes,I want the option to speak to someone in most cases 29.57%I only want the option to speak to someone if the issue is difficult/personal/serious 5.45%I never feel it is important to have access to a live customer service employee2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities16C
88、USTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Next-Generation Engagement|How Does Digital CX Impact Trust&Reputation?The endurance of the phone conversation does not change the fact that digital engagement is rising to prominence.It does not negate the reality that how a brand engages customers across web,mobile,and
89、social channels can directly impact satisfaction,loyalty,and brand reputation.Must Low-Touch Mean Impersonal?The digital journey encompasses more than inbound support inquiries.It,notably,includes outbound notifications and marketing campaigns.Like customer service conversations,these forms of engag
90、ement also benefit from personalization.Unfortunately,many brands are missing out on this opportunity.Only 18%of consumers feel most of the brand messages they receive are highly personalized;37%rarely encounter personalization.Not simply a means of showing appreciation for a customer,personalizing
91、a marketing campaign is an important strategy for cutting through noise and driving conversions.With so many brands sending so many emails and texts every day,it will often take a highly relevant,highly personalized message to stand out from the crowd and inspire action.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Tren
92、ds,Challenges,&Opportunities17CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Think about the marketing and promotional emails and texts you receive.Do you feel like these messages/offers are highly customized to you,including your name,account status,preferences,past orders,needs,etc?18.29%They are highly personalize
93、d in most cases44.75%They are highly personalized in some cases36.96%They are rarely personalized18.29%Yes,I am confident they will protect my data AND only contact me when necessary24.90%I trust them them to protect my data,but I worry about them sending too many emails/texts/calls26.46%I trust the
94、m to only contact me when necessary,but Im worried about the security/privacy of my data30.35%Im worried about the security/privacy of my data AND the company sending me too many messagesCan Consumers Trust Brands To Personalize?A brands ability to personalize hinges on its ability to capture,unify,
95、analyze,and leverage actionable intelligence about customers.Brands will have no prayer of even accessing,let alone operationalizing,this data if consumers do not trust them to use it safely,securely,and tastefully.In the status quo,not all consumers have such faith in brands.A non-trivial 30%of con
96、sumers neither fully trust brands to protect their data nor refrain from excessive sales and marketing communication.Fearing an abundance of spam at best and a risk of fraud or identity theft at worst,these consumers will surely hesitate to share data with brands and thus inhibit the potential for p
97、ersonalization.When a business asks you for your phone number,email,or other personal details,are you confident they will use your data safely and respectfully?Just over 26%of consumers trust brands to send an appropriate quantity of messages but do not trust brands to protect the privacy and securi
98、ty of their data.About 25%have the opposing viewpoint;they believe brands will do a great job of protecting their data but assume they will engage in excessive communication.Only 18%of consumers,then,have full trust in how brands are using their information.Given the competitive advantage that comes
99、 from personalization,and given the impending death of third-party cookies,brands are utterly reliant on this information to design great experiences and engage in fruitful interactions.They simply cannot allow these trust issues to linger.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities18C
100、USTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|How Does External Communication Impact Brand Reputation?The idea of a consumer telling a few friends about their experiences with brands has always been on the radar.The idea of a consumers commentary reaching thousands or even millions of existing or prospective buyers,o
101、n the other hand,is a new product of the digital transformation.Thanks to the rise of review websites,message boards,and social media platforms,a customers positive and negative feedback has the potential to instantly go viral and immediately impact a brands reputation and ability to attract custome
102、rs.Do you trust online reviews to provide fair,honest insight about a given product or brand?Granted,not everyone obsesses over these external indicators of brand reputation.Only 28%of consumers,for example,trust most online reviews.Just over 57%percent trust reviews in select cases,while 15%do not
103、trust them whatsoever.Not everyone,moreover,expects brands to aggressively respond to these external conversations.More than 44%of consumers do not even feel it is important for brands to actively converse on social networks.Still,todays brands cannot ignore the reality that conversations are no lon
104、ger taking place on the companys home turf.Sentiments are being changed and reputations are being built on external platforms,and the most proactively customer-centric brands incorporate these conversations into their voice of the customer analysis.Do you feel it is important for a brand to actively
105、 engage with customers on social networks like Twitter,Facebook,Instagram,TikTok,etc?27.82%I trust most online reviews57.39%I only trust online reviews on specific sites/networks14.79%I generally do not trust online reviews56.42%Yes43.58%NoCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITALPRACTICALITY GUIDE2023 CCW MARKE
106、T STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Your Customer Loyalty BlueprintSuperior customer experience can be achieved by understanding and improving the customer journey,which these days is anything but linear.And it all starts with a solid foundation of data to analyze
107、.The challenge is that most companies primarily attempt to understand their customers via solicited feedback,such as surveys,reviews and more.Solicited feedback only covers a portion of overall feedback from your customer base.Without capturing and analyzing unsolicited data such as conversations th
108、at happen in your contact center or customer service center companies are missing out on critical information.The CallMiner CX Landscape Report indicates that 79%of organizations today are collecting most of their feedback through solicited means.So how do you collect the insights and feedback you n
109、eed to understand the true Voice of the Customer(VoC),and act on that data to improve customer loyalty and lifetime value(LTV)?The good news is that your customers are already sounding contact center channels,social media,and more.Its a matter of knowing how to analyze that feedback at scale to make
110、 it actionable.UNDERSTANDING THE OMNICHANNEL CUSTOMER JOURNEYCustomer journey mapping must gather data about every channel and touchpoint.Its critical to analyze every interaction to determine the quality of the experience at every stage of the journey.When its done well,customer journey mapping can
111、 help you:Understand how your brand,products and services,and communications are perceived by customers.You will get a sense of what drives their opinions,what earns their loyalty,and what pushes them away Figure out what parts of the journey are creating friction and how you can improve the experie
112、nce at specific touchpoints Identify opportunities for engaging customers at key pain points with content,brand interactions,and exposure Give your marketing,sales,and customer service teams the direction they need to create more compelling customer experiences Increase conversion rates by eliminati
113、ng obstacles and negative experiences Delight customers with exceptional service2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities21CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|HOW AI-POWERED CONVERSATION INTELLIGENCE CAN HELPAI-powered conversation intelligence analyzes customer interactions across all chan
