WORK/LIFE 2.0 IN THE CONTACT CENTER

Before COVID-19 was recognized as a global pandemic, SSON Research and Analytics surveys reported that the biggest skills deficits needing to be filled in shared service centers (SSCs) lay in innovation (44%) and leadership skills (27%). In the 2022 State of the Industry Survey, the most prioritized skills are automation (58%), process design/continuous improvement (55%) and data management and analytics (46%).

As can be seen above, there has been a noticable shift in the attitudes towards what role the modern worker should fill. However, as demonstrated by trends in the contact center, automation is not a cure-all nor a replacement for the soft-skills valued in the customer experience. 

This report posits that the reality is not an either/or situaiton. Not only is attended automation able to bridge the gap caused by lower employee resources, but it is also able to bring forward the IMF’s vision for a blended human-robotic workforce.

Read on to learn about:

• The evolving landscape of customer demands and the impact this is having on employee outcomes
• How attended automation can meet the competing demands of employee and customer
• How one telecommucations operator has utilized attended automation to reduce Average Handling Time by 30-50%