What will your contact centre be like post lockdown? - POST LOCKDOWN - MARKET STUDY REPORT
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POST LOCKDOWN - MARKET STUDY REPORT What will your contact centre be like post lockdown? In partnership with
Table of contents Foreword by Talkdesk 03 Introduction 04 I. Survey results - 10 key highlights 05 II. The survey results 07 III. Profiles 35
A note from Talkdesk
It’s safe to say that 2020 has been a bigger challenge As the immediate threat of the virus moves behind
than any of us could have ever expected. us, we will be different.
At Talkdesk, we are committed to supporting the People will behave differently. New business models
contact centre industry at all times. That’s why will emerge. Consumer and employee expectations
we reached out to understand how customer will morph. This will, in turn, impact the way
experience (CX) leaders have responded to better we design, build and operate the customer and
serve customers throughout the pandemic. We also employee experiences that people need today
asked what lessons CX leaders have learnt from their and what they will want next.
lockdown experiences, and what contact centres are
likely to look like in 2021. The way you are responding, and the way Talkdesk
can help, is not only enabling us to persevere through
The global impact of COVID -19 has forever changed these challenges, it is also igniting how we innovate
our experiences - as citizens, employees and together for the long term.
customers. Social distancing has had a direct
and indirect effect on multiple facets of our lives. The survey has provided a unique opportunity
to come together as an industry to reflect on what
has been happening around us and prepare for the
SUSAN YSONA
future ahead.
Vice President Marketing, EMEA
Talkdesk
3Introduction
The last few years has seen unprecedented change operators faced in 2020, and are likely to face The survey was conducted online and promoted
within the contact centre industry. From the launch in 2021. via advertisements, direct emails and in partnership
of exciting technologies such as chatbots and with SWCCF and CNW members. To encourage
artificial intelligence, to an increased focus on The survey covered three broad areas: participation, individuals that completed the survey
employee engagement and well being, operators were entered into a free prize draw to win retail
have been rapidly embracing new ideas and • What emergency response plans contact centres vouchers.
positively looking to the future. had in place pre Covid-19
The survey involved approximately 25 questions and
However little could have prepared the industry • What happened during the lockdown period took an average of 7 minutes to complete. 91% of all
for the events of 2020 and, in particular, the switch questionnaires started were completed. Individual
to full-time homeworking. • What people think the industry will looklike responses were treated entirely confidentially, and
in 2021 aggregated for analysis purposes.
102 contact centre professionals took part in the
survey from a broad range of industry sectors and The “What Will Your Contact Centre Be Like Post “The combined views of the contact centre
different sizes of centre. Some held vastly different Lockdown?” survey was a collaborative project professionals who took part in the survey represent
views to others on what the future may bring. conducted by the South West Contact Centre Forum a powerful and unique insight into the challenges
However, together their combined views represent (SWCCF) and Call North West (CNW) in conjunction operators faced in 2020, and are likely to face in
a powerful and unique insight into the challenges with ContactBabel and Talkdesk. 2021.”
4I. Survey results 4. ...and homeworking
is here to stay
10 Key Highlights By 2021, 35% of contact centre
leaders think that their centres will
mainly be homeworking, with only
27% stating that they think that under
This section provides 2. ...and took swift action a quarter of their contact centre
a summary of survey to maintain BAU through employees will be working-from-
lockdown. home. 58% stated that they thought
highlights. Full survey homeworking would be partly optional
results are provided To cope with the Covid-19 crisis, 79% and partly compulsory.
of respondents invested in Employee
from page 8 onwards. Communications (including Microsoft
Teams and Zoom), with 34% investing
5. Anxiety/Mental Health is
in Contact Handling technology, 30%
emerging as a major contact
in Cloud solutions, and 25% in digital/
centre issue
1. Organisations were
online solutions.
generally well prepared... Anxiety/Mental Health Issues has
been the biggest People concern for
80% of organisations said that they 3. Homeworking is the big organisations operating work-from-
had a formal Business Continuity story during lockdown... home centres during the current crisis,
Plan prior to the crisis, with 90% with 66% of people stating that it has
of these considering Shutting Down According to our survey, 77% of been a significant or very significant
Office Buildings/Operations, and contact centres had 50% or more of issue. 30% saw Anxiety/Mental Health By 2021, 35% of contact centre
92% Communicating with Employees, their employees working from home Issues as being more of a challenge leaders think that their centres will
as part of those plans. during the current Covid-19 crisis. next year. mainly be homeworking.
