Description

In a world of rapidly changing technologies, providing consistently excellent customer support can be challenging. Consider that companies today are developing a widening assortment of popular technology-driven products and services, as well as adding complexity to existing ones. Technology-enabled goods—such as appliances, automobiles, entertainment products, and home security systems—are growing in functionality and complexity. Many products have the ability to be connected to and managed through the Internet; hence, the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, a dizzying array of computers, mobile devices and medical devices require high levels of technical support. Sales, customer care and support agents in contact centers today are utilizing a much wider arsenal of communication tools - voice, video, e-mail, IVR, Web chat, file sharing, and social media. Frost & Sullivan believes that traditional voice-centric call centers are rapidly morphing into “Omnichannel Centers of Excellence and ‘Relationship Hubs’.1 Frost & Sullivan research shows that the new Omnichannel consumer wants to have access to all available channels simultaneously, including the retail in-store/in-person experience. Examine, for a minute, how the consumer landscape has changed. Customers are demanding service on the channels they prefer, such as social media sites or mobile devices. As a result, companies today have invested in newer operational processes and solutions mapped to meet the communication needs of the army of independent, autonomous self-starters; Gen Y. This movement into new realms of specialized expertise signals the opportunity for significant BPO technology investments. This evolution could translate into an enhanced value proposition for clients and consumers. How? In essence, technology platforms and new business models will be key to meeting the complex communication needs of today’s Omnichannel consumer. At the same time, younger customers in particular have become more impatient, demanding, and knowledgeable. More and more, Generation Y and Millennial consumers insist on “Omnichannel support”— a coherent, seamless Customer Experience, regardless of the channel through which they engage a business. This can range from face-to-face service to self-service. This 2-part research study provides the reader with a high-level overview of digital Customer Experience (CX) trends as we find ourselves mid-year in 2017, heading into uncharted territory in 2018; giving the readership growth insights and growth opportunities to be considered in the year ahead. This analysis presents some of the Customer Experience trends that Frost & Sullivan believes will shape, grow, and influence Customer Experience Management (CEM). The study focuses on those growth insights which are the most relevant for 2017-2018 in North America. This Growth Insight outlines the trends and insights for select industries, business models and technology areas, including:

3-D Printing
Augmented Reality
Freemium
Voice of the Customer (VOC)
Hyper-Personalization
Outsourcing
Government
Education
Travel & Hospitality