Use Your Contact Centre Data Like It’s 2024 (Because It Is)

Traditionally, every time a customer reaches out to the contact centre, it costs the company money.  But by leveraging data with new technologies, contact centres can stop costing money. 

Some 40 years ago in the 1983 publication Data Communications, the term “call centre” was coined.  It’s no coincidence.  Afterall, the transmission of voice over the phone is actually the transmission of data.  Data has been at the heart of the heart of call centres, now more often called contact centres, since the very beginning.

Ten years earlier, Continental Airlines purchased a Rockwell Galaxy Automated Call Distributor (ACD).  The ACD used an algorithm based on data to route calls efficiently.  While not the first ACD, this high-profile purchase was a flex point in the history of call centres. 

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems, VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), SIP (Session Initial Protocol), email, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, CTI (Computer Telephony Integration), virtual queuing, social media, live chat, chatbots, CCaaS (Contact Centre as a Service)… Fast forward through those and a million other technologies that rely upon and produce data to the modern contact centre.  What do you find?  A data-rich environment that is ripe for analytics.  You can use those analytics to drive strategic decision-making and improve customer experiences.

Today’s contact centres have access to cutting edge technologies like NLP (Natural Language Processing), NLU (Natural Language Understanding), LLMs (Large Language Models), and AI (Artificial Intelligence).  Those technologies are able to ingest and understand conversations. They can deliver analysis that would have seemed far-fetched only a decade ago.  You can mine millions of conversations for sentiment, intent, friction points, compliance issues, and coaching opportunities.  You can do it in seconds and you can do this from any channel.  Forget about finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.  With Generative AI utilising LLMs, it’s possible to show you what else is in that haystack that you didn’t know you were looking for!

So how can you use that data strategically?

Let’s start with sentiment analysis paired with Intent.  Customers get upset, frustrated, or confused.  They call, chat, or email.  But why?  What got them in this emotional state?  Understanding this can drive improvements in other areas of the business. How would customers react if you quickly identified and rectified defects in product, process, or channel?  You would generate less customer inquiries and more satisfied customers.

Who likes costly penalties, fines, and/or litigation?  Lawyers, that’s who.  Assuming you’re not an attorney, compliance issues can negatively impact your bottom line more than any product or process.  GDPR fines can be up to €20 million, or 4% of the firm’s worldwide annual revenue from the preceding financial year, whichever amount is higher.  CCPA infraction fines range from $2,500 to $7,500 per violation.  PCI Compliance violations can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per month.  Get in front of potential issues with data analytics!  Identify any potential compliance issues so they can be rectified. 

Want to attract and retain more customers? Of course you do! AI-based Predictive analytics can tell you how to design improved experiences.  Analyse customer data like buying habits, website usage, contact centre interactions, etc. Use that analysis to improve your product offerings, promotions, pro-active outreach, website layout, and even ad spend. 

Let’s not forget about the heartbeat of the contact centre – the agents.  Supporting agents has grown more complex as their duties have become more complex.  Contact Centre leaders can leverage new data analytics tools to understand where and why performance gaps exist.  Armed with this knowledge, they can efficiently coach agents.  The result?  Shorter times to competency.  But why stop there?  New technologies can be leveraged to support the agent during a customer interaction. Real-time guidance gives them the confidence to perform regardless of tenure. 

Traditionally, every time a customer reaches out to the contact centre, it costs the company money.  But by leveraging data with new technologies, contact centres stop costing money.  They become integral to driving revenue and business outcomes.