56. Other major challenges 83% of contact centre leaders said 9. ...with team 10. Things may never be
during lockdown that they will be revising their Business communications technology the same again
Continuity Strategy/Plan to address absolutely key
51% of respondents from organisations the possibility of subsequent waves When asked What Will Your Working
that were mainly operating on a work- of Coronavirus. 89% said they would Not only did 79% of contact centres Environment Mainly Look Like in 2021?
from-home basis during lockdown be Better Prepared, 73% said that they invest in Employee Communications 57% of contact centre leaders chose
identified Homeworker Training as would be better Able to Deploy Our (including Microsoft Teams and Zoom) the image of a Socially Distanced
a significant or very significant issue. Work-From-Home Model Faster, 62% during lockdown, but 40% said that Centre, 35% a Work-from-Home
In addition, 30% of all respondents said that they needed to understand they were planning further investment centre, and only 7% a Normal Contact
saw it as potentially being a bigger how to do homeworking better, while in Communications with Remote Centre.
issue next year. 54% said that they would be better Managers/Agents in 2021.
44% of respondents from Able to Make Changes to Technology 89% of leaders say that the Covid-19
organisations that were mainly Infrastructure. crisis has changed the contact centre
operating on a work- from-home industry forever. Only 3% say that
basis during lockdown said that it hasn’t, the remainder are unsure.
Managing Contact Volumes had been
a significant or very significant issue. 8. Technology will have
21% of all respondents saw it as a massive role to play...
potentially a bigger issue next year.
56% of leaders stated that they would
use technology to manage customer
7. Centres will be better contacts more effectively in 2021.
prepared if there was 40% indicated they would be
a second crisis investing in Remote Management
and Monitoring Solutions, with 39%
Recognising the major impact of recent expecting to invest in AI Solutions
events on the future of the industry, in 2021.
6II. The survey
We use a contact
centre outsourcer
We don’t have 1.0% 0-20 seats
results
a contact centre
1.0% 6.9%
Q1:
1000 seats +
Contact centre size
Our survey participants come from a representative
12.7%
sample of small and large contact centres. 33%
work in contact centres that have 50 or less seats,
34% from contact centres with 51-200 seats, and
30% with over 200 seats.
21-50 seats
201-1000 seats 26.5%
17.6%
51-200 seats
34.3%
7Q2:
Industry sector
Survey participants come from a broad range
of industries. 20% are from Financial Services
firms, 14% from the Public Sector and 10% Utilities Financial Services Retail
from Outsourcing firms. 4.9% 19.6% 2.9%
Healthcare Public Sector IT & Telecoms
2.0% 13.7% 5.9%
Outsourcing / BPO Manufacturing Other
9.8% 3.9% 7.3%
8PRE THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Yes
Q3:
Did your organisation have
a formal business continuity
80.4%
strategy/plan prior to the
covid-19 crisis?
The vast majority of respondents (80%) had Don’t know
a formal Business Continuity Strategy/Plan prior
to the Covid-19 crisis, with a further 16% stating 2.0%
that they had an informal one.
We had an
informal one
15.6% No
2.0%
9Q4:
In the event of a crisis, did this
business continuity strategy
consider plans for:
7.3 %
(multiple answers accepted) g
6
r k i n
m ewo 9 . 4 %
92% of organisations with a Business Continuity loye e h o 6
Emp o l o gy
Strategy/Plan prior to the Covid-19 crisis considered te c hn s
s t o t e m
a n g e
r e /s ys
Communicating with Employees as part of their Ch u c tu s) %
in f r a s t r
he c r i s i
8 9 .8
strategy. 90% considered Shutting Down Office n g t
(duri f f i c e
Buildings/Operations, and 75% considered plans
o w no s
g d t i o n %
or Health and Safety as part of their strategy. S h u t t i n
s/o p e r a
9 1 .8
i n g
build g w ith
i c a t in
m m un
5.5 %
C o
l o y e e s 7
emp %
a fe ty
2 0 . 4
l t h &S
Hea t r a c ts
t c o n
y m en s)
m p l o o f f y e e
E y i ng p lo
(e.g. oughing
l a e m
5 .1%
f u r l
o r
t i f i c ial
g A r
ci n
o
Intr gence
d u
9.2%
li
Intel
r
Othe
n?
