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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAs every call to a contact center becomes increasingly important, it\u2019s worthwhile for companies to constantly seek out new advantages.<\/p>\n
Those incoming calls are more than just a conversation between two people: They can provide a wealth of information about the caller and serve as a learning tool not only for the employee answering the phone but also for their colleagues and supervisors. A single call can yield a trove of data that can be analyzed, sorted, and categorized in numerous ways.<\/p>\n
One method that is being used more frequently is analytics software, a product used to\u2014as its name implies\u2014analyze calls to extract valuable data.<\/p>\n
Call center leader inContact recently posted a blog from one of its partner companies, CallMiner (News<\/a> \u2013 Alert<\/a>). The post by CallMiner's Jason Napierski showed just how much this field is growing.<\/p>\n \u201cIn today\u2019s digital world, it would be easy to assume that emerging communication channels (social media, mobile, web chat, etc.) will eventually eclipse traditional channels such as the telephone,\u201d he wrote. \u201cResearch, for example, shows that the social customer relationship management market is set to experience explosive growth over the next several years.\u201d<\/p>\n But Napierski cited last year's U.S. Contact Center Decision-Makers\u2019 Guide, which showed that traditional channels still hold a prominent position.<\/p>\n \u201cThe message is that channels aren\u2019t being replaced\u2014even letters will continue to be supported\u2014but rather augmented,\u201d the report noted. \u201cBusinesses have to accept that they need to develop an \u2018omnichannel\u2019 approach, as that\u2019s what their customers are doing. This means that the pressure to unify the view of the customer across channels is a challenge that isn\u2019t going to go away.\u201d<\/p>\n So the solution would be for companies to adopt \u2018multichannel analytics,\u2019 Napierski said, outlining some of the reasons behind his thinking. Namely:<\/p>\n Cross-platform data capture:<\/strong> \u201cBecause the best multichannel customer experiences are those that provide a seamless transition between channels, it\u2019s critical to capture customer conversations across channels,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWithout doing so, companies risk damaging the overall customer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Historical context:<\/strong> Developing a single view of the customer isn\u2019t just about capturing and analyzing data\u2014it also involves using that data to deliver an engaging and personalized customer experience. \u201cConsumers increasingly expect companies to leverage this type of historical context,\u201d Napierski notes.<\/p>\n Customer journey:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s not uncommon for customers to use multiple channels to resolve a single issue, especially when they need immediate action on a pressing matter,\u201d he says. \u201cFor this reason, agents need to make sure they understand the entire customer journey to uncover the root cause of issues and determine the best way to resolve them. The end result? A more satisfied agent and a better experience for the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n