Next-generation contact centers use natural language processing, artificial intelligence and computational linguistics to interact with customers. These centers help companies apply an omnichannel approach to service, deploying the digital or in-person assistance that best complements the situation. They also enable customers to engage with companies through the channels of their choice, and even shift between channels without losing context or continuity.

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Customer Experience Tools and Trends

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By deploying human expertise to the service issues that need it most, next-generation contact centers promote more meaningful interactions—and happier customers and employees.

How companies use next-generation contact centers

• Deliver a seamless omnichannel experience. Companies are using next-generation contact centers to deepen their interactions with customers, both in person and online.
• Route calls and address concerns more efficiently. Next-generation contact centers can identify the potential reason for a customer’s call, whether it’s a recent fee on a bill or slower-than-expected service. That allows the company to route the call to a service representative with the right expertise.
• Reduce interaction costs. Digital tools can help companies process more customer service queries faster and at lower expense, allowing them to direct costlier human expertise to the most complex situations.
• Improve security and fraud prevention. Next-generation contact centers use tools such as biometric authentication and voice-print technology to increase privacy and reduce the risk of fraud.
• Facilitate meaningful artificial intelligence interactions. Customer service is one of the most attractive opportunities to test and mobilize artificial intelligence—a potentially intimidating endeavor for many companies. Next-generation contact centers often provide the right infrastructure for artificial intelligence. 

Key considerations with next-generation contact centers

Companies that want to transform their contact centers need to consider the following factors:

• How to deploy their best employees’ skills. Companies must know which episodes and experiences could benefit most from the attention of their top employees, rather than a more automated approach, and how many customers those employees should serve.
• The complexity of their service requirements. Companies must understand how their episodes, products and channels work together. The more complex these relationships are, the bigger the opportunity to streamline and benefit from a next-generation contact center investment.
• The technology infrastructure required. A company must have sound data architecture and governance before it can launch the technology needed to run a next-generation contact center. From there, companies must develop expertise using real interactions to improve the technology.