UC Advanced - issue #10

CONTACT CENTRES

Delighting the Customer Integrating unified communications (UC) and contact center (CC) solutions into a single platform can enhance customer experience (CX) by providing agents with access to comprehensive customer data and enabling seamless communication across various channels. This integrated approach not only improves operational efficiency and agent productivity but also leverages AI tools to personalise services, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction and retention.

Adam Wilson, Director of strategic partnerships (EMEA & APAC) at cloud communications provider Vonage gives UC Advanced his views on enhancing the customer experience. Remotely disjointed Remote work models have transformed the contact centre landscape. Not only do the majority of agents now work remotely, call and message volumes are on the rise. Whilst some studies have found that remote work benefits agents and boosts staff retention rates, it can also result in disjointed communications that hinder productivity and disengage customers who are used to near-instant customer service. Outdated telephony systems can be the kiss of death for enterprises: they cause higher operational costs and create unnecessary roadblocks for agents which waste both the customer’s time and yours. Businesses that are looking to enhance their CX offerings should begin by taking a look at the way their teams communicate with customers and with each other.

for excellent service. But in order to provide differentiating CX, businesses must be able to meet customers on their own terms. Customer communication preferences vary significantly between individuals, but the most important factor, arguably, is age. For example, customers under 40 prefer to chat with businesses via social media platforms, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, whereas those over 40 prefer phone calls. When businesses invest in omnichannel they can communicate on the customers’ preferred platform, providing a mutually beneficial service which shortens call times and collects granular customer data for agents to leverage when handling tickets. More data also means more insight for your business, which can be used to streamline your customers’ online journeys and your agents’ workloads. However, to take full advantage of omnichannel, services offered must be fully personalised. That means 24/7 self- service for those who prefer automated services, bespoke recommendations and reminders for customers,

Adam Wilson Director, strategic

partnerships (EMEA & APAC)

vonage.com

Evolving customer service The first step to delivering effective

and agents who have access to all relevant customer information from the moment a ticket is opened. Omnichannel personalisation

customer service is to unify your business communications into one simple platform: combining disparate unified communications (UC) and contact centre (CC) solutions into one platform will provide your agents with a comprehensive view of all customer and agent interactions, giving them the tools they need to provide quick and detail-driven services that win the trust of your customers. Customers understand the value of good CX. Despite the global cost-of-living crisis, research has shown as much as one third of UK customers are prepared to pay more

has been seen to increase revenue by up to 15%¹ – and, crucially, prevents customers from

turning to a competitor,

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