“Call centres are more alike than they are different. We all claim to provide top-notch quality services and solutions, and even though I have found that to be mostly true, there are practices that can and should be improved, and that is where ICC is different,” said Pablo Paz Hernández, Founder & CEO of Interactive Contact Centre and Co-Founder & CEO of Hubely.
Hernández established ICC to provide his employees with wages exceeding market standards, abundant growth opportunities, and to fulfil widespread customer demand for multilingual call centre and BPO services. The company has experienced significant and rapid growth through a commitment to fair treatment.
We spoke to him about the state of Call Centre Services in the US, the challenges, and how technology has helped transform operations.
Excerpts from the interview:
Please give us an overview of the current challenges in the US contact centre industry.
The US contact centre industry faces several challenges, including:
a. Staffing and Retention: Finding and retaining skilled agents is a common challenge. High turnover rates can impact service quality and operational efficiency.
b. Customer Expectations: Meeting evolving customer expectations for personalised, efficient, and seamless service across channels presents a challenge for contact centres.
c. Technological Integration: Implementing and integrating new technologies while maintaining legacy systems can be complex and costly.
d. Compliance and Security: Contact centres must adhere to regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS, which can be challenging to navigate.
How has technology like AI and automation transformed contact centre operations?
AI and automation have significantly transformed contact centre operations by:
a. Improving Efficiency: Automation streamlines routine tasks, allowing agents to focus on more complex customer interactions.
b. Enhancing Personalisation: AI enables personalised customer interactions through advanced data analysis and predictive modelling.
c. Self-Service Options: Chatbots and self-service portals powered by AI provide customers with quick resolutions for simple queries.
What role does omnichannel communication play in modern contact centres, and how do organisations adapt to it?
Omnichannel communication allows customers to interact seamlessly across various channels, such as phone, email, chat, social media, and SMS. Organisations adapt to this by integrating systems to provide a unified view of customer interactions, enabling agents to deliver consistent experiences regardless of the channel.
How is the balance struck between efficiency and personalised customer service?
Achieving a balance between efficiency and personalised service involves leveraging technology to handle routine inquiries while empowering agents with the tools and information needed to deliver tailored experiences for more complex issues.
How is data analytics utilised in contact centres in the US to enhance decision-making and customer interactions?
Data analytics is utilised in contact centres to enhance decision-making and customer interactions by analysing customer data, call recordings, and operational metrics to identify trends, optimise processes, and improve the overall customer experience.
Tell us about your experience in the industry and about interactive contact centres (ICC).
Call centres are more alike than they are different. We all claim to provide top-notch quality services and solutions, and even though I have found that to be mostly true, there are practices that can and should be improved, and that is where ICC is different. We decided to be different as in easy to work with, flexible, nimble, pay above market wages, and more importantly, be transparent with our practices. This has allowed us to grow exponentially in many fields.
We also made a conscious decision to be as competitive as possible, which has allowed us to attract and retain some of the very best talent. In the end, my experience in the call centre industry, as well as ICCs, has been a very positive one because I personally decided it to be so. I’ve taken all the negatives and made a point of learning from them, as well as all the positives and improving them. The end result has been a fantastic company that indeed provides great quality because our end goal is to be an extension of our partner’s brand, and we are able to do so because we have surrounded ourselves with amazing human talent.
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