Call Answering in 2024: Are You Prepared for the Shift?
As technology advances and customer expectations evolve, business owners need to be prepared for the expected shift in call answering in 2024. TelePA has identified several key trends that will shape how call answering looks in the near future, and businesses must stay ahead of the curve by providing a seamless and intuitive experience to meet the call answering trends in 2024. From automation to personalization strategies and beyond, we'll cover what you need to know about preparing your organization for the next wave of call answering demands and how you can be ready for them.
The Future of Call Answering
The field of call answering is rapidly evolving, and it's becoming clear that businesses need to be ready for some major shifts. Let’s take a look at some of the most important trends shaping the future of call answering.
Refocus on Retention with Personalized and Proactive Call Answering
Organisations have come to realise the power of versatility, adaptability, and personalization. One of the biggest trends in call answering is a refocus on retention. In the past, call answering was all about fixing problems, but now it's about building relationships and creating loyal customers. Businesses who want to take a step further and scale to the top with increased profit, know that every call answering experience matters.
Companies have realized that focusing on ensuring caller satisfaction and retaining existing customers is much more cost-effective than constantly acquiring new ones. Call answering is becoming more proactive, with companies reaching out to callers before a problem to see how they can help.
Historically, these types of caller relationships were not at the forefront of each business. Today, organizations are learning to go personal by providing call answering support on a level where the caller is treated uniquely, with their unique needs and wants to be attended to just as they like it. Beyond that, with data, they can be more proactive, anticipating future needs and wants of callers and making them available even before the caller asks.
In a survey analysis, Zendesk reports that 76% of respondents have an expectation of a personalized experience with organizations. More organizations are catching on, and callers are loving it because it feels just like making a wish and seeing it appear before your eyes.
Callers want to feel like they're getting tailored support, not just a generic response. This means that companies need to be collecting and analysing caller data so they can provide personalized support and meet caller expectations.
A strategic collection of caller data and effective deployment of machine learning can help businesses understand their caller's preferences, history, and needs to provide a better call answering journey and ensure a high caller retention rate.
For example, Starbucks has a mobile app that allows callers to place an order and pay ahead of time, providing a personalized experience and saving time during busy periods.
Small businesses and big brands must refocus on retention to ensure caller loyalty and satisfaction. Companies like Amazon and Zappos have implemented call answering programs focusing on caller satisfaction and retention. For example, Zappos has a culture book that all employees must read and follow to ensure a consistent call answering experience.
Swift Resolution using Omnichannel Call Answering Support
Callers are getting increasingly accustomed to instant gratification and expect their issues to be resolved quickly. Businesses must find solutions that help them respond to caller inquiries quickly and effectively.
Companies are turning to emerging technologies to provide fast, effective support; however, this is not always solving the problem the way the caller expects. Human intervention is almost always required to fix the solution adequately. As a caller, it is frustrating being sent around in circles through automated systems and chatbots, too often leaving the caller upset and with little to no interest in returning to your business in the future. This is why human-powered call answering is still the key to ensuring caller loyalty and trust.
Organizations which have multiple channels of support will thrive better, as they'll be more effective and efficient in connecting to callers, as well as offering their products and services across a wider range of interfaces.
This includes providing the Physical Experience, where callers can connect with the organization both physically and digitally as they move from one point of interaction to the other. The physical era had its days, the digital era took the world by storm, but today, there's a need for a mix to provide the best call answering support. This trend is growing with the increasing awareness of the importance of having happy callers.
Predicting for 2020, PwC and Kantar Retail stated that the omnichannel world presents almost limitless opportunities, and that integrating omnichannel operations will boost the success of retailers.
What do we say about that prediction in 2024, yay or nay? Sure it's a 'yay' as proven by their statistics that there's been a leap in the omnichannel experience over the years from 20% to 80% and still rising. Callers will always go for comfort and ease of access, and they choose what suits them best. Organizations who provide a wide variety of channels for 24/7 call answering support will stay on top.
Improved Employee Experience = Consistent quality of Call Answering Service
The relationship between employers and employees is undergoing a transformation. It's now widely acknowledged that happier employees lead to happier callers. Organizations are placing greater emphasis on providing optimal working conditions for employees, offering flexibility for hybrid work arrangements, and providing comprehensive training, particularly for teamwork. Additionally, there's a stronger focus on creating a positive work environment, encouraging employee feedback, and providing competitive compensation with benefits.
Every organization seeks the best-skilled workers, and competition for top talent has intensified. Highly skilled employees who leave one organization can quickly be recruited by competitors, often with added perks. According to the 2022 Gartner Frontline Worker Experience Reinvented Survey, organizations that focused on improving their employee experience comprised 58% in the past year. Simultaneously, organizations have become more efficient in managing underperforming employees, leaving no room for mediocrity or liabilities as employers seek excellence.
This emphasis on employee satisfaction and performance is crucial for call answering. Call answering agents play a significant role in the caller experience, so ensuring their happiness and fulfilment in their roles is vital. Outsourcing a company like TelePA, where call answering is our core focus, and you can count on our agent's happiness, is one of our top priorities.
Final Thoughts
So, what's in store for call answering in 2024? The future looks tech-savvy and personalized, but the key to success is keeping up with the latest trends. Companies can't afford to be left behind, but they don't have to go at it alone.
Outsourcing call answering to a company like TelePA can help businesses provide top-notch call answering support and stay ahead of the game. At TelePA, we understand the importance of an exceptional caller experience and are here to help.
So, are you ready to shift your call answering game up a gear? Get in touch with us today, and let's make it happen!