2007: Contact Centers Prioritize The Customer

Contact center trends for 2007 indicate a renewed focus on the customer experience and virtualization of operations to remote locations and external experts. Contact centers play an increasingly significant role in organizations by creating a positive customer experience and driving new revenues from existing customers. The telephone is still an essential communication channel, but organizations need to also support quality interactions across nonvoice channels, such as the Web and email. This requires organizations to deliver a richer customer experience through integrated channels and enable self-help capabilities. Contact center directors must acknowledge that today's customers are informed regarding quality support and remain loyal to companies that have a track record for responding quickly to their needs and engage them with personalized attention.