The Future of Customer Facing Technology in the Outsourced Contact Center (Review Report)

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Oct. 10, 2007 - 34 Pages

Table of Contents

Overview

Catalyst

Summary

Methodology

Executive Summary

Introduction

Profiting from at-home agents in contact center outsourcing (Market Focus)

How to profit from emerging contact channels (Strategy Focus)

Leveraging the IVR Self-service Phenomenon in Contact Center Outsourcing (Strategy Focus)

Table of Contents

Table of figures

Table of tables

Deriving value from at-home agents (Market Focus)

Summary

At-home APs will grow through the coming five years

Overall market size

Regional concentration and trends

At-home agents are a compelling option to potential and existing outsourcing clients

Added-value to end-user interactions

Alternative to offshoring

Lower cost than domestic agents

Positive publicity

Outsourcing vendors can profit from at-home agents

Vertical specialization

Business contingency planning

Reduced overheads

Facilities

Contractor model and agent empowerment

New pool of quality agents

Different demographic

Unlimited geographic pool

Stay-at-home parents

Senior citizens

Professional qualification

Individuals with reduced mobility

Lower rates of attrition

Different demographic

Entrepreneurial attitude

New regional opportunities

Established markets

Developing markets

Environmental positioning

However, vendors need to address ongoing home agent concerns

Agent monitoring

Data protection / fraud

Lack of team atmosphere

Home environment distractions

How to profit from emerging contact channels (Strategy Focus)

Summary

Voice remains the key customer service channel of choice

Immediacy

Pervasiveness of telephony

Comfort

Cost perception

Email is emerging as a preferred method of contact for non-critical issues

Rapid response times

Specific functions targeted

Standardized contact forms

Web-chat is an excellent alternative for technical support

Limitations may limit deployments

Expense

Agent ratios

Security concerns

SMS is regionally and demographically limited, but has the chance to grow globally

Age demographic

Regional limitations

Functionality

Actions

Promote multichannel capabilities as a means of customer satisfaction

Let clients drive multichannel mix

Anticipate changes in the channel mix

Avoid agent blending

Provide efficient email services

Explore new uses for web chat

Deploy SMS based on targeted demand

Leveraging the IVR self-service phenomenon in contact center outsourcing (strategy Focus)

Summary

Speech automation continues to grow as a means of customer care

Global analysis

Regional analysis

Reasons for growth

Reduced costs

Reduced complexity

Better functionality

Pervasiveness

IVR can help outsourcers increase quality interaction

Effective routing

Shorter call times

Alternative to offshoring

Brand re-enforcement

IVR can reduce outsourcing costs and improve efficiencies

Reduced AP count

Fewer agents

Check against rising agent costs

Automation of basic tasks

Outsourcers need to be conscious of IVR's limitations

Client push-back

End-user resistance

Commercial opportunities

Simple tasks

APPENDIX

Methodology

Further reading

Datamonitor consulting

Disclaimer

List of Tables

Table 1: Global at-home agent positions, 2006 - 2012

Table 2: At-home versus onshore bricks-and-mortar agent - characteristic differences

Table 3: Global voice business value chain revenues, 2005 - 2010

Table 4: Global voice business value chain revenues: regional analysis, 2005 - 2010

List of Figures

Figure 1: Global at-home agent position growth, 2006 - 2012

Figure 2: US in-bound agent comparison, facility versus at-home: 2006

Figure 3: Mobile and fixed line telephony penetration, selected countries: 2006

Figure 4: Mobile telephony versus internet penetration, selected countries: 2006

Figure 5: Global voice business value chain revenues, 2005 - 2010

Figure 6: Global voice business value chain revenues: regional analysis, 2005 - 2010

Figure 7: What are your major headaches with regard to your call centre? (1 - Smallest Headache; 4 - Biggest Headache)

Abstract

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