2021 trends in the call center industry

The pace and challenges faced by the contact center managers today are steeper than ever before. Keeping sales numbers up can be a struggle while you're adjusting to digital transformation and the growth of remote work, dealing with rising public expectations of consumer service and generally keeping afloat in (we hope) the late stages of the global crisis of COVID-19. Call center software solutions can help, but what's really crucial is to be on top of multiple trends in call center management.

Here, we'll take a look at four of the biggest trends call center managers can expect to deal with in 2021.

1. AI is just part of the toolkit

The pace of innovation has transformed many trends in call center technology from novelties to commonplace realities in very short periods of time. There is perhaps no more striking example of this than artificial intelligence (AI), which has established itself as a crucial timesaver for managers in just a few short years.

Many features that are now standard expectations of call center solutions are driven by AI. Without long hours spent coding customized algorithms, businesses can access features like:

  • Automated and intuitive call routing
  • Fast aggregation of customer data for agents
  • Predictive customer service scripts

AI has established a strong foothold in call centers as a way of making interactions with clients and prospects consistent and constructive. We can fully expect its presence in the market to continue expanding in 2021.

2. Analytics are essential

One thing that call centers can be absolutely relied upon to do is generate reams of raw data about interactions with your customers. Capturing, parsing and gleaning knowledge from all that data has become an indispensable resource for effective management.

Analytics allow businesses to evaluate data by certain metrics and draw meaningful insights from it. The use of analytics allows:

  • Targeting of sales and customer retention opportunities
  • Real-time tracking of team and agent performance
  • Dashboard-based summaries of your key performance indicators (KPIs) and other critical statistics

The effective usage of predictive analytics can reduce operational costs, increase your productivity and improve your whole decision-making process.

3. Omnichannel is the new normal

As screens and devices have multiplied through the public sphere, the ability to centralize and optimize the way businesses reach customers has become highly prized. The idea is to provide a consistent experience for the consumer no matter what touch point they're using to reach out to you.

Most consumers want omnichannel service from the brands they interact with. For that reason, it's not surprising that the number of communications companies seeking to support omnichannel has risen dramatically. We can look for those numbers to continue to grow in 2021.

4. Cloud communication in call centers has arrived

Fully functional cloud communication for call centers uses cloud-based platforms that support virtual contact centers and remote agents, letting them all work together in much the same way they do in a location-based call center. As remote agents and teams became more common during the COVID pandemic, this approach took hold.

It's likely to stay, since it cuts overhead and allows flexible global recruitment of talent, making it an ideal tool for the modern agile business.

The above is an introduction to the contact center future trends that will shape the industry. Contact the professionals at 8x8 to learn more about how to keep your call center ahead of the game.