114、nels at scale to enhance the customer journey experience and drive business improvements.It works by gathering and analyzing data from calls,emails,surveys,social,chat,SMS and more to gain clear visibility into an omnichannel customer journey.This technology analyzes interactions at the deepest leve
115、l,interpreting nuance and finding patterns that shed light on customer experiences,and pinpoint new areas of opportunity.CAPTURING ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE:NEXT STEPSSo,how do you take these concepts and act on them?Conversation intelligence can transform customer calls and multichannel interactions
116、into structured data.This provides insight into how well you engage with your customers and manage the quality of interactions.You can use this data to:Leverage omnichannel feedback from every interaction to better understand the customer journey.Combine analysis of solicited and unsolicited feedbac
117、k to gain a more accurate view of customer experiences.Create a strategy for improving the customer journey based on 100%of customer interactions,rather than just a sample.Rely on customer journey visualization to reveal rich insight about CX,from both customer and agent perspectives,across all voic
118、e and text-based interactions.Identify opportunities in real-time to improve customer experiences and outcomes.Use automation to simplify the process of gathering and analyzing data to drive better decisions.THREE KEY CUSTOMER INSIGHTS YOU CAN UNCOVER WITH CONVERSATION INTELLIGENCEHere are three com
119、monly used insights that can help you see your customers in a whole new light.1 Sentiment and emotion.Sentiment analysis continues to be an important standard within customer service.With the addition of emotional analysis,a more nuanced and complex picture of the customer can help refine your appro
120、aches.Sentiment is a powerful indicator but is often reflected in a one-dimensional answer to a question(Positive,Negative,or Neutral).Emotional insights can more quickly identify motivational indicators,such as loyalty,distress,or churn-likely behaviors.2 Contact drivers.Contact drivers help you un
121、derstand why customers choose to reach out,based on the customers perception of a certain issue or situation.In addition to contact drivers,you can drill down into frequency of contact,the root causes behind the interaction,and more,to understand the context of a customer interaction.From there,you
122、can share those insights with the proper team.Is a product issue causing an increase in calls?Share that internally for faster resolution.3 Call dynamics.From silence time to average handle time to agent quality scores,conversation intelligence can reveal important dynamics of each customer interact
123、ion.For example,on collections calls about financial matters,longer silence times can indicate that an agent is empathetically listening to a customers needs.On other calls,long silence times can be an indicator of a challenge or issue with customers that requires additional agent training.2023 CCW
124、MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities22CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|LEVERAGING CONTACT CENTER SUPERPOWERS TO DRIVE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS AND LOYALTYAccording to a recent survey,83%of consumers said they were more likely to purchase from a brand with which they had an emotional connection
125、.Building these connections starts with your contact center agents,who are on the front lines of omnichannel customer interactions.In doing so,you can identify and celebrate your top performers,while using key insights to improve coaching and training.Successful teams share these strategies:Rely on
126、customer feedback as a mechanism to offer agents the training and support they need to excel in their jobs Allow for bilateral feedback between agents and supervisors to reflect what parts of the training process are working and not working Take their training beyond QA score and KPIs.Reviewing actu
127、al customer interactions can provide real-world coaching opportunities and create a continuous feedback loop throughout an agents entire careerAnalyzing 100%of omnichannel interactions can reveal important opportunities for CX improvement.Insights include the motivations for why customers reach out,
128、the emotions behind their interactions,and how those emotions evolve throughout the customer journey.By using these insights strategically,your managers and supervisors can coach and train agents based on the strategies that have proven most effective with real customers.That doesnt always mean corr
129、ecting behaviors that are deemed ineffective or inaccurate.You can also leverage conversation intelligence to accentuate the positive with top performers and use it as a model for one-to-one coaching and training throughout the organization.ACTING ON CUSTOMER FEEDBACK Most organizations are awash in
130、 data,but what good is data if you dont act on it?According to the CallMiner CX Landscape Report,while every organization is collecting some data/feedback from their customers,70%say some improvements are needed to the ways their organizations use data to enhance CX.Customers want to know that their
131、 feedback is heard,understood,and being acted upon.Here are two examples of customer-facing initiatives that can be improved using customer feedback.Driving continuous product improvement.Many teams share contact center insights cross-departmentally to drive product improvements.That often includes
132、avoiding product safety and/or quality issues.In many cases,customer feedback can be used to design new products,services,or features.The goal is to leverage conversation intelligence like a focus group at scale.Improving brand experience and driving more targeted,relevant customer campaigns.How do
133、your customers feel about your brand campaigns,messaging,choice of spokespersons,and more?Understanding customers feedback on current campaigns is essential to refining them in the future.This is particularly important in the social media world,where customers can sound off about every brand decisio
134、n.In the event of a negative brand event,you can use conversation intelligence to detect“smoke”before it becomes“fire”in a crisis.CONCLUSIONThe events of recent years have caused customers to bond with brands they love,and quickly discontinue their relationship with brands they dont.Leveraging both
135、solicited and unsolicited feedback could be the key to unlocking additional insights that enable you to connect with your customers on a deeper,more emotional level,and improve every interaction with your brand.Forming emotional connections with your customers starts with your contact center.Custome
136、r feedback can inform coaching and training programs and improve employee experience.But employee retention and continuous improvement are just a part of the picture.Happy employees foster a culture of positivity,which shines through to your customers.Acting on customer insights and driving continuo
137、us business improvements could make a major difference in customer retention and expansion.The act of truly listening to your customers,as simple as it sounds,can work wonders toward building long-term loyalty and advocacy.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEE
138、KDIGITAL|Customers Are Shape-Shifting Service.Can your CX Transform with Them?Todays dicey economy could be ekk-onomics for quality customer care.Service cutbacks bruise experiences and brands,penalizing consumers and businesses alike.Astute organizations elevate CX with e-mpathetic engagements,prag
139、matic solutions and performance-driven operations.The pandemic stripped away civility from customer service.Satisfaction,too.Sometimes,CX got Xd out altogether.Left many wanting,soured by so-sorry experiences.Soon,customers said“so long.”Last year,service faltered again.According to Forrester:“CX qu
140、ality fell for 19%of brands in 2022the highest proportion of brands to drop in one year since the inception of the survey.”More than 96,000 U.S.consumers were polled,covering 200+brands in 13 industries.Forrester found customer experiences slid back to“early 2020 levels,reversing gains made in 2021.
