Business, Customer Experience

Evolving Beyond the Contact Centre:

Embracing Omnichannel Customer Engagement

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, the way businesses interact with their customers has undergone a remarkable transformation.

Gone are the days when a “contact centre” referred solely to a physical location where customers made phone calls for support or inquiries. The advent of technology and the rise of multiple communication channels have rendered the term “contact centre” somewhat outdated. Instead, we now find ourselves in an era of omnichannel customer engagement, where businesses must adapt to effectively cater to customers across various platforms. In this blog post, we will explore the evolving nature of customer interactions and the need to embrace a more comprehensive approach to customer engagement.

Old style telephony operators ~1950
Just logging on

The Expanding Horizon of Customer Engagement: 

In the past, businesses primarily relied on telephone communication to handle customer interactions. The term “contact centre” emerged to describe a centralised hub where agents managed incoming and outgoing phone calls. However, the rise of digital channels, such as email, chat, social media, and messaging apps, has expanded the scope of customer engagement beyond traditional telephony. Customers now expect seamless experiences across multiple channels, demanding prompt responses and personalized interactions.

The Limitations of the Traditional Contact Centre Model: 

The traditional contact centre model, designed primarily for voice-based interactions, falls short in meeting the demands of modern customers. Relying solely on phone calls limits the efficiency and effectiveness of customer service operations. Customers may prefer different channels based on their preferences, urgency, or the complexity of their issues. Failing to provide a cohesive and consistent experience across all channels can lead to frustration, dissatisfaction, and potentially losing customers to competitors who prioritize omnichannel engagement.

Embracing Omnichannel Customer Engagement: 

To adapt to the evolving landscape of customer interactions, businesses must embrace omnichannel customer engagement. This approach focuses on seamlessly integrating all customer touchpoints, whether through phone calls, emails, live chats, social media, or any other relevant communication channel. By doing so, companies can provide a unified and consistent experience across platforms, ensuring that customers receive the same level of support and engagement regardless of the channel they choose.

Benefits of Omnichannel Customer Engagement:

  1. Enhanced Customer Experience: Omnichannel engagement allows businesses to provide a more personalized, convenient, and consistent experience to their customers. Customers can effortlessly transition between channels while maintaining the context of their interactions, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
  2. Improved Efficiency and Productivity: By leveraging the power of automation, artificial intelligence, and unified customer data, businesses can streamline their customer service processes. Agents can access comprehensive customer information across channels, enabling them to resolve issues faster, reduce handling times, and ultimately increase productivity.
  3. Deeper Customer Insights: An omnichannel approach enables businesses to gather valuable data and insights about customer preferences, behaviours, and pain points. These insights can be leveraged to develop more targeted marketing strategies, refine products and services, and identify opportunities for improvement.
  4. Competitive Advantage: Embracing omnichannel customer engagement is becoming increasingly crucial in a highly competitive market. Businesses that prioritize seamless interactions across channels differentiate themselves, attract and retain more customers, and build a strong brand reputation.

The term “contact centre” perhaps no longer encapsulates the breadth and depth of customer engagement in today’s business landscape. To meet the expectations of modern customers, companies must evolve beyond the limitations of a single-channel approach and embrace omnichannel customer engagement. By seamlessly integrating various communication channels, businesses can deliver a superior customer experience, drive efficiency, gain valuable insights, and gain a competitive edge. The future of customer engagement lies in the ability to adapt and cater to customers wherever they are, on whichever channel they prefer.

This also means that for many organisations, a shift in thinking from:

“We don’t have a contact centre”, to:

“Yes, we absolutely engage with customers across many different channels and need to embrace technology to ensure we meet the customers’ needs and expectations”.

Business, Leadership, Personal Management

You hired good people so let them get on with it!

As a manager or business owner, one of the biggest responsibilities you have is to assemble a team of skilled and capable employees who can work together to achieve the goals of the organization. But sometimes, as the boss, it can be tempting to micromanage and control every aspect of your team’s work. However, this can actually be counterproductive and limit the potential of your employees.

When you hire good people, it’s important to trust that they have the skills and expertise needed to do their job. By constantly checking in on them, second-guessing their decisions, and imposing unnecessary rules and restrictions, you risk sabotaging their creativity and motivation. This can lead to a decrease in productivity, disengagement, and eventually, high turnover.

