Call center outsourcing was initially seen as a cost-saving measure, but businesses are learning, so that’s no longer the case. Although it can still be an excellent cost-reduction strategy, the main reasons for choosing to outsource customer support have changed. Today, call center outsourcing is a strategic tool for improving customer experiences through innovative technologies and global workforce solutions.
As the main rationale for outsourcing call center operations has evolved, so has the place of outsourced call center providers. They can do more for businesses now than ever — from customer behavior analytics to retention — and their role will keep growing. So, let’s explore the most important call center trends you might want to know as someone who is already outsourcing your business’s call center operations or considering doing so in the future.
In this article, we'll cover:
A Few Things to Know About Call Center Outsourcing
Call center outsourcing implies hiring third-party providers to handle a business’s customer support services (which typically include answering phone calls, responding to emails, managing live chat inquiries, and even overseeing social media interactions). By outsourcing these tasks, businesses can focus on their core business operations while leveraging experts’ knowledge of and experience in customer support.
The reasons for outsourcing call centers vary and range from cost reduction to promoting customer satisfaction. At this point, it’s clear that outsourced call centers and other types of outsourced customer support aren’t going anywhere. The global call center outsourcing market was valued at $75.1 billion in 2021, and it’s expected to grow to $117.3 billion by 2030.
Just like any other industry, though, call center outsourcing is very dynamic. We see it changing every year, and the changes we observe are in line with what’s happening in the global market overall. To understand what to expect from an outsourced call center provider and how to pick a reliable one, we recommend you stay up to date on what the main call center outsourcing trends are at the moment, as well as what might become popular soon.
10 Main Trends in Call Center Industry
So, what’s new in the call center industry?
1. AI and ML — Top Trends in Call Center Industry
Out of all the major trends in call center industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably the most important one. AI isn’t just used to take part of the burden off human customer service agents’ shoulders. It’s involved in a variety of call center functions, from data analytics to direct customer interaction.
Just to illustrate the extent of AI’s potential, IBM Watson and Google’s Contact Center AI use sophisticated machine learning (ML) algorithms to understand natural language, which makes it easier to understand and respond to customer queries better.
AI and ML might still be in their early days, but their capacities are already impressive: for example, AI systems are now being equipped with emotional intelligence to detect customer sentiment. Thanks to this feature, AI can understand when to escalate calls to human agents if necessary or adjust responses to soothe frustrated customers.
Using AI and ML to optimize call center operations is well-justified. When carefully planned and personalized, their adoption positively affects some of the most important customer satisfaction score (CSAT) factors, such as first-call resolution, average speed of answer, and agent occupancy rates.
2. Hyper-Personalization
Data-driven decision-making is the new normal across industries, including customer support, so it’s no wonder that hyper-personalization is among call center outsourcing trends. Big data analytics allow businesses to collect and analyze huge amounts of customer information — from purchase histories to behavioral patterns — which makes for very customized interactions and increases customer satisfaction.
According to the research conducted by Salesforce, 84% of customers admit that feeling like they’re treated as an individual as opposed to just a number affects their decisions as to where to take their business. Predictive analytics is what makes such personalization possible; call centers use it to anticipate customers’ needs before they even articulate them.
3. Omnichannel Support Integration
As customers interact with businesses across multiple platforms — social media, email, phone, chat, and whatnot — there is a growing demand for a seamless experience across all these channels. Omnichannel support integration ensures that no matter how a customer chooses to get in contact with a business, they can expect consistency and a high level of care overall.
The synchronization of communication channels underlies successful multichannel integration. Suppose a customer switches from email to a phone call. When this happens, the agent should have immediate access to the context of the previous interaction. The customer shouldn’t be put in a position where they need to wait until different agents share information with each other or, worse even, repeat everything they’ve already told another agent.
If you’re still unconvinced of the importance of synchronizing different communication channels, let’s take a look at the numbers. According to Aberdeen Group, companies with strong omnichannel strategies achieve 91% greater year-over-year customer retention rates compared to those without. That’s why we at Support Your App place such an emphasis on omnichannel support integration when negotiating with new clients.
4. Remote and Hybrid Workforce Models
We don’t believe that remote work is slowly fading into the background and most businesses will get back to traditional offices full-time. Research consistently shows that this isn’t the case and won’t happen any time soon. In fact, more companies are embracing remote and hybrid work models, even though there’s no objective need for those at the moment (like there was during the global pandemic).
Virtual call centers will continue to grow, especially considering that outsourcing call center functions abroad is one of the sure ways for businesses to save money. Remote call centers have certain challenges — like security and regulatory differences internationally — but they, as well as call center outsourcing, will remain among the top trends in call center industry for a while.
5. Cloud-Based Contact Centers
Cloud-based contact centers are becoming the new standard for outsourced call center operations. By moving infrastructure to the cloud, businesses can scale services up or down according to demand, deploy new features quickly, and reduce the costs associated with maintaining on-premise systems.