141、”Not good.Today,customers still seek quality care.It wanes in the wake of worker shortages,though.Fueled by earlier mass resignations and ongoing layoffs.Inflation adds to the woes,whittling away already-sparse resources.A recession looms and businesses hesitate.Investments in better service lag and
142、 languish.DONT FORSAKE CXThe fallout:Companies and customers are caught among rising expectations,truncated services and a dicey economy.Squeezed,decision-makers again are tempted to pare customer care,seeing it as a cost center.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities24CUSTOMER CON
143、TACT WEEKDIGITAL|Not wise“even though customers expect more from digital and hybrid experiences,”as Forrester noted.Before shortchanging CX,its prudent to ask:“Whats the real expense to the business?”As points of reference,noted sourcesfrom academics to consultants to economistsestimate the actual c
144、ost between$62 billion to$1.6 trillion a year.Reasons range from poorly trained agents to not knowing customer needs to impersonal service.It all takes a toll.Its like the classic FRAM oil-filter commercial.“You can pay me now”for continuous care at a reasonable price.“Or,you can pay me later,”shell
145、ing out big bucks to repair subpar CX operations,win back unhappy customers and regain trust.Forsaking service excellence proved ill-advised during the pandemic.Knowing what we know today,similar moves(eh,mistakes)would only compound current problems.Angst isnt a business plan.Heres why:Great experi
146、ences are bedrock to any quality brand.Without them,you got bupkis.(Translation:nothing.)GREAT SERVICE DIFFERENTIATESAccording to Accenture:“As more brands compete for public attention and more options are readily available,CX provides a way to put your product and brand at the forefront.”Accenture
147、calls it“a life-centric approach.”Whatever the term,it requires businesses to adapt and anticipate consumer desires and demands,with their many twists and turns.Such an approach takes tuned-in,well-run operations that scale to ever-evolving needs.At its core is CX differentiation to:Blend AI and int
148、elligent agents for empathetic care.Deliver pragmatic solutions,both quick-turn andon-demand.Profit from CX realization with insightful,ROI outcomes.But please,dont regard them as passing market trends.Rather,see them as core strategies worth investing in and developing.Paths forward with immediate
149、and long-term value to:1Elevate experiences 2Earn repeat business 3Propel growth Lets look at them,one by one.EMPATHETIC CARE AI AND INTELLIGENT AGENTS To borrow phrase from chameleon rocker David Bowie,automation is“ch-ch-changing”CX operations.In this case,driving down costs and speeding up routin
150、e,repetitive requests.Bring on the stardust.Digitalizing common tasks makes sense to streamline services and free up resources for complex issues.Common uses include auto-emails for delivery updates.Knowledge-based responses for frequently asked questions.Basic bots for simple requestsand ChatGPT fo
151、r more-intricate exchanges.With labor shortages and inflation,CX automation finds itself in the drivers seat of many innovations and efficiencies.But its not an auto-pilot for all real-world engagements.And it has issues of upfront costs,ongoing upkeep and limited flexibility.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|C
152、X Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities25CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Most of all,automated service isnt a standalone solution.Not yet,if ever.Forbes reported:“Remember,AI doesnt mean eliminating human involvement altogether.As customer behaviors and sentiments change over time,even the most optimized cu
153、stomer service workflows can become obsolete.”BEST OF BLENDED AI/IA WORLDSAdvanced as it can be,artificial intelligence,or AI,should complement intelligent agents(IA).Blending the two improves customer engagements and business outcomes.High tech and high touch as one.Think of them as omniCX or Cconn
154、ected,compassionate capabilities.Blending artificial intelligence and intelligent agents gives customers the best of both worlds.For instance,McKinsey&Company states:“Even before customers get in touch,an AI-supported system can anticipate their likely needs and generate prompts for the agent.”Throu
155、ghout the customer journey,McKinsey points out how tech-enabled agents make more-informed decisions,producing better results on the spot.This ensures quick,quality care.In a COVID-altered world,the stakes for one-on-one CX relationships have risen.To cite Quadient:“85%+of customers are willing to pa
156、y more for anexceptional customer experience(CX)“92%of customers will leave a brand after 2-5 poorexperiences(PwC)“87%of business leaders tag CX as their top growthengine(North Highland)”Well-balanced CX knows when and where AI and IA work best.Customers welcome the autonomy of self-service.They als
157、o expect to segue to live agents for prompt,personalized service.Best deliver it.Investments to Make:Recruit intelligent agents who excel at technology.Ensure they are AI-savvy for smooth handoffs.Educateagents to resolve complex issues when IT falls short.Enable them with insider knowledge for work
158、arounds forgreat CXlike getting a U.S.traveler home from Mumbaiduring a monsoon.Hire professionals with the emotional intelligence toidentify with your customers.Ensure their personalitiesmesh with consumer personas.Check to see if their lifeexperiences relate well to those theyll serve.And besure t
159、o humanize every customer interactiondigitaland hybrid.Continue developing agents once onboard to solidifyCX skills,reduce attrition and deliver nonstop continuity.Invest in strategic learning,notably tech advances,foragents 30,60 and 90 days into client programsandbeyond.This reinforces learning,bu
160、ilds confidence andstrengthens teams.PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS FLEXIBLE AND ON-DEMANDThe pandemic turned customers into shape-shifters,with ever-changing wants and needs.Whatever form they take,CX operations must adapt.Thats what a crucible event does to business.But who can fault customers for feeling fo
161、rsaken?During the crisis,companies slighted or ignored them.Hold times lasted hours.Calls dropped,or worse,were never answered.Satisfaction tanked.Memories remain vivid.People now are livid because bad experiences keep happening.A 2023 CX viewpoint nails it:“Its Time To Stop Blaming The Pandemic For
162、 Poor Customer Experience.”Rick Watkin,a Forbes Technology Council member,wrote:“Ive been disappointed in the caliber of customer service as the pandemic unwinds.So far,there hasnt been a rebound to pre-pandemic levels,and thats troubling.”Customers are having none of it.Their expectations today are
163、 E=Everything.Every time.Everywhere.No exceptions.And businesses had better figure out how to deliver themall three at once.As proof,Watkin cites the HubSpot Annual State of Service 2022,polling 1,400+CX leaders worldwide.He noted“93%of customer service teams say customers have higher expectations t
164、han ever.”No surprises there.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities26CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|ON-DEMAND,QUICK-TURN SOLUTIONS To perform and please,businesses are reimagining CX solutions in short order.Development is accelerated.Implementation compressed.On-demand and quick-tu
165、rn are the new industry standards.This occurs as in-house teams,short-staffed or overwhelmed by outside events,turn to business process providers to address pressing issues and fill gaping service gaps.Case in point:A headline-making service snafu that occurred during the recent holiday season.In la
166、te December,a well-respected airline experienced a system-wide operational failure.Complications from a crippling winter storm and a scheduling software breakdown created a huge customer-support backlog.On New Years Day,the provider laid out a plan to address the problem.Heres a snapshot of its scop
167、e and the flexibility of the fix delivered.Agents Onboarded Recruited and educated more than 1,000 agents in the clients support-ticket operations in only a few days.Cases Resolved Closed 250,000+open cases in less than five days.Completion rate was projected at 10 cases an hour.Provider increased i
168、t by 50%closing,on average,15 cases every 60 minutes.Accuracy Achieved In all,more than 95%of closed customer support tickets were solved correctly.Pinpoint precision and large-scale productivity were success factors.While this proved to be an extreme case,sound CX principles of speed-to-service app
169、ly to all business issues in any industry.Be it epic demand or everyday expectations,operations need to be calibrated to perform at the appropriate levels as a matter of course.No more pandemic-laden excuses.Change-Ups to Consider:The demand for quicksilver service solutions is increasing.Before the
170、 pandemic,a month or more of preparation was normal.The airlines dilemma required immediacy.But its not an isolated instance.Companies from different industries,such as consumer services and retail,are making similar,rapid-response requests.That raises the question:Can your operations scale to deliv
171、er on-demand CX?Most CX problems are predictable.So,put them on a continuum,from average to extreme.Color accordingly.Cool blue and calm green on the left.Anxious yellow in the middle.Hot orange and red on the right.Now,align your CX solutions.Are there enough resources?Are they balanced?How fast ca
172、n they mobilize?Its a simple exercise to see how well your ops are positioned to perform.When was the last time you stress-tested your service operations?Strained them,almost to the breaking point.Be wise to do it before the worrying begins.And yes,resources,both staff and funds,are strapped.And man
173、agement(as always)needs convincing.Do this:Storyboard a brand-bruising CX scenario.Detail the falloutdollars and damage.Make it real.Then,show how to get it right.CX REALIZATION PROFITING FROM CUSTOMER SERVICEIn business,realization refers to revenue generation.For example,a private-equity firm on i
174、ts website lists long-term investments in growth companies.There,the word“realized”appears under many of them in a bold,blue bar.A public acknowledgment of a prudent return on investment(ROI).CX operationseither in-house or outsourcedcould be assessed the same way.ROI realized or not.Such thinking r
175、equires foresight and commitment upfront to make it happen.Too often,though,customer service is seen as a cost center.And overhead is a guillotine word.Reductions are happening en masse now with inflation cutbacks and widespread layoffs.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities27CUST