So why not let your employees get on with their work and give them the space and resources they need to excel? Here are some reasons why it’s important to trust your team and let them take ownership of their work:

1. Fosters creativity and innovation: When you give your employees a sense of autonomy and ownership over their work, they are more likely to explore new ideas, take risks, and think outside the box. This can lead to innovative solutions and fresh perspectives that can help your business grow and thrive.

2. Builds trust and loyalty: By trusting your employees to do their job, you demonstrate your faith in their abilities and create a sense of mutual respect. This can build a culture of trust and loyalty that can motivate your team to go above and beyond for your company.

3. Increases job satisfaction: When employees feel like they have control over their work and are trusted to make important decisions, they are more likely to feel satisfied in their job. This can lead to higher engagement, better morale, and reduced turnover.

4. Improves productivity: Micromanaging can be a huge time-suck, taking up valuable hours and resources that could be better spent on more important tasks. By letting your employees take ownership of their work, you can free up your time to focus on bigger picture tasks and help your team become more efficient and productive.

In conclusion, hiring good people is only half the battle – you also need to give them the space and trust they need to do their job. By fostering a culture of autonomy, innovation, and mutual respect, you can build a stronger, more engaged team that is motivated to take your business to the next level. So next time you’re tempted to micromanage, remember: you hired good people, so let them get on with it! And you’re free to support the business growth 😉

Here to help you.
Business, Collaborating, Family, Leadership, partnership, Personal Management

No one is just TOO BUSY!

We hear it all the time, don’t we, and sometimes coming from our own mouths!


But what does it actually mean?

Life can be pretty hectic, with noise all around us and demands on our time and attention like never before. The digital world can become overwhelmingly distracting, with notifications pinging incessantly on our devices.

Ultimately though, we are in much greater control than we might think. It is also true that we make time for what is important to us. Or more accurately that which we believe should be important to us. After all, there is (for most of us anyway) nothing more important than our loved ones. But do we always make time for them, or do we succumb to the pings of our other attention seekers?
I often wonder if this is a self-induced state by building our importance so that we attract way more attention than is necessary. Should we instead, be ensuring that we are setting ourselves up better for getting out of the way, and reducing our personal involvement in matters that really do not need us?

It is worth asking yourself what you are currently involved in that you could easily step away from – you may just surprise yourself and your family and friends will thank you.

Business

Fireside chat with Graham Bunting – The United Kingdom News

Who is Graham?

I am a very fortunate family man, with a smart beautiful wife and 5 fabulous kids (3 of which are all grown and flown) – 2 in 6th form, and a gorgeous lab – Archie. And I am so lucky to have 2 grandchildren too.
As founder of Trust Partner Services, I “lend” my experience and “know-how” to organisations entering an unknown world. Where sales channels need to be identified and partnerships developed

Source: Fireside chat with Graham Bunting – The United Kingdom News

Business, Collaborating, Family, Leadership, partnership, Personal Management, Social

I haven’t made any New Years resolutions

No specific NY resolution from me

However…

> I will continue to work on personal growth every day.

> I will continue to challenge myself to be an outstanding human being every day.

> I will work diligently on my commitments every day: both business and personal.

> I will work on business development in Trust Partner Services Ltd every day.

> I will declutter my connections. Where I am no longer needed, I will disconnect, making room for fresh engagement.

Wishing everyone a very
rewarding and contentment filled 2023

Happy New Year

Business, Collaborating, Customer Focus, Leadership, Learning, partnership, Social

We’re in – are you? – Trust Partner Services Ltd

https://www.trustpartnerservices.com/trust-joins-the-chamber/

Trust partners with the Herts Chamber

Having watched from the sidelines for some time, we decided it was time to roll up our sleeves and join the fray.

We are now officially members of the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and it is our intention to be a fully active member of this illustrious group.

Our WHY for this is a strong desire to be a supportive local business for other local business and to investigate further ways of acting more local. For as long as I can remember, our approach has been international, and that will remain, but we would like to become way more active locally. This is therefore, the first step into understanding the local landscape. We want to listen and learn and support where we can, as we understand our role.

Looking forward to meeting other chamber members and learning about our local business eco-systems


© 2022 Trust Partner Services Ltd Trust Partner Services LTD

Business, Learning, Personal Management

Failing is essential.

