Key Findings
1. Use of Social Media: Participating call centers generally agree that social media will be an important customer access channel in the near future, however, the current rate of adoption varies widely. Adoption rates of new technologies are driven in part by the amount of value senior management places on the customer data that call centers collect.
2. Self-Service: Benchmark participants are exploring ways to increase self-service for customers with common call center queries. Knowledge bases and artificial intelligence will expedite this process, increasing consumer access and, potentially, reducing costs.
3. Globalization: Benchmark participants anticipate increased globalization of call centers in the next few years to provide standardized service to a global customer base. Those who have already begun globalization noted that a common technology platform and centralized leadership are basic requirements. Regional variations in regulations, however, will continue to create globalization challenges.