The job market is always evolving, and so are the demands of employers, especially in the contact centre industry. As we step into 2023, contact centre jobs continue to be a pivotal part of the customer experience (CX) landscape. Whether you call it a contact centre or a call centre, the essence remains the same: providing excellent customer service. In this fast-paced digital age, the role of contact centre agents, leaders, analysts and workforce management (WFM) professionals has become even more critical.
So, if you’re considering a career in the contact centre world or looking to climb the career ladder, it’s essential to understand what employers are seeking. Let’s delve into the key in-demand skills that can make you stand out and secure those coveted contact centre opportunities.
What Does Contact or Call Centres Look Like in 2023?
In 2023, contact centres and customer experience continue to be of paramount importance in the business landscape. As technology and customer expectations evolve, contact centres have become central hubs for delivering exceptional customer service across various channels. Companies that prioritise customer experience in their contact centres gain a competitive edge by fostering customer loyalty, advocacy and positive word-of-mouth. Advanced AI-driven solutions enhance the efficiency and personalisation of interactions, leading to quicker issue resolution and increased customer satisfaction. With the prevalence of social media and online reviews, a single negative experience can have a significant impact on a company’s reputation.
Therefore, in 2023, investing in contact centres and optimising customer experience remains a critical focus for organisations seeking to not only retain existing customers but also attract new ones in a highly competitive and customer-centric market. Below are the two primary skills: “Adaptability in communication” and “Adaptive problem-solving” along with their key elements that employers seek in contact centre professionals.
Adaptability in Communication
Effective communication is the backbone of every successful contact centre operation, and adaptability in communication is a critical skill for contact centre agents, leaders, analysts and workforce management (WFM) professionals. Normally, employers look for candidates who have the ability to tailor communication styles, adjust approaches and respond to diverse situations.
Empathetic Communication
By connecting with customers on a deeper level and understanding their needs and emotions, empathetic communication creates meaningful and memorable interactions that leave a lasting positive impact. In emotionally charged situations, contact centre agents must remain composed and understanding to de-escalate tense situations and build rapport with customers. Also, they must adapt their tone, language and response to match customer emotions. A leader’s empathetic approach also encourages open feedback and enhances employee engagement, resulting in improved performance and a higher standard of customer service. In addition, while analysts may not have direct customer interactions, empathy is crucial in understanding customer feedback and sentiment. Empathetic analysts can put themselves in the customers’ shoes, interpreting data and feedback through the lens of the customer experience. Lastly, Empathetic communication is vital for WFM professionals as they interact with agents and allocate resources. Empathetic WFM teams consider agent preferences and work-life balance when creating schedules, promoting a positive work environment. By being attentive to the needs of agents, WFM professionals can ensure that agents feel supported, leading to improved morale and ultimately a more positive customer experience.
Ability to Handle Different Channels
Customers expect seamless and consistent experiences across different communication channels. Therefore, contact centre agents must be adept at using various communication channels, such as phone calls, live chat and email to ensure consistent and effective communication for their customers. Meanwhile, adaptable leaders should choose the most appropriate channels, such as in-person meetings, virtual meetings, email and internal messaging to ensure effective and clear communication with their team and other stakeholders. In addition, contact centre analysts need to interact with different teams and stakeholders to share insights and analysis, for example through dashboards and presentations. Lastly, WFM professionals need to communicate schedule changes, staffing needs and real-time updates to agents and other departments through internal communication platforms such as messaging systems, email and phone or virtual meetings to improve customer experience service.
Adaptive problem-solving
Another skill is having strong problem-solving abilities that allows you to tackle issues efficiently, leaving customers satisfied with the solutions provided. Adaptive problem-solving refers to the ability to approach and address challenges in a flexible and versatile manner. It involves adjusting one’s problem-solving strategies and methods based on the specific context, nature of the problem and available resources.
Team Collaboration
Team collaboration plays a pivotal role in ensuring a seamless and customer-centric approach to interactions. Contact centre agents who directly interact with customers should collaborate with each other and other teams to gain valuable insights of customers. Meanwhile, effective leaders play a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative culture by encouraging open communication and recognising team members’ efforts. Leaders who actively collaborate with agents and analysts can gather valuable feedback and implement improvements to streamline processes and enhance CX. In addition, contact centre analysts track and analyse customer interactions, performance metrics and trends to gain a deeper understanding of pain points and areas for improvement, enabling data-driven decision-making to elevate CX. Lastly, WFM is responsible for optimising workforce efficiency to meet customer demand. Collaborating with agents and leaders, WFM can align staff schedules with peak customer hours, ensure sufficient staffing during busy periods and implement contingency plans for unexpected events. This collaboration results in reduced wait times for customers and improved response times.
Learning Agility
The ability to learn, adapt and apply new knowledge quickly is instrumental in delivering excellent customer experience. Being attentive to customer feedback allows agents to identify areas of improvement, refine their approach and deliver an outstanding customer experience. Also, leaders can stay informed about emerging trends, industry best practices and cutting-edge technologies. This knowledge empowers them to make data-driven decisions, implement innovative customer service strategies and lead their teams effectively. By quickly adapting to new data analysis tools and techniques, analysts can gain valuable insights into customer behaviours and preferences. In addition, agile WFM teams adapt to changing customer demands, ensuring that the right number of skilled agents are available to handle queries promptly. Embracing new technologies and forecasting techniques enables WFM professionals to create agile schedules. This proactive approach enhances operational efficiency, minimising wait times and delivering a smoother customer experience.
Tech Savviness
Contact centre professionals should also demonstrate their adaptive problem-solving abilities by harnessing technologies to deliver exceptional customer experience. By using contact centre software and customer relationship management (CRM) systems proficiently, agents ensure seamless interactions and a tailored experience, leaving customers feeling valued and cared for. Meanwhile, tech-savvy leaders use communication and collaboration tools to facilitate seamless communication within their teams, driving efficiency and ensuring a consistent customer experience. Contact centre analysts leverage data analytics tools to gain actionable insights into customer behaviour, preferences and pain points. Lastly, WFM teams leverage technology to adjust workforce allocation based on real-time data, ensuring the right number of agents with the appropriate skills available to meet customer demand.
The contact centre industry in 2023 seeks candidates with a blend of adaptability in communication and adaptive problem-solving to promote customer-centricity. As you prepare to embark on a career or grow within the contact centre world, focusing on developing these in-demand skills can undoubtedly lead you to success.
Remember, no matter your role – be it a contact centre agent, leader, analyst or WFM professionals – fostering excellent customer experiences will always remain the heart of this thriving industry. So, equip yourself with the right skills, stay adaptable and embrace the journey of becoming a sought-after professional in the contact centre landscape of 2023 and beyond.
