A well-known term used in the customer service area is contact center. In this article, you’ll learn what it is and how it works, as well as how to set up a contact center in your company.
What is a contact center?
The contact center is a platform that integrates different channels of communication between company and customer, such as telephone, email, online chat, social networks and other channels that can be used according to each company’s objectives. In a simpler definition, we can say that the contact center is related to a model of
multichannel
l.
In addition to the traditional call center, which is focused only on offering contact by telephone, the contact center offers a broader and more comprehensive approach to customer service, incorporating various means of communication.
Several studies have proven that customer service is a very important factor in the customer experience. In this context, this more efficient and comprehensive service model has come as a tool to improve the customer experience.
To give you an idea of the importance of good service in the customer experience, a study by OpenText reveals that around 65% of consumers say they would switch to a competitor after just 1 or 2 bad experiences with the brand. This percentage rises to 88% after 3 bad experiences.
Therefore, the functioning of the contact center can have a direct impact on the customer experience and, consequently, on the success of the company.
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What are the differences between a call center and a contact center?
The differences between a call center and a contact center are mainly related to the variety of communication channels. Below we list some of the characteristics that differentiate the two service models:
- Communication channels
As we have already seen, the contact center covers various communication channels, such as telephone, e-mail and online chat, offering a multi-channel customer service. The call center, on the other hand, focuses on receiving or making calls via telephone to offer customer service.
- Approach
Another feature that differentiates the two service models is the approach. While the call center is focused on solving specific customer problems over the phone, the contact center can not only solve problems brought up by the customer, but also perform consulting, technical support and even sales functions through a variety of channels.
- Flexibility
The contact center is a more flexible service model, since it allows customers to choose which contact channel they want to be served by, which offers greater convenience and contributes to a more personalized experience. The call center, on the other hand, is more limited and focuses exclusively on telephone service.
What are the benefits of the contact center?
There are many benefits that a contact center can bring to a company and its customers. Some of them are:
- Multi-channel service
The main benefit related to the contact center is the multichannel service model, which allows customers to have several options for contacting the company. This way, customers can choose whether they want to receive service via telephone, email, online chat, social networks, WhatsApp or any other means of contact that the company makes available.
- Greater operational efficiency
Another benefit of the contact center is improved operational efficiency. By distributing and managing customer interactions between different channels, the company is able to optimize the work of agents and technology in favor of customer service. This way, customer service operations become more fluid, there are no overloaded call centers and waiting times can also be reduced.
- Improved customer experience
Improving the customer experience is one of the most significant benefits of the contact center. The possibility of offering customer service through various channels results in greater convenience and flexibility for the customer, contributing to more satisfactory experiences with the company. In addition, the operational efficiency provided by the contact center also brings faster resolutions for the customer, which can make their experience even better.
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What are the signs that you need a contact center?
To understand whether implementing a contact center is ideal for your company, some factors must be observed and taken into account. Here are some of the signs that you need a contact center:
- Low NPS
If your company is consistently receiving a low score on the Net Promoter Score (NPS), a metric that measures customer satisfaction, it can be a clear sign that customers are not satisfied with the service offered by the company. To reverse this situation, your company can invest in implementing a contact center, providing customers with various interaction channels and improving the quality of service.
- Many complaints about service
Receiving a lot of complaints from your customers about service is also a sign that there are problems in customer communication, which can be solved by implementing a contact center. So if your customers are often dissatisfied with the service you provide, it’s time to implement a more efficient and comprehensive model, and provide a more satisfying experience.
- Need to optimize service
Another important factor to note is the optimization of service. If your company is facing challenges in managing customer interactions, such as long waiting times, unresolved problems or very complex and bureaucratic processes during service, it’s a sign that you need to optimize. The implementation of the contact center will make it possible to distribute interactions between the various channels, helping to optimize communication and improve the quality of service.
- Increased demand for service
As the company grows, so does the demand for service. In this sense, it is important to observe whether the call center is sufficient to meet all the demand for service in an agile manner, or whether the waiting time is exceeding what it should be. If the waiting time for service is high, if customers can’t be served, expanding to a contact center can be the ideal solution to deal with the increase in the volume of interactions.
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How to have a contact center in your company
By now, you’ve understood that offering good service is essential to providing a good customer experience. And in this mission, the contact center is the multichannel service model that brings benefits such as service optimization, greater operational efficiency and improved customer experience .
But implementing and managing an internal contact center is no simple task and can be very costly, as it requires the recruitment of specialized professionals, equipment, systems and other essential tools. With this in mind, many companies choose to outsource the contact center and enjoy a great advantage in reducing costs, especially with employees and work equipment.
What’s more, when it comes to customer service, relying on a specialized company can provide better results and contribute to an even more satisfactory customer experience.
To set up a contact center and offer multichannel customer service, your company can count on Scooto, customer relationship center which transforms the relationship between people and companies by humanizing sales, prospecting and support based on data analysis and a focus on solutions.
Contact a Customer Services specialist
to set up your company’s contact center
.