dow
o s t Lock
ike P
Be L
ntre
ct Ce
rConta
W i l l You
t
Wha
10DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS
66.7%
Q5:
What percentage of your contact
centre staff are currently working
from home?
77% of organisations have 50% or more of their
contact centre employees working from home during
the current crisis. No companies said they had zero
contact centre homeworkers.
11.7% 10.8% 10.8%
0%
0 1 - 24% 25 - 49% 50 - 74% 75 - 100%
11Responses to questions 6-9 are from contact Employee Anxiety/mental
centres that are mainly working-from-home engagement/motivation health issues
during the Covid-19 crisis1
Very Significant Very Significant
9.2% 13.2%
Q6:
Significant Significant
How significant are the PEOPLE
issues you currently face in your 31.6% 52.6%
work-from-home contact centre? Not Significant Not Significant
59.2% 34.2%
Anxiety/Mental Health has been the biggest
concern for organisations operating work-from-
home centres during the current crisis, with
66% of respondents stating that it has been Communications Absenteeism
a significant or very significant issue. 41% said
that Employee Engagement/Motivation was
Very Significant Very Significant
a significant or very significant issue.
7.9% 1.3%
Significant Significant
23.7% 9.2%
Not Significant Not Significant
68.4% 89.5%
1 i.e. with more than 50% of their contact centre employees working from home
12Q7: Health and Safety Productivity
How significant are the
OPERATIONAL issues you currently
face in your work-from-home
contact centre?
51% of respondents said that Training has been
a significant or very significant issue during the crisis.
Not Very Not Very
38% stated that Productivity was a significant or very Significant Significant
Significant Significant Significant Significant
significant issue. 68.4% 25.0% 6.6% 61.8% 32.9% 5.3%
Adherence Training
Not Very Not Very
Significant Significant
Significant Significant Significant Significant
62.7% 37.3% 0% 49.3% 44.0% 6.7%
13Q8: Managing contact Managing multiple channels
volumes (voice, email, web, chat, social etc.)
How significant are the
TECHNOLOGY issues you currently
face in your work-from-home
contact centre?
While Technology issues have typically not been
as big a problem for work-from-home contact Not Very Not Very
Significant Significant
centres as People or Operational issues during the Significant Significant Significant Significant
current crisis, there are still areas for concern. 55.3% 28.9% 15.8% 63.2% 27.6% 9.2%
44% of respondents said that Managing Contact
Volumes had been a significant or very significant
issue, while 37% pointed to Managing Multiple Communicating with Monitoring/reporting
Channels as a significant or very significant issue. managers/agents
Not Very Not Very
Significant Significant
Significant Significant Significant Significant
77.6% 17.1% 5.3% 65.8% 26.3% 7.9%
14Q9:
Did you create any innovative
solutions during the Covid-19
crisis for VIRTUAL recruitment,
on-boarding, management,
training, communications,
health & well being etc.? 59.2%
40.8%
NO YES
15Q9 cont.:
Examples of innovative work-
from-home solutions created
by contact centres during the
Covid-19 crisis
A huge range of innovative work-from-home 4. Used Microsoft Teams for manydifferent type 8. Daily virtual management meetings, virtualtraining
solutions 4. have been implemented by companies of communications/videomeetings, training has for all contact centre staff - ongoingprogramme,
during the crisis. Here is a selection provided adapted. Induction isa challenge with new staff daily communications with allstaff, well being
by survey participants: We have a dailywelfare register and a member of is our top priority
anotherteam makes daily welfare checks on staff
1. We have still continued to recruit during the past 9. Brought in new technology to recruit andtrain fully
few months with training taking place via Zoom 5. Created a How-to Guide for staff workingfrom home virtually, created new commschannels