Cloud-based systems are getting more popular by the day because they come with an impressive list of advantages compared to their traditional counterparts — improved disaster recovery, faster implementation, and more straightforward integrations with CRM systems, among others. No wonder, the global cloud-based contact center market is predicted to reach $54.6 billion by 2027.
6. Advanced Workforce Management Tools
This one isn’t about new trends in call center industry per se, but it’s relevant nonetheless. Because of the fluctuations in call volume, call centers are often at risk of finding themselves understaffed or overstaffed. However, AI-powered workforce management tools can help. They are used to optimize agent scheduling, monitor performance, and forecast demand with unprecedented accuracy.
What’s more, advanced workflow management tools can be used to analyze data on historical call patterns, agent performance metrics, and customer behavior trends. Those data can then help predict the necessary staffing levels at any given time. While the tools aren’t free, the investment pays off. Businesses are saving money by correctly predicting the required number of agents and scheduling accordingly.
7. Emphasis on Data Security and Compliance
Call centers handle sensitive customer information, so data security has always been among their top priorities. However, the number of liabilities related to businesses’ failure to comply with global privacy regulations akin to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has recently been on the rise. This explains why current call center outsourcing trends include data security and compliance, despite there being nothing particularly new or revolutionary about either.
Also, certain new trends in call center industry contribute to the growing relevance of data security and compliance. As discussed, when outsourcing their call center operations overseas, businesses need to be extra cautious about complying with the data regulations that apply (across the locations they have customers in, outsource customer support from, are headquartered in, etc.).
To see just how big data security and compliance are these days, let’s look at the data. According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million. Cybersecurity software and measures — encryption, endpoint security, advanced authentication protocols, and more — aren’t cheap, but they’re cheaper still.
8. Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Similarly to advanced workforce management tools, robotic process automation (RPA) isn’t one of the call center outsourcing trends as much as global cross-industry trends. However, when it comes to call center operations, RPA can be very helpful. It can handle such processes as customer data entry, order processing, and call routing with remarkable speed and accuracy, among others. It’s a great way to free up more human agents so that they can focus on more complex customer interactions that require expert involvement.
Research supports the use of RPA in customer support and, more specifically, call centers. Deloitte estimates that RPA shortens the average processing time by about one-third and cuts overall expenses associated with call center operations by about one-fifth. Also, RPA minimizes the risk of human errors — especially in tasks that involve data handling — which is yet another reason why it’s beneficial not just for cost reduction but also for customer satisfaction.
9. Focus on Customer Experience Analytics
Customer experience (CX) analytics is one of the most talked-about call center outsourcing trends, but that’s understandable. CX analytics tools make it easier for call centers to monitor essential metrics, such as Net Promoter Scores (NPS), first-call resolution rates, and customer sentiment, among others. In turn, those metrics give call centers actionable insights that can help improve efficiency and CSAT.
Today’s CX analytics tools are quite advanced. For example, AI-powered speech and text analytics and sentiment analysis tools can detect changes in customer tone or language, which helps agents identify frustration early and adjust their approach accordingly. Such a proactive approach pays off: the use of CX analytics tools is associated with a roughly 20% boost in customer satisfaction.
10. Sustainable Business Practices
Finally, most businesses located in developed countries are facing growing demands when it comes to sustainability and green business practices. Call centers and call center outsourcing providers are affected by relevant regulations and customer expectations as well. They’re increasingly adopting energy-efficient technologies, such as cloud computing, to reduce their reliance on physical infrastructure and minimize energy consumption.
As discussed, remote and hybrid work models are unlikely to go anywhere soon. Sustainability is among the reasons why that’s the case. According to Global Workplace Analytics, remote work could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 million metric tons per year. Businesses might be urging employees to go back to offices, but future sustainability-promoting regulations will likely advocate for the opposite.
An Afterword: Which Are the Main New Trends in Call Center Industry?
Every trend we’ve discussed here is already shaping outsourced call center operations today, and will keep doing so in the foreseeable future. Few call centers can do without AI and ML systems, especially if the goal is to maximize efficiency, minimize customer support costs, and ensure the highest possible customer satisfaction.
Are any of the trends listed here more important than others, though? If we had to pick three to four to focus on, we’d recommend prioritizing AI and ML, hyper-personalization, omnichannel support integration, and customer experience analytics. These are the call center outsourcing technologies and trends that are revolutionizing the industry right now. Failure to embrace them as part of the overall customer support strategy puts businesses at risk in the long run.
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With over 10 years of experience crafting engaging and impactful content for brands, media, and social media, Iuliia is dedicated to creating human-centered stories that foster meaningful connections with customers and build recognizable brands. Her unique ability to translate various topics for different audiences sets her apart as a skilled storyteller.
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