Businesses altered their consumer experiences throughout the pandemic. Here are some of the changes that will last long after COVID-19 has passed.
Many firms changed how they communicate with consumers as the COVID-19 situation unfolded in early 2020. The changes were obvious, whether it was important safety measures, a stronger internet presence, or curbside collection.
However, as time passes, it becomes evident that some of those modifications will persist long after COVID-19 has faded away because customers have changed.
Trends in outsourced call centers in the post-covid era
1. Touchpoints using new technology
Channels including live video chats, mobile messages, and in-app talks will continue to be popular in 2021 due to new technologies. Rapid delivery will become critical as a result of this and clients with short attention spans.
2. Expect high call volumes for the foreseeable future.
According to research that looked at 150 million calls from six different sector verticals, high call volumes are projected to continue to grow, particularly in the healthcare/pharma, eCommerce, and food delivery industries. Unpredictability inbound and outgoing calls are anticipated to persist as Covid-related services and announcements become more widely available.
3. More proactive and anticipatory customer journeys
Customer experience has been crucial in deciding loyalty for 60 percent of customers since the pandemic. Customers are acutely aware of their surroundings, and nothing goes overlooked. Consistent client service will become increasingly important. Inconsistencies will cause suspicion, prompting people to seek alternatives.
4. Empathy takes the spotlight.
No matter how sleek and solid the technology is, a wonderful customer journey is impossible without empathy and human relationships. As a result, a one-size-fits-all strategy for outsource domestic call center must be replaced with a more thorough grasp of consumer requirements.
5. There is a need to improve staff engagement.
A positive agent experience is a positive consumer experience! Employers must maintain appropriate employee engagement and emotional connection to be 100 percent productive when workers work from home, maybe forever. This will very certainly need to be incorporated into a company’s strategic plan.
6. Employee retention will be key
Simply, agent turnover is costly. According to digital marketing specialists, employee replacement costs around one-third of an employee’s compensation. Not to mention the enormous amount of time spent on training, onboarding, and developing client relationships. As a result, companies should do all possible to prevent agent burnout.
Conclusion
2020 is, without a doubt, hindsight! The worldwide pandemic’s lessons will continue to be learned long into 2021 and 2022, simply because the aftermath of covid-19 will continue to affect all of us — customers, employers, and employees – for the foreseeable future.
The post-covid world is still struggling to find its balance. It continues to be tense and tumultuous. While call centres should strive to achieve and exceed performance goals, this should not come at the price of the customer or staff experience.