176、OMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|CROSSROADS OR CROSSHAIRS?Understandably,business leaders find themselves at a crossroads.Or,perhaps in the crosshairs.Because they are:Delaying important decisions.Curbing much-needed services.Shortchanging their customers as a result.(Pandemic dj vu.)Thought through,quality
177、 CX can ease this anxietyand turn a profit at the same time.The idea has long legs and its relevance spans decades,impacting all industries.In 1994,the Harvard Business Review(HBR)published a piece entitled“Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work.”Harvard Business Review:The better the service,the
178、more the business profits.The premise came downand still doesto this:The better the service,the more the business profits.Done right,CX is indeed valuable.Better yet,invaluable.Reprising the point,HBR published the piece again 14 years later,stating the thinking“offers as much today as it did then a
179、nd is a perennial best seller.”EVERGREEN BUSINESS BENEFITSToday,Google customer service as a profit center and validation appears from the likes of industry analysts Gartner,Forrester and others.All outline the evergreen business benefits.Good business sense should make profitable customer service s
180、tandard operating procedure.Case in point:At recent field-service medical roundtable,leaders gathered to talk about the viability of CX and associated costs.Represented were leading healthcare companies,such as Abbott Laboratories,Medtronic and Neurostar.Discussion questions focused on:Is customer s
181、ervice profiting your company or is it seenas overhead?Are service operations advancing the business orholding it back?Are you using superior CX to differentiate yourself fromthe competition?Where would you invest in customer service to improveperformance and profits?Would you be open to on-demand C
182、X to free up in-house resources and grow the business?Judging from the responses,the topic is top of mind among healthcare professionals.And no doubt,its being discussed in other industries,too.Takeaways from the roundtable included:1Factoring in costs for time and material of service-related work t
183、o project ROI.2Identifying revenue-based differentiators to warrant customer-service investment.3Assessing satisfaction to triage service issues to achieve measurable improvements.For weight and worth,align CX performance against annual corporate objectives.Track to metrics that resonate throughout
184、the business,such as margins for operating profit and net profit.Add to them customer-service measurements of retention and satisfaction.Together,they offer a more in-depth,insightful outlook to service business plans.What to Do Next:Prioritize CX investmentsfrom AI to IA to IT.Decidewhat differenti
185、ates and fund it,with likely ROI.Applythe axiom:What gets measured gets managed.Justmake sure the metrics will matter to senior leadership.And dont wait.Indecision could mean“further talentattrition,customer dissatisfaction,and even loss ofmarket share,”McKinsey advised in its 2022 State ofCustomer
186、Care.To shed the cost-center label,why not seek BPO counsel?No harm,no foul to ask.Have a service provider run the numbers.Solicit several.And this shouldnt be an exercise to reduce in-houseCX operations.Rather,its meant to complement themby assessing resources,validating costs and offeringoutside v
187、iews.It could,in fact,make the case to fundand run CX as a profit center.For grins,draw a line on a page or screen.On thebottom,pinpoint costs as they occur during a customerjourney.On top,mark the places where opportunitiesexist to be profitable.Estimate each one.Then,comparethe numbers,refining th
188、em until the projected,top-rowprofits exceed the expenses below.A straightforwardexercise,provided you command all the CX costs tocalculate it.Working Solutions is a recognized leader in onshore,on-demand contact center services.Its virtual workforces in the United States and Canada deliver business
189、 process outsourcing(BPO)for clients and their customers.Diverse industries served include consumer services and retail,healthcare,utilities,travel and hospitality.Learn more at .2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Earn Loyalty and Lifetime Value by
190、Perfectly Combining Digital and the Human TouchYour customers have no idea what an“omnichannel experience”is.But they doif unwittingly demand a perfect one.A recent study showed that 50%of repeat customers who call a business expect that it knows their purchase history and 30%expect that you know wh
191、y theyre calling.More shocking is that nearly a quarter of customers who have never done business with you before expect that you know why theyre calling and that youre aware of their online activity that preceded their call.Really,this shouldnt be so surprising.While“omnichannel journey”may not be
192、in the average consumers vocabulary,they are smart,informed,and technologically savvy.They know that companies use their data in myriad ways to target them with adswhich naturally leads them to frustratedly ask“Why arent you using this data to serve me better,too?”It makes your customers feel manipu
193、lated and unappreciated when it seems that youre only using their valuable data for your gainnot to make their day-to-day easier.Amazing experiences should be the goal of every organization that cares about customer loyalty,reputation,and lifetime value.Its what ultimately drives customer retention,
194、not just acquisition.Nearly three-quarters of customers will leave after just one bad experience.Since the competition is only a click away,you cant afford to turn them off with a fragmented,frustrating,and impersonal omnichannel experience.You have to combine the best of digital experiences and the
195、 human touch,meet customers where they are,and make it all seamless to earn their loyalty.In this brief,we will show why this matters and how it can be accomplished.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities29CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|THE CONTACT CENTER IS NO LONGER A COST CENTERWe
196、ll-hidden phone numbers,long hold times,and IVRs that try to push callers back to the website from whence they came can make talking to a human as easy as tracking down the holy grail.This makes many consumers feel like companies dont want to talk to them and,traditionally,thats true.The contact cen
197、ter has long been viewed as a revenue drain where low-value inquiries and service requests pour in and no revenue comes out.The goal was to limit customer interactions and keep costs as low as possible,frequently at the expense of the customer experience.Today,that view is misguided,if not downright
198、 dangerous to the bottom line.In a recent survey,we found that nearly 70%of consumers will call at some point in the buying journey when making a high-stakes purchase.Were not talking about buying toilet paper here,but high-ticket items like cars,mortgages,healthcare,and home improvement services.Co
199、nsumers wont tolerate any bad experiences and youre losing them to the competition by dodging them like a bill collector when they call.In fact,this survey found that the phone is the most preferred communication channel when consumers are having a problem making a purchase and need help,and more pe
200、ople preferred to call than the year before.The contact center should be seen as a mission-critical investment,not a place to cut costs.It could well be the only human interaction that your customers have with your brand when they make a purchaseand it could be the one measure with which they judge
201、the character of your company.THE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE IS ALSO CRITICAL TO CXOf course,before a customer calls,money has it that they discovered and researched your products online.There are a lot of reasons why potential customers might call,both positive and negative.About 30%are just more comfortab
202、le completing complex purchases over the phone,which is a great opportunity to bring in that human touch of helpfulness,knowledge,and empathy.However,its very disconcerting that nearly 1 in 3 said they called because they couldnt find what they were looking for online.The last reason you want leads
203、calling is because of a bad online experience.Youve already got off on the wrong foot with a customer who may have wanted to make a purchase or get help online.And if the call experience doesnt 1,000%blow them away,you can expect them to walk away instead.ONLINE-TO-CALL EXPERIENCES MUST BE SEAMLESSB
204、UT COMPANIES STRUGGLE TO PULL THEM TOGETHER.Your online and phone experiences cant live in vacuums,but unfortunately,they often do.With this disconnect comes disastrous customer experience consequences.As we said before,when a customer switches channels and calls,they expect that you know something
205、about them.Their name,what they had in their online cart,if they are a current or former customerand they want you to know without asking.Most consumers know how rare this level of personalization across the omnichannel journey is,though.Not only do they have to give the contact center agent all of
206、their information,but if theyre transferred or disconnected,theyll probably have to repeat it again and again.Many companies fail at providing a satisfactory omnichannel customer experience because digital data is firmly siloed from the contact center.Marketing and digital experience teams often liv
207、e across the world from each otherliterally and figuratively.When the digital teams that drive leads to the phone arent working in concert with the sales and contact center teams that handle the calls,the experience will inevitably be fractured.DEMOCRATIZE CUSTOMER DATA ACROSS THE ORGANIZATIONThis f
208、ailure to connect the full omnichannel journey is part technological and part cultural.On the cultural front,there has to be a commitment to driving success with shared data and KPIs.Take for example marketing and contact center sales teams.Without a culture of collaboration,there will inevitably be
209、 the old marketing and sales blame game.Sales says marketing is sending bad leads,marketing says sales are failing to close on perfectly good leads.A culture of collaboration and working together with shared data creates transparency that negates the blame game.When both sides can see the same exact
210、 datawhat campaigns drove the calls,what the context of the call was(e.g.was it actually a sales call or customer service),who answered it,what the outcome of the call was,what revenue resulted from it and so onboth sides can work come up with solutions when something isnt working the way it should.
