Consumer preferences change; they always have and always will, but it is important as a business leader to monitor these changes so you can stay on track with your level of service and provide a great customer experience.
What’s changed recently, mostly in the last three years, is consumers choosing to do business with companies that make them feel valued. They are no longer spending money with brands that don’t hold themselves accountable or fail to cater to specific needs, such as customer service communication preferences.
The speed at which these services are provided is also important today. For example, company websites cater to customers almost instantly with a feature on their website that answers basic questions, something a chatbot is perfectly capable of doing. Yet there are times when the question is much more involved and requires an actual person to assist.
The Importance of Human Interaction
When you partner with a contact center with the staff availability you need, customers can phone in, avoid long hold times and have a conversation with agents who can help meet their unique needs.
As one interviewee said in this Forbes article, “Talking to customers is a privilege. Not every business function has the opportunity to build relationships, foster loyalty, drive lifetime value, and strengthen the bond between the customer and the products and services they buy. Companies that invest in the contact center and customer experience will see increased revenue and acquisition. That’s why contact center agents – the ones who speak with customers on a daily basis – will be seen as an organization’s secret weapon in 2023.”
A community engagement professional chimed in, too, saying that as 2023 progresses, more consumers “crave human-to-human interactions for customer service” and they expect them to be available when needed. This level of service often cannot happen in the in-house call center scenario where there are staffing shortages and high turnover rates. But when you outsource to a professional contact center where staffing needs are not an issue and employees stay longer, your customer experience sees better outcomes.
At Protel BPO, we’ve established a formula for success that includes hiring the right people, training them so they have the tools they need to succeed, monitoring performance, rewarding achievements and helping our clients grow their relationships with customers.
We know the customer experience can only flourish when the customer is connected to someone who has the answers and a passion for helping others. If that’s something you’re looking for in your quest to improve the customer experience, contact us and let’s talk about how we will become an extension of your brand.
