LONDON, UK, 21 JULY 2022: The cost of living crisis is driving up contact volume as customers seek support and reassurance, according to the latest findings in the Evolution of the Contact Centre research programme from the CCMA (Call Centre Management Association). Assisted channels are more important than ever, as customers feel urgency and seek certainty.

With the support of Puzzel, a leading European CCaaS (Contact Centre as a Service) provider, the CCMA has been tracking the industry’s progress since August 2020. This latest research report is the sixth part in the series exploring how the contact centre industry is responding to macro influences.

“Being the front line of organisations, contact centres get to see and hear the impact on customers first. As such, the industry serves as valuable bellwethers of how people are feeling and behaving, of social and economic upheavals,” said Leigh Hopwood, CEO of the CCMA. “And just as our industry played an instrumental role in helping the country get through the pandemic, the job that we do is even more crucial and irreplaceable in a time when so many people need help.

The research revealed five trends that summarise the findings

• The cost-of-living crisis is driving up contact volume as customers seek support and reassurance.
• Assisted channels are more important than ever, as customers feel urgency and seek certainty.
• Emotional intelligence and well-being are still top of the leadership agenda.
• Inflation adds further pressure to increase salaries, already influenced by the tight labour market.
• The role of the contact centre in supporting society through difficult times has never been more important.

“There can be little doubt that we are at just the start of this challenging period, and it will get worse before it gets better,” said Stephen Yap, Research Director at the CCMA. “Much of what was learned during the pandemic and the resilience that the industry built continues to serve it well.”

Jonathan Allan, CMO at Puzzel said: “With the decline in consumer confidence and tightening of household budgets, now more than ever, brands and local authorities need to focus on customer experience. Ensuring they make the correct investment in people and technology to create a seamless, human service. There is no denying that the coming months will be difficult for society and I believe that as an industry we remain at the forefront of providing the support and reassurance needed. But, to do so we need to remain agile and invest in new technologies and training programs to help our agents deliver empathetic and personalised customer service at scale.”

For more details on the research, please visit www.puzzel.com/neighbourhood/media-insights/white-papers/part-6-the-evolution-of-the-contact-centre/

About Puzzel

Puzzel is the leading European provider of cloud contact centre solutions. Every day, more than 1,100 organisations across 40 countries use our software to deliver smart customer experiences, blending the powers of people and technology to serve customers efficiently, effectively and with empathy. The Puzzel Platform enables organisations to create rich journeys for their customers, with a mix of live and self-service experiences that give people the freedom to choose when, where and how they get help. Artificial intelligence is harnessed at every touchpoint to automate tasks, provide insight, and personalise service and support. Puzzel also includes a suite of productivity and planning tools to empower managers and agents to reach their goals and continuously improve performance. With 20+ years of experience in the industry, Puzzel is the CCaaS provider organisations trust when every moment matters.

About the CCMA

For nearly 30 years, the CCMA (Call Centre Management Association), as the longest established contact centre industry body, has been dedicated to supporting contact centre leaders across the UK. Founded on the principles of sharing best practice and networking to improve skills and knowledge, the CCMA is a thriving community that represents leaders from a huge cross-section of the industry.

Membership of the largest community in the industry offers unique opportunities, such as free annual benchmarking of 20+ KPIs, free entry into the UK National Contact Centre Awards and free tickets to the UK National Contact Centre Conference, invites to Executive Networking Dinners and exclusive events for members-only. Members also benefit from discounted training through the UK National Contact Centre Academy, the industry’s training partner.

To support the industry further, the CCMA conducts regular original research for download, including the annual Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer research, the Evolution of the Contact Centre tracking the industry’s progress and Good Practice Guides on a variety of topics.