211、2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities30CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Take Windstream Communications,which provides premium broadband,entertainment,and security services to residential and business customers,as an example.When they began using Invocas conversation intelligence plat
212、form,they didnt just implement it in marketing for attribution and in the contact center to QA calls.They used the technology as an opportunity to create a culture of collaboration and shared success across both teams.“Most companies treat marketing and sales as church and state,”said the Vice Presi
213、dent of Sales,Lorenzo Clark.“But we saw an opportunity to change the relationship dramatically.We went from greeting one another in passing to becoming joined at the hip.”Without conversation intelligence,Windstreams contact center sales and marketing teams would not have a shared data set to work f
214、rom.But without also implementing a culture of collaboration,they could not have executed it and seen the success that they did.GIVE AGENTS DIGITAL DATA TO PERSONALIZE EXPERIENCESThe need for digital customer journey data goes all the way down to the agent level.In a recent survey,we asked contact c
215、enter agents what information is the most useful to have before starting a conversation with a customer.Besides their name and phone number,agents want to see:41%-What products/services theyre interested in 30%-What web page they were looking at before calling 29%-What items were in their online sho
216、pping cart before calling 28%-What ads/promotions they saw before calling 24%-If they abandoned an online shopping cart before callingHaving this kind of information at hand before the agent even says“hello”gives them the context that they need to provide empathetic,personalized,and rapid service.Fo
217、r example,DIRECTV uses Invoca PreSense to connect the digital journey to calls and provide sales agents with a screen pop just before the call is connected that gives them valuable information,like who the caller is,any digital ads they may have engaged with,the webpages they visited before placing
218、the call,and if theyre a repeat caller.“It allows us to inform our call center rep of exactly what the user was doing on the website before they called,”said Mark Loovis,Sr.Director of Marketing Technology at DIRECTV.“When they have access to this data,and I dont say this hyperbolically,their conver
219、sion rate goes up 100%.”Watch this video to see how it works.With this digital journey data,the agents can proactively understand the callers needs,pull up the relevant information,and tailor the conversation accordingly.This not only results in a significant increase in sales,but it also greatly im
220、proves the customer experience and reduces average call handling times.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities31CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|USE OFFLINE CALL DATA TO IMPROVE DIGITAL EXPERIENCESYou know that customers are calling.You probably know how many calls come in,your AHTs,co
221、nversion rates,and CSI scores.But do you know why those people are calling?Probably not,and that can create issues for the contact center,CX,and marketing teams.What many overlook is that contact center data can actually be used to improve digital experiences and call experiences in one fell swoop.W
222、hen you have full visibility into the digital-to-call journey,you can determine exactly what driving leads and customers to call.From there,you can determine what calls you actually want to drive,and make sure that only people who want to call are doing so.For example,there can be a UX problem with
223、your online shopping cart that is causing people to call and complete their transactions on the phone.On the surface,this may look like a success with lots of conversions going through the contact center.But whats actually happening is digital friction forcing people to call who would rather convert
224、 online.This causes both a bad experience for the customer and increased costs for the contact center.Though customers may point this out to the contact center agent,that information could take a long time to reach the digital team that needs to fix it.Many leading brands use conversation intelligen
225、ce technology to connect the digital journey to calls so they can quickly and easily pinpoint friction points in the digital journey,enabling more leads to convert online and reduce call volume.This frees up the contact center to focus on the most high-value leads and customers.Additionally,when you
226、 can see what drives these high-value leads to call,you can provide them with a more seamless,personalized call experience that makes them more likely to convert.AI IS UNDERUTILIZED IN THE CONTACT CENTER,BUT NOT FOR LONGTo fully complete the data loop between the contact center and the digital journ
227、ey,AI and conversation intelligence technology has to be a part of the CCaaS tech stack.As it stands now,the technology is sorely underutilized.In a recent survey,we found that only 20%of contact center managers report using an AI-based solution to analyze calls,and 33%report using conversation inte
228、lligence technologynearly the same number that utilizes manual call listening to analyze calls.Of course,listening to calls manually is a labor-intensive,incomplete,and ineffective way to QA calls.But it also provides zero opportunity to correct for customers who nearly always start their journey on
229、line before calling.This also presents a huge opportunity for forward-looking companies that want to acquire more long-term customers and build customer lifetime value.Of the contact center managers we surveyed,85%said they were likely to implement a conversation intelligence solution in the next ye
230、ar.With a teetering economy looming,you cant afford to be second to the finish line when it comes to connecting your digital journey data with the contact center and providing an unparalleled omnichannel experience for your customers,whether they know what that is or not.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Tre
231、nds,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|AI has leaped onto the scene this past year new tools like generative AI have highlighted the potential for new technology in reducing tedious tasks,enhancing creativity and supporting innovation.Trained on large sets of data to address a var
232、iety of use cases,individuals have been engaging with the technology in their personal and professional lives to simplify their routines and support their workflow.As more and more users leverage generative AI,the potential for it to revolutionize the way we communicate,work and live has become a li
233、kely reality.However,concerns about its prominence and increasing intelligence has also prompted a new wave of discussions over the use of AI technology.Although it has been critical for quite some time,the new influx of generative AI tools has given individuals a clear look at how powerful artifici
234、al intelligence can be.While it certainly has the potential to redefine contact center operations,AI also has the ability to enhance our human capabilities.Therefore,implementing its features to create processes that improve connection and support relationship building is critical as companies consi
235、der adding AI to their tech stack.According to CCW Digital research,41%of leaders expect generative AI to have a major impact but have not yet started investing.Outlining strategic priorities and keeping humans at the center of innovation will ensure all investments align with the goals of the organ
236、ization.As we see customer expectations continually increase,companies need to leverage tools that give agents the ability to establish genuine interactions that keep customers coming back.Prioritizing AI will ensure that companies understand their customers and empower agents to deliver meaningful
237、support.Here we cover the top 4 ways modern AI technology will help brands become more human.The Top 4 Ways AI is Making Brands More Human2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities33CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|#1:AI AND AGENT RETENTIONTodays customers are increasingly seeking more ex
238、ceptional,seamless and personalized support.Expectations are consistently rising,marking the need for sophisticated technology and customer-centric strategies.Niki Lotte,Director of Product and Services Marketing at Talkdesk shares,“In todays on-demand economy,customers are increasingly digitally sa
239、vvy.A growing majority expect to be able to engage with companies on the channels they prefer,whether thats voice,digital,self-service,or a combination of all three.They also expect companies to know who they are,the context of their shared business relationship,and the details of any prior service
240、interactions that may be relevant.”Customers now want all-encompassing support and they expect companies to leverage their data to improve interactions and personalize their service experience.But,how do companies achieve that level of support?By retaining their top agents and empowering them to do
241、more.Lotte states,“contact centers are grappling with increased customer demand and difficulty maintaining optimal staffing levels,as well as internal pressure to cut or control costs.Its a situation that can quickly develop into a negative feedback loop,as understaffed contact centers lead to frust
242、rated customers,which in turn contribute to agent burnout and attrition.”Without a team of high performing,engaged agents,brands will never be in the position to meet customer needs.And companies recognize this when asked about the most important competencies for agents this year,92%stated that deal
243、ing with complex issues was a top priority.Additionally,going off script to provide more customized and meaningful support was also necessary for contact center agents.Therefore,prioritizing tools that give agents the context,insight and confidence to improve interactions will be critical this year.
