Before we answer the provocative question of whether or not
we can operate businesses without call centers we must first answer a few basic
questions to lay the ground work. Why do people call a contact center? What do
others do to get a service if they don’t call a center? What services do we
provide and can they be delivered in a self-service model?
Why do people call a center? The main reasons people call
today are sales; a product or service is marketed to the public, and the call
to action is to call a number to get more information or purchase a product.
Think businesses like wireless phones, entertainment - like TV and pay-per-view
services, late night TV products (HSN).
We also call centers for issues like complaints, basic information about a bill
or service. Think businesses like banks, retail returns, or any company that
sends out a monthly billing statement.
Many organizations have multiple Lines of Business (LOB)
within the same organization that handle different aspects of their company’s
operations. Let’s think about our own center’s operations and try to put
ourselves out of business.
For the sake of example let’s take a major transportation
company like the airlines. An edict comes out and the CEO shuts down the call
center operation. What do we do as employees but more importantly how does the
company change its operations?
The center takes calls of upset passengers whether that’s
lost luggage, weather delays, ticket changes, and poor service. With the
introduction of apps and the advance of technology I can already receive
updates on delays, changes to flight schedules so no need to call a center. If
I want to change a ticket I go to the web on my app or a kiosk and make a ticket
change. If I am in the airport I can still talk to a human. If they lose my
luggage, which has happened, a simple text with the status and confirmation of
the bag and my bag is scheduled to be sent to my home. If I am unhappy I take
my complaint to the social sites and I have made my point. If the company
chooses to respond they do but I don’t have to call and complain to anyone.
The sales of tickets in the airlines are already delivered
without the need to call anyone. Actually if you think about it why would I
need a call center? I actually need a proactive/reactive response center.
Why do I need a call center to purchase anything these days.
Amazon has proven that model in the consumer market. You can purchase anything
online. You can return anything you don’t like-no questions asked, and the
reviews are generated on social media platforms.
What if the product or service you sell is complex? Well the
first question we have to ask is: why is the purchase process complex? There
are hundreds of TV sets out there today and it is easy to figure out which one
is the right one to buy. You decide the size, features, and price. All of the
specifications are online and when you have a question you go to a social forum
and ask. The social forums are generally more informational than the clerk in
the store and no worry about finding one or getting one with a bad attitude. I
can’t think of any product I buy anymore that I want to or need to call
someone.
There are thousands of call centers handling an array of
services but can they be replaced? You might say no right now, but at one time
no one thought that you would be able to book your own vacation because it was
too complicated. Now the travel agent industry is focused on niche markets and
only a fraction of it was in its hay day.
Today kiosks are replacing counter workers at fast food
restaurants around the country. No one would have thought these jobs were going
away just a few years ago. So I challenge you to think about the call center
and how it will go away in the future. Because it may but for sure it will be
different. As I see it we have a very real dilemma on the horizon about what we
are all going to be doing for work in ten years.
I have written about the larger economic impact beyond the
call center and I hope you check it out. It is not a doomsday scenario. It is
simply the reality we are facing in a world that is transforming work from
physical to informational and eliminating the need for humans to complete
transactions being replaced by technology.
It is happening you just have to look around…
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