and feedback
2. Introducing a Refer a Friend scheme so the 6. Virtual recruitment, health and wellbeing,
candidate not only has a buddybut also a realistic and motivational drop in sessions
view of the role priorto starting
7. Brand new on-boarding programme, comms
3. Virtual training, increased e-learnings,manager channels and methods, severalemployee
clinics engagement initiatives
1610. Virtual learning teams, coaching 16. Virtual recruitment, weekly
and teams. Although I wouldn’t say communicationsand whole
it was innovative, it was effective department stand-ups via
conference for those both in and
11. Since lockdown we have recruited out of the office
andtrained 40 people remotely
17. Once it was clear that we could
12. Introduced new way of dealing train people that were on furlough
withnon urgent contacts (message scheme we used the time to upskill
transfersto wav file) our teams in readiness forthe new
world and return to work
13. Transformed our Contact Us
to auto resolvequeries to stop 18. To other companies maybe what
demand drivers we are using is the norm, but we
had to remodel ourentire business,
14. Soon implementing Virtual new telephony system etc.
Assistant (chatbot)
19. Put all of our customer services
15. Utilised social learning and online,created new offerings
collaboration toolto train and according to need andinstalled
engage agents daily powows for the team
internally
17Responses to questions 10-12 are from organisations Employee engagement/motivation Anxiety/mental
that are mainly operating from bricks and mortar health issues
contact centres during the Covid-19 crisis2
Very Significant Very Significant
7.5% 15.1%
Q10:
Significant Significant
How significant are the PEOPLE
43.4% 49.1%
issues you currently face in your
contact centre? Not Significant Not Significant
49.1% 35.8%
It hasn’t just been work-from-home centres that have
experienced significant People issues during the
current crisis. 64% of contact centres still operating
on a mainly Bricks & Mortar basis stated that
Communications Absenteeism
Anxiety/Mental Health Issues had been a significant
or very significant issue. 51% said that Employee
Very Significant Very Significant
Engagement/Motivation was a significant or very
significant issue. 13.2% 6.4%
Significant Significant
34.0% 11.3%
Not Significant Not Significant
52.8% 79.3%
2
i.e. with more than 50% of their contact centre employees working from bricks and mortar contact centres
18Q11: Health and Safety Productivity
How significant are the
OPERATIONAL issues you currently
face in your contact centre?
45% of respondents said that Training has been
a significant or very significant issue during the crisis;
with 43% stating that Productivity was a significant
or very significant issue. Not Very Not Very
Significant Significant
Significant Significant Significant Significant
62.3% 22.6% 15.1% 56.6% 37.7% 5.7%
Adherence Training
Not Very Not Very
Significant Significant
Significant Significant Significant Significant
66.0% 32.1% 1.9% 54.7% 37.7% 7.5%
19Q12: Managing contact Managing multiple channels
volumes (voice, email, web, chat, social etc.)
How significant are the
TECHNOLOGY issues you currently
face in your contact centre?
38% of respondents said that Managing Contact
Volumes had been a significant or very significant
issue. 38% also pointed to Monitoring/Reporting
Not Very Not Very
as a significant or very significant issue. Significant
Significant
Significant Significant
Significant
Significant
61.5% 21.2% 17.3% 73.6% 15.1% 11.3%
Communicating with Monitoring/reporting
managers/agents
Not Very Not Very
Significant Significant
Significant Significant Significant Significant
62.3% 26.4% 11.3% 62.3% 28.3% 9.4%
20Q13:
During the last few months,
did you invest in the following
types of solutions to see you Cloud Contact handling Employee
technology (for call, emails, social media,
communications
through the current crisis web chat etc.)
