Trends and technology shifts in the contact centre space are creating a high growth opportunity for the channel, so it’s prime time for resellers to consider CCaaS as a core specialism, argues Cirrus’ Channel Director Daniel Lloyd.
Any examination of advancements in the contact centre market must compel resellers to consider offering CCaaS as a core specialism, according to Lloyd. He is convinced of this for a number of reasons, including the growing demand for scalable, flexible and efficient customer service solutions. “The shift towards digital customer interactions has accelerated,” he stated. “By specialising in CCaaS resellers can position themselves as strategic partners for businesses looking to enhance their customer engagement strategies, opening up new revenue streams.”
To support his point Lloyd referred to resellers that are developing a valuable niche in the CCaaS market by shifting from simply distributing technology to becoming strategic advisors. “This enables them to offer tailored CCaaS solutions that integrate with existing business systems, such as CRM and ERP, thereby creating a cohesive customer experience across all touchpoints,” he added.
By combining integrated solutions with analytics, resellers can also provide insights that go beyond traditional service metrics, such as average handling time, along with predictive analytics that can forecast customer trends and sentiment. “Growth will also come from the integration of AI and advanced analytics to significantly enhance personalisation and operational efficiency,” added Lloyd. “For instance, AI can be utilised to develop virtual assistants that not only respond to customer enquiries but also predict future questions and offer solutions proactively, based on the customer’s history and patterns of interaction.”
Analytics and AI are set to redefine the contact centre market by offering unprecedented customisation, efficiency and proactive service. These technologies are capable of parsing through massive amounts of data to discern trends and insights, leading to optimised customer interactions and the automation of routine inquiries. “I can see a future scenario where a contact centre’s AI system identifies a product issue from real-time sentiment analysis of customer interactions across various channels,” said Lloyd. “Before the issue escalates, the system automatically initiates a protocol to resolve the problem, notifies affected customers and deploys targeted communication to manage expectations and solutions, all without human intervention.”
Seamless experience
Lloyd also noted that the expansion of omnichannel strategies is another area ripe for development, which ensures that customers receive a consistent and seamless experience whether they engage through social media, chat, email or voice calls. But the challenge of adoption remains crucial. “Companies must not only implement these technologies but also ensure that their staff are well trained to use them,” said Lloyd. “The contact centres that can successfully integrate AI and analytics into their operations, and adapt to the omnichannel approach, are likely to see the most robust growth and secure a competitive advantage.”
The industry is in the early stages of deploying these technologies in a big way, pointed out Lloyd. But some contact centres are beginning to deploy AI for basic tasks, such as chatbots for initial customer queries. However, the potential for AI is much greater. “We are only at the start of realising its full capabilities,” observed Lloyd. “The future will likely see AI not replacing, but augmenting human agents by handling routine tasks, allowing them to focus on complex and high value interactions. The adoption of these technologies is the critical hurdle right now as companies must balance investment, training and integration into their existing systems.”
The adoption of these technologies is the critical hurdle as companies must balance investment, training and integration into their existing systems
The key for reseller business leaders to gain a competitive advantage in the contact centre market lies in offering tailored, innovative solutions that address the specific challenges and objectives of their clients, noted Lloyd. This involves staying ahead of the curve in terms of the technology trends discussed in this article, such as AI, machine learning and omnichannel communications, and understanding how these can be applied to enhance customer service. “Building expertise in integrating CCaaS solutions with other business systems to provide a unified customer view is also crucial,” stated Lloyd.
“Additionally, focusing on delivering exceptional customer support and service to their own clients will help resellers differentiate themselves in a crowded market. By positioning themselves as trusted advisors who can help businesses navigate the complexities of modern customer service, resellers can build long-term partnerships and drive significant growth.”