244、AI can support these initiatives;by automating routine interactions,agents can shift their focus to more complex and high stakes cases.This transition to taking on more analytical work will keep agents engaged and invested in contact center operations.Once agents understand the impact they have on t
245、he customer experience,and move away from tedious,inefficient tasks,they will be eager to grow and develop in their new roles.AI offers a pathway for more engaging work and eliminates the need for tasks that bog down the agents workflow.This keeps agents on the pulse,delivering more human-centered,e
246、mpathetic support.#2 AI HELPS LEADERS MAKE SMARTER,CUSTOMER-CENTRIC DECISIONSAI isnt just a tool for the frontline;implementing automation means that all facets of the organization benefit from comprehensive insights,increased efficiency and enhanced analytics.While it is obviously an asset for mome
247、nt-to-moment decision making,AI can also act as an intelligent infrastructure,helping organizations drive strategic and impactful change.With tools like speech analytics,leaders can understand what customers are saying at a granular level.By capturing and transcribing every customer interaction,orga
248、nizations can identify key moments and points of friction to enact meaningful improvements.Ensuring companies understand the root cause of customer frustration is critical for leading transformation efforts.Lotte states,“From the ability to intelligently support agents in real-time as they interact
249、with customers,to unlocking insights hidden throughout millions of customer conversations,the potential for AI to improve performance and decision-making in the contact center has officially arrived.AI agent assistants,interaction analytics,and automated QM are providing CX leaders with new ways to
250、improve the customer experience at scale,rather than relying on human intervention and small samples of data.”More complete and intuitive data also means that organizations can optimize contact center metrics.According to CCW Digital research,boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics is one
251、 of the key challenges keeping contact center leaders up at night but with a clear view of the customer journey,companies can begin to remodel interactions to enhance satisfaction across the board.With AI-powered insight,leaders can make decisions with the customer at the center.In accessing every d
252、etail and pattern in customer behavior,leaders will be equipped to implement change that aligns with the customers deeper needs.And ultimately,keeping the customer at the forefront of change keeps the business human.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities34CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGI
253、TAL|#3 AI WILL REDEFINE THE CONTACT CENTERGenerative AI has been hailed as a revolutionary technology that has the potential to change the way we work but not in all of the ways that you might think.While customer-facing chatbots like ChatGPT have been most visible as a customer-facing tool,AI imple
254、mentation will also be incredibly useful in redefining the structure of the contact center as a whole.Sophisticated technology like artificial intelligence truly has the potential to give agents more purpose and help them refine their role as customer experience analysts.Niki Lotte at Talkdesk share
255、s a prediction for how the agent experience may change,“As the contact center evolves,the role of contact center agents could fall into two categories:high-value agents and steering agents.High-value agents would handle the more intricate conversations that require empathy and a human touch,while st
256、eering agents would oversee a team of virtual agents or bots,helping them stay on track and stepping in when necessary.This concept of the steering agent-overseeing multiple conversations held by virtual agents across various channels simultaneously-credibly offers cost savings for businesses and fa
257、ster,friction-free interactions for customers.”AI can help organizations add meaning to the standard agent role.Currently,contact center leaders state that complex systems and knowledge bases are preventing agents from focusing on building connections.This is alarming as customers increasingly expec
258、t more from their customer service interactions.To make things worse,40%of companies say that they need to control costs and are now less inclined to go above and beyond for their customers.Creating a system that empowers agents to shift their focus to more complex conversations will not only improv
259、e interactions but also empower them to go the extra mile for all customers.If brands cant give their frontline the tools to go all-in for their customers,they will be unable to meet customer expectations and diminish satisfaction and loyalty over the long term.Additionally,as a steering agent,indiv
260、iduals can enhance self-service interactions and ensure that customers are receiving the highest quality,most accurate support no matter the channel.Keeping a consistent focus on the human elements of experiences will keep agents engaged and promote a more intuitive and seamless experience for custo
261、mers.CCW Digital research confirmed that 67%of leaders are planning on creating a team responsible for deploying and managing chatbots and other AI tools,making this new position a likely reality.Ultimately,redefining the contact center means that leaders will finally establish a culture that empowe
262、rs agents to take on more.With all of the tools and insight needed,agents will be in the position to build relationships and develop meaningful connections.#4 AI IS HUMAN-CENTERED INNOVATIONAlthough AI may seem like a highly technical,sophisticated tool,it is ultimately powered by humans.The most ex
263、citing part of the generative AI boom is the fact that it is led by the thoughts,words and ideas of humans.Therefore,keeping your employees tuned in to the technology and preparing them to train AI is a critical part of its course.Author Sue Halpern states,“.everything offered up by GPT is a reflect
264、ion of us,mediated by algorithms that have been fed enormous amounts of material;and both the algorithms and the material were created by actual sentient human beings.”When training AI,leaders are teaching it to interpret data and learn from it to continue to operate most effectively.It is essential
265、 to open the AI black box for non-AI experts to train and fine-tune their models to ensure outputs are fair and equitable for all customers,accommodating for specific accents,speaking cadences,and clusters of words that easily direct customers to specific or specialized support.Keeping humans,and sp
266、ecifically your frontline employees,at the center of that process will ensure that AI is working at its highest capacity.This human-centered approach is important to contact center leaders CCW Digital confirmed that 72%of contact center leaders said that having AI that is easy to update,tune or cust
267、omize is essential for improving the caliber of self-service.AI tools that leverage low or no-code technology empower organizations to keep humans in the loop.And,with no technical expertise required,frontline employees can embed their knowledge to improve AI models and enable humans to fill in the
268、gaps that machines might miss,keeping the technology on track to align with their deeper needs.According to CCW Digital research,61%of leaders state that their employees have concerns over how AI will impact their job and workflow,but with greater control of how the technology operates,agents can tr
269、ust that the improvements will be meaningful.Keeping humans in the loop is critical for keeping the customer and agent at the center of everything you do.AI is meant to simplify the agent experience and prioritizing the needs of the employee and their workflow is the most important goal as you look
270、to implement new technology.Keeping employees at the forefront will heighten engagement,satisfaction and loyalty as agents are able to take command of the customer experience.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities35CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|CompanyChallengeSolution&ResultJK Mov
271、ing ServicesJK Moving Services,the 2021 Independent Mover of the Year,needed to move beyond their legacy PBX and call center solution that offered little visibility into call traffic.The team was unable to call back customers who hung up before reaching an agent or leaving a message,resulting in a 6
272、4%abandonment rate.The team lacked solid metrics to track accountability,and there were no call recordings or quality assessments which limited their ability to improve sales performance with coaching.This resulted in a low rate of lead follow ups and close rate of new customers as well as a loss of
273、 new business.By adding Talkdesk CX Cloud to their sales process,automatic callback options resulted in a 41%increase in first contact resolution.Talkdesk Studio flows for voicemails lowered supervisor escalations by 30%as agents can now respond quickly.The increase in the number of agents to handle
