Trends

customer-service-agent

Essential Customer Service Outsourcing Trends for 2022 and Beyond

The customer service outsourcing landscape is constantly evolving. And since the pandemic lockdowns have drastically changed how we work, it’s more important than ever to keep abreast of global trends. With this knowledge, organisations can adapt quickly if and when the next disruption arrives.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and autonomous Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

While A.I. has been a trendy topic in customer service outsourcing for quite a while, RPA is slowly but surely following in its footsteps. RPA is a technology that allows software bots to mimic human actions to complete specific tasks such as data entry and simple complaint resolution.

RPA reduces the customer service staff’s workload and minimises the risks of human error. In an industry where even the slightest mistake can cause considerable work disruptions, having an RPA is a highly desirable feature for businesses looking for customer service outsourcing partners.

Chatbots and Niche Talent Acquisition

One of the products of A.I. technology is the now ubiquitous chatbot. They’re computer programs designed to simulate human conversation and are on almost every platform these days. They are becoming increasingly popular in customer service outsourcing because they can handle simple customer queries quickly and efficiently.

However, customers can easily pick up on whether they’re talking to bots or a real person and prefer the latter. This is why customer service outsourcing providers are now turning to niche talent acquisition to find customer service reps with the right skill set in working with A.I. bots to find custom solutions to complaints.

Rising Demand for Tighter Cybersecurity Systems

It’s no secret that the customer service outsourcing industry has been hit hard by data breaches in recent years, leading to a massive rise in demand for customer service providers that can offer tighter cybersecurity systems.

Data breaches often occur because customer service reps have access to sensitive customer data, such as credit card numbers and contact information. This data can then be sold on the black market or used to commit identity theft.

To protect their customers, customer service outsourcing providers are now investing in advanced cybersecurity systems, such as two-factor authentication and encryption. They are also conducting regular training sessions for their staff on identifying and preventing potential cyber threats.

Shift to Omnichannel Customer Service

Customers are everywhere, making it challenging to keep up with customer service tasks across multiple platforms. To help manage these challenges, omnichannel customer service has become the new standard. It’s a customer service strategy that utilises multiple channels, such as phone, email, live chat, and social media to provide customer support.

The goal of omnichannel customer service is to provide a seamless customer experience regardless of the channel that the customer is using. Going omnichannel for customer service has become essential because customers now expect to be able to reach customer service reps through multiple channels, and they get frustrated when they have to repeat their query numerous times.

Utilising Data Analytics to Personalise Customer Service

Data analytics has been a boon for customer service outsourcing providers for a long time now. It allows them to see customer behaviour patterns and trends, which helps them to provide a more personalised customer experience.

For example, organisations can use data analytics to identify customer pain points and develop solutions to these issues. They can also be used to create targeted marketing campaigns and upsell/cross-sell products and services.

It’s quite apparent that data analytics will only become more prevalent in the industry as it provides customer service providers with a competitive edge.

As the world slowly learns how to resume work in a world where a pandemic can disrupt everything, customer service outsourcing providers need to be on the lookout for new trends to offer their clients the best possible service. These are some of the most important global market trends in the industry that providers should be aware of.

What other customer service outsourcing trends do you think we’ll see in the coming months?