(e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Temas)
and beyond? 29.9% 34.0% 79.4%
(multiple answers accepted)
79% of respondents have invested in Employee
Communications (including Microsoft Teams
and Zoom) during the crisis, with 34% investing
in Contact Handling technology, 30% in Cloud
Virtual management Monitoring/
Technology solutions, and 25% in digital/online & training reporting
Security
solutions. (e.g. Adobe Connect)
17.5% 18.6% 19.6%
Compliance Digital/online Other
18.6% 24.7% 14.4%
21Q14:
What lessons have you learnt that Focus more on the customer
than on the metrics 24.7%
can be used in future contact centre Understand how to do homeworking
better 61.9%
strategies and implementations? Use technology to manage customer
queries more effectively 55.7%
We should... Use team time better
(to support, feedback etc.) 44.3%
Provide more flexible
The most popular response was We Should Understand work schedules 48.4%
to Do Homeworking Better (62% of repsondents) Pay more attention to
37.1%
health and well being
followed by We Should Use Technology to Manage Get better at sharing
34.0%
Customer Contacts More Effectively (56%). knowledge
48% stated that they should Provide More Flexible Better communicate the
company mission 14.4%
Work Schedules. Other 9.3%
Other ideas/comments proposed by respondents
included:
• (We should) think outside the norm, continue • (We should) provide better IT support and training
• Our team represent our organisation as to push technology, find different ways to work for staff
ambassadors so we will continue to ensure
we invest and support them • (We should) support and equip our managers • (We should) deliver quicker and more effective
and leaders more to facilitate effective online communication of tactical changes
• (We should) involve the operational areas more meetings; provide online engagement activities
in planning to give variety and momentum throughout the
day; and change working patterns to avoid video
• (We should) focus on outcomes conferencing fatigue (more breaks essential)
22POST LOCKDOWN
Q15: 25-49%
37.5%
In 2021, what percentage of your 1-24%
contact centre staff do you think 20.8%
will be working from home? None
Turning our attention now to what people think 6.3%
their contact centres will look like in 2021, work-
from-home will be a significant part of the picture
according to most respondents. With the likelihood
of staggered rotas, social distancing and other
regulations in place, 35% of people think that their
contact centres will mainly be homeworking in 2021. 75-100%
Indeed, only 27% of respondents think that under
a quarter of their contact centre employees will
13.5%
be working-from-home in 2021.
50-74%
21.9%
23Q16: 58.3%
In 2021, do you think work-from-
home will be compulsory or an
option for your contact centre
agents?
Our respondents indicate that homeworking will be
necessary rather than optional. Indeed only 27%
think that the decision to homework will be a totally 27.1%
optional one for contact centre agents. The majority
(58%) think that homeworking will be partly optional/
partly compulsory.
7.3% 6.3%
1.0%
Compulsory Optional Bit of both Don’t know We won’t be
homeworking
24Q17: Employee Anxiety/mental
engagement/motivation health issues
Do you think the contact centre
PEOPLE issues described earlier Less Less
will be more or less of a challenge 25.0% 25.0%
in 2021? About the same About the same
Returning to the question of People issues within 51.0% 44.8%
contact centres, the general feeling amongst
More More
respondents is that they won’t be any less serious
next year. Only 25% see Anxiety/Mental Health 24.0% 30.2%
issues as being less of a challenge in 2021, although
a higher percentage (29%) do see Absenteeism as
being less of a problem. In fact 30% see Anxiety/
Mental Health issues as being more of a challenge Communications Absenteeism
next year.
Less Less
26.0% 29.1%
About the same About the same
62.5% 49.0%
More More
11.5% 21.9%
25Q18: Health and Safety Productivity
Do you think the contact centre
OPERATIONAL issues described
earlier will be more or less of
a challenge in 2021?
A similar story when it comes to Operational issues.
Only 28% see Productivity issues as being less of a
More About the Less More About the Less
challenge in 2021 - while 30% see Training as being same same
more of an issue next year.
18.8% 50.0% 31.2% 12.5% 59.4% 28.1%
Adherence Training
More About the Less More About the Less
same same
11.4% 66.7% 21.9% 30.2% 42.7% 27.1%
26Q19: Managing contact Managing multiple channels
volumes (voice, email, web, chat, social etc.)