274、 growing call volumes led the team to move from spreadsheet-based scheduling to Talkdesk Workforce Management.This has helped to increase revenues by 74%and repeat business has risen dramatically.WaFd BankFounded in Washington state in 1917,WaFd Bank is a retail and commercial bank operating 200 bra
275、nches in eight western states with$22 billion in assets.After redesigning their online banking platform,they needed to modernize their customer care center.This was solved by moving from an on-premise,high-maintenance Cisco solution with dated features that would not enable the bank to scale while d
276、elivering on their vision of providing a superior customer and user experience using state-of-the-art technology and ease-of-use tools.With Talkdesk Financial Services Cloud WaFd Bank invested in a purpose-built,automation-first CX platform and leveraged their existing investment with Amazon Lex.Wit
277、h this partnership the bank transformed their customer experience while also significantly accelerating time to value for their investment.As an example,traditionally a balance inquiry would take up to 4.5 minutes to complete.With Talkdesk,customers authenticate themselves via voice biometrics(using
278、 Talkdesk Identity)and can get their balance in 28 seconds,a reduction of almost 90%.The bank is poised to realize potential cost savings around$1M annually with a conservative estimate of 20%of call deflections for the voice authentication component alone.Chief Technology Officer,Dustin Hubbard sta
279、ted,“Were excited to bridge the gap between our bankers and customers with the help of great technology.By innovating,were able to reduce fraud,anticipate needs,and help make WaFd a digital-first bank.”GlinttGiven the nature of healthcare,its extremely important for Glintt,Global Intelligent Technol
280、ogies,to respond as quickly and effectively as possible to their customers.Glintt needed an improved contact center solution to better serve the more than 2.500 pharmacies in Portugal,600 clinics and 430 hospitals that use their solutions and services 24/7.Glintt chose Talkdesk because it offered fa
281、ster responses,a cloud-based solution and strong reporting functions on contact center agent workflow.In the first seven months of 2022 they reduced the average waiting time by around 30 seconds,the number of abandoned calls by 4%and increased the SLA by 22%.They added an algorithm that routes custo
282、mers to local agents;this is a powerful use of AI that theyve found incredibly helpful.Customers feel better understood when speaking with local agents,and they leave on a happier note.Glintt also achieved more insight into agent availability and other metrics,which helps drive optimal staffing.2023
283、 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&OpportunitiesCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Making CX Technology Future-Forward By Developing Customer Contact KnowledgeThe customer experience is one that over time grows in not just value,but quality.Todays customers are able to engage with brands,marketing ca
284、mpaigns and care agents directly through a variation of communication touchpoints.Omnichannel,digital and advanced technology have made CX more personalized,data-driven and accessible than any other time in customer contact history.Across industries,identifying ways to improve and expand CX efforts
285、is now critical to developing long-term customer relationships and offering equitable customer solutions.Despite its legacy as a long-standing element of customer contact,CXs automation and operational functions are fairly new,dating back to just the 1960s.But in those 50 years tools like chatbots,g
286、enerative and predictive AI,video and social media have emerged,turning the customer experience into not just a concept but a business venture for organizations looking to solidify their influence in the marketplace and rise through the ranks as customer contact leaders.Good learning and leadership
287、in CX are marked by anticipation of upcoming trends,product evolutions and digital transformations.At the same time all learning comes with a curve,with that of customer contact being a steep one as customer needs,concerns and priorities progress over time.Such progressionswhile ideally customer-cen
288、tric and service focusedhave short and long term impacts behind keyboards and beyond boardrooms.C-Suite executives and contact center agents alike are tasked with not just keeping up with the pace of CX,but also trouble-shooting issues that lead to low retention rates,customer dissatisfaction and mi
289、saligned tech distribution across departments.In this market study,CCW Digital will share case studies exemplifying how cloud contact center solutions provider NICE supports clients in developing a more streamlined and informed approach to building CX success while minimizing setbacks in customer co
290、ntact.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities37CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|CAPITALIZING ON CX TECH IN THE CONTACT CENTER ARE BECOMING MORE CHALLENGINGAND MORE REWARDINGFOR EVERYONE Over the last decade the customer experience has transformed,embracing digital opportunities to dive
291、rsify the customer journey and assist agents in creating meaningful connections with consumers.However,this digital transformation has been greatly accelerated as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic in recent years.As a result both companies and customers have reported feeling overwhelmed by seemin
292、gly endless omnichannel offerings,an abundance of communication touchpoints,and steep learning curves on both sides of CX.Although digital has its allure for some consumers,others may prefer more traditional customer contact means of engagement.Organizations that go all-in on digital put a definitiv
293、e end to in-person,phone or mailing options may unintentionally ostracize those whose customer data concerns,disabilities,economic circumstances or lack of technological familiarity might minimize their ability to engage with brands in a more future-forward way.Walking that fine line between CX of t
294、omorrow and CX of today is what will allow organizations to leverage their customer connectivity.And while this advice may seem sound or even simple,meeting customers where they are at in their purchasing journey will mean different things for every organization looking to improve their CX operation
295、s.Knowing how to strategize and harmonize these communication touchpoints is what will provide the greatest level of success to not just customers current and future,but agents and employees who are on the front lines of customer contact.How can organizations minimize the difficulties agents and cus
296、tomers face when encountering digital,without backstepping the progress thats already been made in the CX space?Proper integration and presentation of digital tools in the contact center are key to not just improving the customer experience,but improving the agent experience as well.CCW Digital rese
297、arch shows that agents aim to:Engage with empathy.Work fluidly across channels.Use omnichannel tools solve complex problems.Develop product expertise.Collaborate across departments.Collect and share meaningful feedback.While omnichannel communication and even cloud-based communication have the poten
298、tial to support agents in the contact center,employees miss out on fruitful digital EX when the tools and technologies organizations adopt dont come coupled with adequate testing,training,allocation and application.Up and coming CX technology may be a hallmark of“successful”operation,but they become
299、 a hindrance to both companies and customers when agents are at a loss on how to deploy additional aspects into their daily workflow.Fragmentation and inconsistency in customer service strategies can lead to employee attrition,capital loss and lack of consistent customer presence in the customer con
300、tact pipeline.CX tools in their simplest form are designed to assist and support the customer service sector and be a source of agent empowerment,not replace the agent experience and automate the sense of purpose that so many people are looking for in a digitized and sometimes desensitized business
301、landscape.Approaching digital CX tools,cloud computing and CCaaS platforms as opportunities for agents to take ownership of CX is what will allow them to excel in the contact center.For any organization,being ready and willing to build internal trust and empowerment means inviting conversation,colla
302、boration and transparency into the contact center space.This looksand sounds like:Increasing agent visibility in the c suite and encouragingtheir inclusion in journey-mapping discussions.Requesting,exploring and enacting agent feedback inregards to cx tools,trends and personal challenges.Considering
303、 varied perspectives,professional skillsets and personal experiences as they relate toemployee engagement,company culture andworkplace performance.Inviting agents as product end-users to test drive newcontact center products and identify which ones feel mostintuitive and appropriate to agent and cus
