How to Profit from Emerging Contact Channels (Strategy Brief)

A discussion of multichannel contact center functions in the scope of outsourcing. Key drivers and inhibitors will be discussed.



Report Highlights
Voice remains the main channel of choice for end-users of contact center services Email has been steadily emerging as the principal non-voice channel for outsourced contact centers Web chat is a leading non-voice mechanism in the domain of technical support, while SMS deployments may be limited to certain geographies and age brackets


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DATAMONITOR VIEW 1
CATALYST 1
SUMMARY 1
ANALYSIS 2
Voice remains the key customer service channel of choice 2
Immediacy 2
Pervasiveness of telephony 2
Comfort 3
Cost perception 6
Email is emerging as a preferred method of contact for non-critical issues 6
Rapid response times 6
Specific functions targeted 6
Standardized contact forms 6
Web-chat is an excellent alternative for technical support 9
Limitations may limit deployments 9
Expense 9
Agent ratios 9
Security concerns 9
SMS is regionally and demographically limited, but has the chance to grow globally 12
Age demographic 12
Regional limitations 12
Functionality 12
ACTIONS 14
Promote multichannel capabilities as a means of customer satisfaction 14
Let clients drive multichannel mix 14
Anticipate changes in the channel mix 14
Avoid agent blending 14
Provide efficient email services 14
Explore new uses for web chat 14
Deploy SMS based on targeted demand 15
APPENDIX 16
Methodology 16
Further reading 16
Ask the analyst 16
Datamonitor consulting 16
Disclaimer 16

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Figure 1: Mobile and fixed line telephony penetration, selected countries: 2006 3
Figure 2: Mobile telephony versus internet penetration, selected countries: 2006 12

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