The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Centres take longer, more complex calls
Contact centre industry increasingly subject to sector specific regulations
Today’s contact centres are a “world away” from where they were 20 years ago says Anne Marie Forsyth, chief executive of CCA Global.
The firm provides corporate and personal accreditation for those in the contact centre industry.
She said: “When CCA created the global standard 20 years ago, contact centres were mostly in-house operations.
“It’s a different landscape now, with a huge amount of complexity at the front line.
“It’s where your customers are meeting your brand and contact centre staff are now negotiating with clients and even solving challenging IT issues over the phone.”
Ms Forsyth highlighted that organisations realise their call centre staff must be equipped to deal with problem solving, but also be trained to deal with customers who might be vulnerable in different ways, whether through disability or being stuck at the roadside.
“It is imperative that firms get it right for customers,” she said.
“The days of people sitting in lengthy queues waiting for the phone to be answered are diminishing and customer service has to be really sharp.
“CCA Global not only provides accreditation, it also delivers thought leadership – where is the industry going, sharing best practice and improving understanding of what works for time-pressured customers.
“There are a lot of opinions about where the industry is going, especially as it now increasingly encompasses the public sector.”
Ms Forsyth added that contact centres are not generic and each can be subject to significant, industry specific legislation, especially in sectors such as finance.
“This is why accreditation is important – it gives an anchor and also demonstrates that you are on the right track.”