Do you think the contact centre
TECHNOLOGY issues described
earlier will be more or less of
a challenge in 2021?
In terms of Technology, the majority of respondents
didn’t believe that the issues we listed will be
More About the Less More About the Less
significantly more or less of a problem next year -
same same
although 21% did consider that Managing Multiple
9.4% 65.6% 25% 20.8% 55.2% 24%
Channels would be a bigger issue.
Communicating with Monitoring/reporting
managers/agents
More About the Less More About the Less
same same
12.5% 67.7% 19.8% 8.3% 74.0% 17.7%
27Q20:
Will you be revising your Business
Continuity Strategy/Plan to address
the possibility of subsequent waves
of Coronavirus?
83% of participants said that they will be revising
their Business Continuity Strategy/Plan to address
Y e s
.0 %
the possibility of subsequent waves of Coronavirus.
8 3
Only 7% said they wouldn’t, the rest didn’t know.
No
7. 4 %
k n ow
on ’ t
D 6 %
9.
28Q21:
What do you think would
Better prepared 89.4%
happen differently if there
was a subsequent wave of Able to make changes to
technology infrastructure and 54.3%
solutions faster
Coronavirus?
Able to deploy our
We would be... work-from-home model 73.4%
faster
(multiple answers accepted)
More secure 23.4%
89% of people said they would be Better Prepared
if there was a subsequent wave of Coronavirus. More compliant 16.0%
In terms of practical actions, 73% said that they
would be Able to Deploy Our Work-From-Home Quicker to implement
46.8%
Model Faster, while 54% said that they would be Able innovative ideas
to Make Changes to Technology Infrastructure. More willing to switch
off customer comms 24.5%
channels
More willing to relax
traditional performance 37.2%
management metrics
Other 2.1%
29Q22: Contact handling
(voice, web chat, social media etc.)
Workforce forecasting and
scheduling
Are you likely to invest in solutions
in the next 12 months for... Unlikely Unlikely
64.0% 73.6%
40% of participants said that they would be investing Likely Likely
in Communications with Remote Managers/ Agents,
36.0% 26.4%
the same percentage as said that they would be
investing in Remote Management and Monitoring
Solutions. 39% expect to invest in AI solutions
AI Automated recruitment and
in 2021. onboarding
Unlikely Unlikely
61.1% 73.3%
Likely Likely
38.9% 26.7%
Communications with remote Remote management and
managers/agents monitoring
Unlikely Unlikely
59.5% 59.8%
Likely Likely
40.5% 40.2%
30Q23:
What will your working
environment MAINLY look like
in 2021?
Normal contact centre Socially distanced centre
Participants were then shown five images and asked
What Will Your Working Environment Mainly Look 18.6% 57.0%
Like in 2021? 57% expected their contact centre
to mainly look like the image of a Socially Distanced
Centre in 2021, a significant 35% selected the Work-
from-Home centre, and only 7% the Normal Contact
Centre image.
C. Modern office workspace Work-from-home
0% 35.5%
AI or self-service
0%
31Q24:
In the light of Covid-19, do you
think the contact centre industry 89.3%
has changed forever?
89% of participants believe that the Covid-19 crisis
has changed the contact centre industry forever.
Only 3% believe that it hasn’t. The remaining 7% said
they were not sure.
3.2% 7.5%
Yes No Not
sure
32Examples from contact centre • Will be interesting to see what policies become • I have learnt a lot having to enable a remote
acceptable to us as an organisation and to the contact centre at short notice and whilst I still think
leaders of learnings and what they industry. For example 12 months ago an agent fundamentally there are more benefits to have an
think the future will look like or even other officer working from home and office environment for training support, peer to
childcaring wouldn’t have been acceptable - peer engagement, and for the health and wellbeing
currently it is normal. Will we accept this in the of individuals, there are clear benefits to a blended
future - both within my organisation and as an approach. However, you need the right systems in
industry norm? Interested to note what factors place to do this and we just don’t quite have that
will motivate future candidates/agents and will need to invest in better than what we have
if this is the long term - which I feel it needs to be
• This has provided a fantastic opportunity to think
differently, and provide a great flexible working • All the questions were related to contact centre.
