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Call Center, Omnichannel
[Ultimate Guide] How to Set Up a Call Center in 2022?
In today's world, a smart interplay of voice and non-voice processes enables top-quality customer service for contact centers. While voice-based services (telephony) remain a traditional and effective support channel, evolving technologies are driving a shift toward more convenient options. Non-voice services, including website chat, in-app chat, video chat, social media messaging, WhatsApp, email, and SMS, are gaining prominence due to their convenience.
There is a growing debate about which process is more effective for customer support. As customers increasingly engage digitally, there's a clear trend toward non-voice channels. According to data-driven insights, this shift is evident, but it doesn't mean telephony is obsolete. Voice and non-voice processes are evolving, with continuous innovation and automation enhancing customer service.
The key takeaway here is: Every business is different, and the choice between voice and non-voice processes depends entirely on your company's goals.
Let’s dive into some primary factors that differentiate these two processes:
1. Priority
2. Cost Efficiency
3. Responsiveness
4. Backend Analytics
5. Personalization
People typically rely on voice services for urgent matters, given the immediate and personal nature of phone support. Non-voice processes, however, work well for non-urgent tasks, as customers can multitask more effectively. Interestingly, millennials and digital natives are more comfortable using non-voice channels, even for high-priority issues. Social media channels, in particular, are gaining importance, as they allow customers to not only voice concerns to the brand but also to its competitors and a broader audience. Brands closely monitor these channels to react promptly and prevent issues from going viral.
While phone support can be expensive, especially when considering the costs of hiring agents, training, scheduling, and maintaining IVR systems, non-voice support is more cost-effective. Non-voice processes are simpler to implement, and agents can manage multiple conversations simultaneously through chat, social media, or email. Moreover, non-voice platforms typically do not incur additional costs for inbound and outbound messages, unlike phone services, which require payment for call minutes.
In summary, non-voice support remains cheaper than voice-based solutions, offering a more scalable and cost-effective option for many businesses.
Both voice and non-voice channels allow real-time interaction, but non-voice services tend to be faster. For example, live chat agents are expected to have the lowest response times due to the use of canned messages for routine queries. Additionally, bot support can significantly reduce response times.
On the other hand, phone agents may struggle with long wait times and delays, especially during high-volume periods. IVR systems, if not optimized, can add unnecessary delays to the customer journey. The inability to manage multiple interactions simultaneously further reduces responsiveness.
Both voice and non-voice services offer valuable metrics for improving customer service. Phone call recordings provide insights for training and quality monitoring. However, these calls must be transcribed before they can be analyzed. Conversely, live chat transcripts are automatically available for analysis, making it easier to leverage tools that work directly with text data.
Non-voice channels thus provide a more streamlined process for collecting and analyzing customer interactions.
Personalization is critical for customer satisfaction, and customers generally expect a personalized experience. However, voice support is typically more effective when it comes to building trust, especially when sharing sensitive information like security numbers or bank details. C-Zentrix offers PCI/DSS-compliant IVR solutions, ensuring sensitive data is masked for security purposes.
68% of customers say they expect every customer service interaction to be personalized. Voice-based support excels at delivering empathy and human connection, which is difficult to replicate in non-voice channels. Non-voice support, while efficient, may feel less personal, potentially hindering the ability to foster trust in situations requiring close attention.
Both voice and non-voice services have distinct advantages, and the choice between them depends on your business goals. For high-touchpoint businesses like banks and healthcare services, a combination of both voice and non-voice services is often necessary. On the other hand, low-touchpoint businesses like small e-commerce platforms or local service providers can often rely primarily on non-voice support.
At C-Zentrix, we specialize in both voice and non-voice processes. Our Omnichannel Contact Center seamlessly integrates both channels, allowing businesses to offer a unified, streamlined experience for both customers and agents. Let us help you identify the right touchpoints for your business.
