So what’s in store for the call center industry in 2016? What are the top challenges that need to be tackled this year? Where does data fit into the picture of customer experience or contact center operations? How can customer retention be improved? Who are the experts to follow in the call center space? Answers to all these questions and more in this week’s Call Center Perspectives. We are sure you will have a great time going through them!

Answers to all these questions and more in this week’s Contact Center Perspectives. We are sure you will have a great time going through them!

Top 10 Call Center Trends to Track in 2016 [spoken.com]

Customer service has become the means by which brands can differentiate themselves, and the quality of the customer experience you offer can have a huge impact on your brand. With the estimation that 42% of world’s population own a smartphone, businesses need to adjust their focus accordingly. Here are some of the points discussed in the article;

• Self-service
• Call back option
• Personalization
• Customer journey mapping
• Omni-channel support

 Top Contact Center Challenges for 2016 [customerthink.com]

The contact center often has the data to guide improvements but lacks corporate initiatives to ensure that information reaches and engages critical departments. This results in challenges that could have been easily solved with proper initiatives. And if you look closely you will find that all the issues are interrelated; addressing them requires a holistic approach. Here is a glimpse of the challenges:

Bad Data, Poor Quality? The Impact of Ineffective Information [datafloq.com]

Cloud and call centers have been mentioned in the same breath for some time now. Now, companies are talking about the best way to leverage cloud resources and bolster their bottom line: Big data. But as with any technology it is the programs and implementation that really matter. The same goes for big data technologies as well. The article points out some pitfalls that can be easily avoided with proper plans and management.

Big data comes with big promises. Make sure you capitalize on the potential and keep your information house in order by avoiding the critical impacts of big, bad data.

3 Ways to Boost Your Customer Retention Rate With Service [winthecustomer.com]

• Gartner research shows that by 2018, 70% of business-to-business e-commerce sites will offer customers personalized features, and sites using personalization effectively will outsell competitors by 30%.
• 70% of companies agree that retaining customers is cheaper than acquiring new ones, an Econsultancy report on cross-channel marketing found.
• 49% find that building existing customer relationships brings a bigger return on investment than acquiring new customers.

You better start improving your customer retention rate. And of-course we can help you!

Top Analysts Covering the Contact Center Industry for 2016 [fonolo.com]

The easiest way to understand an industry is to listen to its leaders and experts. With the sheer number of individuals talking about the contact center and all the noise this generates, it can be really difficult to find the great ones to follow. So here is a compiled list to make it easier for you.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s Contact Center Perspectives, be sure to respond via the comments or tweet us @VOZIQ or follow us on LinkedIn.