opportunity for colleagues. I believe this will The non operations which support the site are also
provide our industry with a platform to become 100% working from home. This potentially will
an industry of choice through homeworking continue into 2021
options, driving a greater Customer Experience
through highly engaged agents. Covid-19 • A consistent and reliable service has been one
also demonstrated how limited our business of our biggest issues with the technology
continuity plans were initially, and as a result and in
anticipation of a second wave, we are moving onto • More likely to influence training/HR decisions
new technology to enable homeworking across the regarding virtual interviewing, previously frowned
entire workforce upon so held back CC forward thinking
33• Important to recognise that we • I think that there will be businesses
remain in a state of crisis, and that where interactions are quite
no-one is clear on what the future transactional where directors
holds because we can’t predict how and business leaders may now
the virus will behave from hereon. be prepared to consider work from
This means that businesses currently home options after this forced
remain reactive, and that making proof of concept. Certainly in my
decisions about future strategy business I expected to see some
is something we should be cautious drop in productivity and efficiency
about but it’s remained largely stable.
My centre relies on lots of face
• I think the impacts and changes to face interaction and knowledge
are sector and industry dependant sharing so I am keen to return
to the office. But thinking back
• As we had already trialled WFH to other businesses I have
last year and most staff were operated in, I would be keen
doing this on a part time basis to explore home-working more
(40% of working week was WFH) widely if there was no negative
the transition for us was quite easy quality/productivity/well-being
and simple to implement impact
• This has provided the industry with
an opportunity to be innovative and
agile trying things we would never
have considered previously possible
34III. Profiles
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around the world, including IBM, Acxiom, 2U, Trivago best fit together, and how they will work collectively
and Peloton, rely on Talkdesk to make customer in the future.
experience their competitive advantage.
We help the biggest and most successful vendors
A “leader” in Gartner’s Contact Center as a Service develop their contact centre strategies and talk
Magic Quadrant, Talkdesk offers ongoing innovation, to the right prospects. We have shown the UK
superior call quality and instant integration to the government how the global contact centre industry
most popular business applications. will develop and change. We help contact centres
compare themselves to their closest competitors so
they can understand what they are doing well and
Get started today: what needs to improve.
www.talkdesk.com/get-started
35Call North West offers a huge support network
for all contact centre professionals in the North West.
Our successes and achievements are centred
around offering the contact centre industry key
Established in 2008, the SWCCF covers initiatives and events, all with the objective of sharing
Where it all started…
one of the largest regions in the UK, best practice, giving members insight and expertise
which includes Bristol, Bath, Swindon, to enable them enhance their businesses and
October 2003, Call North West was launched with
Cheltenham and Plymouth. The Forum position in the industry. Call North West develops
backing from the North West Regional Development
delivers extensive support to the region’s close partnerships with members and supporting
Agency and the University of Central Lancashire.
250 employers who collectively employ a vibrant membership community in the region.
The aim of the project, to support the call and
circa 52,000 people in both the Public contact centre industry which spans across many
and Private sector. Call North West is an excellent networking
sectors in the North West.
It represents clients in the highly organisation, whatever the size of your contact
professional and regulated areas of centre business there is opportunity to be a part
financial and legal services, ICT, retail, of a success contact centrevforum, where
15 years later…
utilities and creative sectors, and boasts businesses build a dynamic network and receive
some of the biggest companies in the UK. support for all areas of their contact centre business.
Call North West supports the 700 plus contact
centres in the region through a diverse 12-month
Telephone 07966 092149 Telephone 07966 092149
calendar of specialist events including the Annual
General Enquiries General Enquiries
Employee and Team Engagement Challenge,
jane@swcontactcentreforum.com info@callnorthwest.org.uk
Quarterly Forums, Specialist Training, Contact
Training Enquiries Training Enquiries
Centre Conventions, Bi-monthly User Groups,
training@swcontactcentreforum.com training@callnorthwest.org.uk
culminating in the Annual Call North West Awards
Ceremony, the showcase event of the year!
www.swccf.co.uk www.callnorthwest.org.uk
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