Workforce Management Featured Article
ISG Report Finds Contact Centers Accelerating Adoption of New Tech
Information Services Group (ISG), a leading provider of business research and market analysis, today unveiled the 2021 ISG Provider Lens™ Contact Center – Customer Experience Services Global report, which analyzes how contact centers have utilized new technology in the post-pandemic era.
The last year and a half has not been kind to the labor force as a whole, but contact centers have had a notoriously difficult time adapting to the challenges of the pandemic. Combining a limited labor pool, as well as a higher degree of remote customer activity, contact centers have been burdened to provide top tier service while simultaneously managing unprecedented call volumes.
It seems that many business leaders are attempting to fix this issue by incorporating new technology, such as conversational AI,social media support, and self service features, to assist both call center employees and customers while working remotely. Additionally, companies are also forming new relationships with business process outsourcing (BPO), in order to manage customer calls with a dispersed workforce. According to the ISG report, the annual contract value for BPOs jumped by 48% in the first half of 2021
“The changes that have swept the business world over the past 18 months have made companies recognize the need for new technologies and business models,” said Jim Kane, leader, ISG Contact Center Solutions. “Many are transforming their customer care in partnership with outsourcing providers.”
One of the silver linings of the post-pandemic era is that executives now understand that remote/hybrid technology has made it possible to work without limitations from virtually any location. This could have a positive impact on contact center operations, which have a notoriously high turnover rate. By allowing contact center agents to work effectively from home, along with the integration of self service options for customers, the position may become much more attractive for job seekers in the reopening economy.
Edited by Maurice Nagle