304、tomer needs.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunities38CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|In what ways can companies recenter and reframe digital CX tools and technology towards agent empowerment,education and retention?GENERATIVE AI IS THE NEXT STAGE OF CONTACT CENTER TECHNOLOGY,AND HUMAN
305、IZING CX WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO ITS SUCCESS IN DIGITALEven in its earliest stages,generative AI has shown astounding promise in its ability to retain,remember and compartmentalize customer data in ways that can aid agents in better customizing the services they provide.In the current state of artifici
306、al intelligence,tools like ChatGPT are all the rage and organizations are working quickly to not just understand generative machine learning,but adopt it in their CX strategy as a selling point to customers,agents and end users.However,some executives and customer care providers see tools like ChatG
307、PT as a threat to the future of customer service and are concerned that it would automate the human element of CX by overriding and overdeveloping the“emotional intelligence”behind both customer service and the employee experience.Additional fears relating to security,data privacy and misinformation
308、 fuel some organizations hesitation to get behind generative AI CX offerings.Even with pushback against AI abound,NICE has been able to not just identify,but amplify how tools like ChatGPT can be utilized in the contact center through offerings like Enlighten Actions,which allows organizations to cr
309、eate smart and humanized CX through the integration of Enlighten AI and Generative AI.ChatGPT and similar tech models operate off of a one-size-fits-all philosophy and can be applied to innumerous circumstances,issues and inquiries.NICE recognizes that AI can only be an asset in the contact center i
310、f it can comprehend the nuances of the relationships that develop,exist and persist between brands,customers and agents.To that end,Enlighten Actions is a differentiated purpose-built AI for CX,that encapsulates billions of CX interactions with the broad,generative models used to build ChatGPT.Enlig
311、htened Interactions doesnt just understand CX,but it knows CX,offering a more humanized digital experience for end users.NICEs cloud communication product offers users actionable,digestible brand-specific information that provides structure in a technological field that,at times,appears not to have
312、any.How can contact centers integrate generative AI into agent engagement and workflow management in ways that improve data aggregation and better inform communication touchpoints?In addition to adopting generative AI models,many contact centers struggle to identify clear use cases for them and buil
313、d CX strategies around AI as a tool through which agents can receive 360-degree views of the customer journey,real-time guidance and omnichannel support.When misinformed,misguided by human influence or improperly identified as a CX-centric tool,generative AI can pose a danger to not just contact cen
314、ter workflows,but customer data and product development as well.With tools like Enlightened Actions in their CX toolkit,organizations can overcome the hurdles generated by this new phase of automation,by providing education,security and skill building opportunities to agents.PERSONALIZATIONS MONETIZ
315、ATION OPPORTUNITIES WILL EXPAND,AND CUSTOMERS WILL DEMAND TRANSPARENCYA personalized experience is essential to the customer journey,and a marketable customer experience is key to building a consumer community.But in the digital age,now more than ever are consumers aware of how marketing,sales,custo
316、mer service-specific promotions and ad campaigns are designed to appeal to their interests and attract their purchasing power.Customers are looking to engage with brands that are sincere,transparent,and also reflect their own valuesand theyre not afraid to speak out against organizations who dont fi
317、t that criteria.With the rise of technology that can predict text,pre-determine copy content and even identify when in the customer journey a potential consumer will press“purchase,”organizations are looking to prepare themselves for a high-tech,high-cost customer engagement opportunity.Every intera
318、ction that a customer has with a product,platform,or person informs their customer journey.That data is not just economically valuable in terms of helping guide consumers to their preferred product,but it aggregates information that can further personalize the customer experience.On the contrary,all
319、 this access to advanced technology and the sensationalism that accompanies it leads customers to latch onto the strategies those brands looking to get ahead of the curve are using.Although automation breeds increased output when it comes to CX,some customers describe that streamlined process as one
320、 that produces misplaced verbiage,tone,or even communication touch points on the part of the customer service agent or chatbot.Additionally,consumers report feeling as if theyve fallen prey to a marketing ploy as opposed to a customer experience.2023 CCW MARKET STUDY|CX Trends,Challenges,&Opportunit
321、ies39CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Those organizations looking to separate themselves from competitors when it comes to monetizing personalization must first develop internal workflows that support employees in that process.At NICE,helping companies empathetically and proactively personalize the cust
322、omer journey is standard practice.The solutions provider offers assistance,tools and services that target:Knowledge management.Customer journey analytics.Quality management.Sales execution.CX management.and more.Each of these areas is essential to prioritizing personalization.Bringing each one to a
323、level of value that doesnt just break even on investments,but churns a profit for those customer contact call centers looking to add value to their CX.What areas of CX personalization can companies improve upon when it comes to monetizing customer engagement?Delivering the genuine and transparent CX
324、 that customers so-value is a goal that goes beyond tech support and future-facing investments.Its something that even without all the bells and whistles can be done so long as institutions lean into the human aspect of the customer journey and center their efforts around the very qualities that mak
325、e customer contact such a dynamic and intricate industry.The interpersonal connections company leaders,agents,and customers makeas employees,as end users,and as brand advocatesare the aspects of customer contact that drive CX and personalization.Taking the natural,organic human response to those int
326、eractions into account when utilizing technology and identifying opportunities for monetization is what will make CXdigital or otherwiseshine in the contact center.When it comes to appreciating and leveraging the human aspect of CX,it all starts well before the customer makes their first order or le
327、aves the checkout line.Every ad,social posts,word-of-mouth message and agent interaction sets a precedent for what type of experience a customer will receive,as well as to what degree of personalization their customer journey may be.Its doubtful that generic interactions devoid of emotion,intel,focu
328、s,care or excitement will be the ones to attract,engage and attain customers.However,exposure to content that speaks to varied world views,consumer needs,diverse personalities and multiple use cases for a companys product will yield the greatest success in turning personalization into a purchasing p
329、ower move on both the side of the company and the customer.Moreover,it isnt just CX-focused content that draws the customer in and drives the personalized experience:its the“agent”themselves in whatever form customers come to know them.Whether its a self-service system,chatbot,or email platform,the
330、ability to connect with a customer care agent who can not only understand consumer needs,but identify with and prioritize them is what will set sub-par CX apart from stellar support and care.Hiring,training and supporting individuals who view customer care as not just an employment role,but an oppor
331、tunity to connect,become ambassadors and reinvigorate the idea of the personalized customer experience is a surefire way both sell personalization,remain transparent and stay true to the organizational mission.CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION WILL BE CUSTOMER CONTACTS BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND CLEAREST PA
332、TH TO SUCCESSWhen it comes to CX,cross departmental collaboration can become a pain point over time.Organizations have many factors to consider when shaping their internal and external operations,including but not limited to:Hybrid/remote working models.Distribution of responsibilities across teams.
333、Different systems/platforms in use.Employee skill sets.Geographical limitations.Communicating pertinent or even urgent information that will help improve product quality and customer interactions is essential to providing good service,but many companies are still grappling with how to manage these many moving parts.In many instances,oversightbe it too much or too littlecauses internal communicatio