Contact Centre in 2023 is going to be one of the toughest departments to recruit for, and statistics show just that. Attrition in the UK industry – the rate at which people leave their jobs every year – has been above 20% on average for almost two decades.

However, what are the main reasons behind it and can you fix it in your company?

We have identified these 3 main trends in the Contact Centre department in 2023:

1. Modified teams’ structure.
2. Changed role of advisors.
3. Outdated processes.

Teams’ structure is modified.

One of the main reasons for the constant need to recruit contact centre staff is evolving job roles. In the past few years, many new tasks emerged that previously did not exist. For example, nowadays, Customer Services Professionals handle complaints, respond to customer inquiries, and resolve technical problems. Although there is a clear understanding of responsibility, it is complicated to find the right candidates to fit these new roles.

“These new titles include roles like data analysts, customer experience managers and digital contact directors, the duties of which will vary greatly from one organisation to another.” 

The advisor role is changing.

In the past few years, customers switched to self-service options requesting many businesses to provide their services online either via eCommerce or website booking platforms.

Although this shift is suitable for consumers, it increased the ‘micro-management’ issue as in the competitive market, companies have higher expectations to keep customers satisfied. With all these requirements, there is an expectation from advisors to have more skills and unique experience.

“Contact centres are still struggling to overcome old stereotypes of micromanaging people, with many people still believing that being an advisor allows for little creative freedom.” 

Outdated processes.

Even with the rise of online shopping and automation of some Customer Service processes, there are still many manual tasks in the Call Centre department.

For example, 31% of job seekers who apply to work in the Contact Centre department shared frustration over the manual application process and tedious onboarding activities. These processes prevent candidates to pursue a career in the Call Centre and shift their focus to another department.

These are the main issues with Contact Centres in 2023. Now, how can you overcome them and forget about the headache to recruit new Customer Service representatives? We have put together a few Contact Centre predictions for 2023. 

Technology will be the culprit and the answer here.

Initially, Contact Centre departments had a few basic activities throughout the day. They were chatting specialists responsible for voice or mail communications with customers. Meaning it was easier to recruit and train these employees as there was a limited workload.

However, in 2023, when consumers’ behaviour has changed, and they have a greater choice of technologies to contact the company, Contact Centre advisors are left with various software to deal with upcoming correspondence. SMS, email, video, voice, chat – you name it, consumers choose the preferable methods of contact, and the Customer Service team must adapt to it.

You might ask, “Where is a good part of it?”

Technology can provide you and your employees with bigger opportunities in the following year if it is powered up by automation.

Yes, it might not be the first idea that has come to your mind, but it does work wonders.

👉 No need to have a huge team. With automation, you can achieve all your goals successfully with only a few people because many outdated, manual tasks can be filled automatically.

👉 Easier to reach your target. Automation allows you to have all Customer Service team targets in one place, showing you the exact areas you need to improve. With smart analytics, you can also find the best way to approach your goals and improve only those areas you want to focus on.

👉 No paperwork. In a world where many customers care about the environment, it is essential to have a business that aligns with their views. For example, provide your customers with online receipts or email them the latest invoices.

Conclusion.

The recruitment of Contact Centre advisors will continue to rise in 2023 as fewer people find this department attractive. However, with the latest technologies and automation, you can attract new talent and create the best Customer Service for your customers.

And although it sounds like a complicated task, the current software market suggests many solutions for all your needs.

For example, at Allsop we know how daunting it might be to implement new technology, hence we provide a free-of-charge processes audit. From this exercise, you will receive:

✓ Full overview of your processes

✓ Identified areas of improvement

✓ Possible ROI after automating tedious tasks

Sounds good? Book today 👉 FREE of cost call.