The Bend in the Contact Centre Road
Contact centers have evolved significantly from the days gone by. They consisted of a few switchboard operators and a few telephones. And as with the evolution of time, technology too has evolved and so have the clients we service who are now more engaged and technologically savvy. Â
Today, contact centers are a hub of activity with contact center consultants handling more complex customer inquiries via phone, email, social media, chat, and even video conferencing. In this article, we’ll take a journey through the evolution of contact centers and explore how omnichannel solutions are shaping the industry today.
The Early Days: Switchboards and Fax Machines
The concept of a contact center dates to the early 20th century when switchboard operators were responsible for routing incoming calls to the appropriate party. As the telephone became more widespread, so too did the need for centralised customer service. By the 1950s, many large corporations had their own in-house contact centers, complete with teams of operators and supervisors.
Fax machines made their debut in the 1960s, and quickly became a staple of the contact center. They allowed businesses to send and receive documents quickly and easily, without the need for a physical courier. While fax machines are now considered outdated technology, they played a key role in the evolution of contact centers.
The Rise of Call Centers
In the 1970s, the term “call center” began to be used to describe the centralised customer service hubs that were becoming more common. At this time, call centers were typically staffed by employees who were responsible for answering phones and routing calls.
By the 1990s, call centers had become more sophisticated, with the advent of computer telephony integration (CTI). CTI allowed call centers to integrate phone systems with computer systems, enabling agents to access customer information more quickly and efficiently. It also allowed for the automation of some tasks, such as call routing and customer identification.
The Digital Age: Email and Chat
With the rise of the internet in the 1990s and early 2000s, email became a popular way for customers to interact with businesses. Call centers began to incorporate email support, allowing customers to send in inquiries and receive responses via email.
Chat emerged as a popular customer service channel in the early 2000s, with many companies adding live chat functionality to their websites. Chat enabled customers to receive immediate assistance without having to pick up the phone or wait for a response to an email.
Omnichannel Solutions: The Future of Contact Centers
Today, the contact center has evolved into a complex network of channels, with customers able to interact with brands via phone, email, social media, chat, video conferencing, and more. One of the challenges for brands today  is to provide a consistent customer experience across all channels.
This is where omnichannel enabled solutions come into play. Omnichannel solutions integrate all service channels into a single platform, allowing brands to manage interactions more efficiently and provide a seamless customer experience.
CallForce Outsourcing Specialists: Staying Ahead of the CX Curve
As the contact center continues to evolve, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to provide the best possible customer experience. CallForce Outsourcing Specialists can help businesses achieve this goal, by providing expert outsourced contact center services that are tailored to their unique needs.
Whether you need help with phone support, email support, chat support, or social media support, CallForce Outsourcing Specialists has the expertise and technology to deliver exceptional customer experiences. So, if you want to stay ahead of the CX curve, contact CallForce Outsourcing Specialists today and find out how we can help you keep your contact center current.
