Accelerated by the rapid digitalisation of the past few years, tech-savvy consumers are demanding an omnichannel customer journey from their favourite brands, from social media to chatbots, SMS and email. As of 2021, for example, 71% of consumers considered texting their favourite businesses as an effective form of communication and 65% expected it to be an option, whilst Gartner predicts that by 2025 digital messaging, such as WhatsApp and WeChat, will be the favoured method of delivering CX.
With digital natives also entering the market – Hootsuite found that 53.2% of global internet users aged 16-24 use social networks as a primary source of information when researching brands – and 90% of customers saying the experience a brand provides is as important as its products or services, there has never been more incentive for brands to embrace omnichannel CX to meet customer needs.
This is where the cloud plays a vital role in helping brands’ contact centres – the heart of any customer journey – to deliver on what customers are looking for today. Indeed, the value of the cloud in the contact centre has never been as apparent – the Call Centre Management Association (CCMA) believed the pandemic caused the industry to leap forward “five years in three months” because of the opportunity afforded it “to implement new technology to support a mass migration to homeworking.” From transitioning to remote work, to increasing the ways in which customers communicate with brands, the cloud has truly come of age.
Read the full article at Contact-Centres.
Craig is Head of Solution Consulting at IPI. With over two decades of experience in the dynamic world of contact centres, he’s seen the industry evolve, and evolved with it. Craig’s journey began with hands-on operational roles, focusing on technology, resource planning, and leadership.
Throughout his career, Craig had the privilege of collaborating with global brands, empowering them to harness cutting-edge technology and streamline their operations. Today, Craig leads Solution Consulting at IP Integration, where we leverage our extensive industry experience to help clients deliver exceptional customer experiences.
