Gone are the days of cramped booths and corded phones. Today’s contact centre has evolved with the times, and advances in call centre technology enable agents to deliver exceptional customer service every time.

These innovative digital tools in customer service provide tech-driven efficiency that ensures companies like yours can provide on-demand, personalized, and omnichannel service to all customers, regardless of their time zone or location.

Call centres use numerous digital tools to power their operation and meet customer demands. The following are the core call centre technologies that every modern contact centre uses:

• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): This replicates landline functionality by enabling feature-rich and high-quality calling over the Internet. This technology enables unified communications involving calls, SMS, voicemail, and fax.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Management) integration: This captures invaluable customer data like support tickets, customer preferences, etc., to enable agents to personalize calls by getting the right context of the situation.
• IVR (Interactive Voice Response): This is an automated attendant that greets customers and intelligently routes their call to the right department using voice prompts and menu options. This forms the first impression customers have of your support.
• Skills-based routing: This automatically routes customer inquiries to the right agents to prevent misrouted calls and dissatisfied customers. For example, billing inquiries are sent to billing agents, while technical issues are sent to tech support.
• Call queuing: This helps manage customer expectations regarding delays and hold times when call volumes exceed agent capacity. This includes music or hold messages, callback options, automatic call distributors, and queue position announcements.
• Call analytics: This provides insight into the call centre performance so managers can make better decisions involving call volumes and call metrics. It also helps you analyze if your support team is performing as intended.
• Conversational AI: This is an emerging call centre technology that enables chatbots and virtual assistants to provide automatic and personalized self-service options. This technology is used for repetitive inquiries like account balance, opening times, etc., so agents can focus on more complex issues.

As technology improves, we expect to see these basic tools evolve and even new technologies to be created. With the end goal of delighting customers, call centres should constantly devote resources to continuous development.

Automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows reduce average handling times, leading to faster resolutions and happier customers. Personalization and AI-powered tools enable agents to anticipate customer needs, allowing for proactive support, which enhances satisfaction and fosters loyalty.

Likewise, offering omnichannel communication options empowers customers to engage with support teams on their preferred platforms. Call centre technology ensures that this flexibility offers a consistent and seamless experience across all touchpoints.

Despite the rise of these digital tools in customer service, Canadians are still complaining of long hold times and frustrating self-service options. They still want to speak to a live person who will hear their complaints and offer the right solution.

Meanwhile, agents are frustrated because they have to deal with irate customers whose complex issues aren’t resolved with automated tools.

The technology is there, but it’s up to companies to use it properly to meet customer expectations and help agents deliver better service. With the right systems and processes, call centre technology can achieve its maximum potential and satisfy Canadian customers.

Call centre technology, when used right, is a powerful ally in achieving operational excellence and providing customer satisfaction. It has revolutionized the way call centres operate, making them more efficient, effective, and customer-centric than ever before.