I grew up thinking that failure was a really bad thing.

It was ingrained in me. I was genuinely scared to be a failure.I’m certain it’s been to my detriment, but I guess I’ll never really know.

Worrying about failure is a really bad use of brain time and curtails trying stuff. I am certain that it holds you back.

As I’ve grown older and wiser I’ve shifted my thinking and reframed stuff to allow more freedom to think, to dream to dare. To dare to fail or succeed and always to learn.

I am definitely bolder as well as balder🤣😜, and I’d also say more creative and flexible.

I have learnt that:

👍🏻It’s ok to be wrong

👍🏻It’s ok to fail

👍🏻It’s ok if others disagree with me

I know who my supporters and detractors are, and I am really careful about the thoughts I allow space and time in my head

I am better today than yesterday, and not as good as I’ll be tomorrow.

Photo by Sebastian Arie Voortman on Pexels.com
Business, Collaborating, Customer Experience, Learning

Not quite a public service announcement

What’s a great piece of tech, or app that you’ve discovered and can’t believe everybody isn’t using it?

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

w3w

There are so many great use cases for this mapping technology, especially in remote or busy locations. A great use case example for me was a recent weekend break in a very rural location on a sprawling farm with no signs and several different holiday cottages.

We had ordered a takeaway and provided an address (of sorts), which, with the best will in the world was still vague at best.

Enter “what three words” and we were able to provide a pinpoint accurate location that didn’t rely on a vague postcode or mapping address.

I reckon it’s a bit of a game changer even if perhaps could be considered a bit niche.

I have no doubt that there’s a whole world of other technology/applications that I’ve never even seen or used yet that could be a game changer for me or indeed for you.

Why don’t you share your game-changing tech story so that we too can benefit from the experiences that you’ve been having?

Business, channel, Customer Experience, partnership, productivity

New to reseller market:  Daktela UK – One App for All your Business Communications

October 2022: Omnichannel Contact Centre provider Daktela UK announces collaboration with Trust Partner Services, a move which will open significant new business opportunities for a select number of channel partners in the UK.

Daktela UK is an experienced player in the cloud contact centre market. Established in 2010, their senior leadership team have worked in the contact centre industry for over 30 years selling solutions through direct and indirect sales channels.

Daktela have an ambitious recruitment campaign underway with a mission to establish a small number of strategic partnerships within the UK channel reseller community. 

Differentiation is a critical component for resellers, and Daktela enables their partners to do exactly that – instead of being one of several bids with the same technology offer, Daktela is both unique and incredibly functional and feature-rich, across the small to mid-enterprise customer space.

To ensure that they connect with the best possible channel partners, they have engaged Trust Partner Services to guide them.

“We are excited to grow our footprint in the UK with Trust Partner Services. Daktela has the best technology at the best price, and we see channel partners playing a significant role in our expansion plans,” said Steve McSherry, UK Country Manager at Daktela UK.

“Sophisticated customers expect a sophisticated experience. Businesses are turning to their providers to source the right technology, but we understand you need to differentiate to remain competitive. With Daktela, resellers can stand out from the crowd and have a real point of difference.” continues Steve McSherry.

Graham Bunting, Founder at Trust Partner Services, said: “Demand is growing for omnichannel as customers demand a better experience. Daktela helps businesses enjoy a more joined-up approach to communications. We will be working with resellers to help deliver this message and explain the benefits of Daktela. Partners can also bring their expertise with Daktela’s open API, creating a joint enterprise that benefits both parties. This, teamed with their staged approach to Contact Centre deployments, gives ultimate flexibility for resellers.”

About Daktela UK

Daktela UK is a leading provider of cloud-based communication, uniquely combining pioneering digital technology with over 30 years of real-world customer experience. They are on a mission to help UK businesses to create extraordinary customer experiences with their flexible, scalable packages. To find out more, contact:  info@daktela.co.uk or visit http://www.daktela.co.uk.

About Trust Partner Services

Trust Partner Services are a niche consultancy specialising in supporting Technology/Voice/Software vendors’ go-to-market strategy and ecosystem building in the UKI & Europe. Founder Graham Bunting’s experience of local markets, and network, is second to none, having worked at partner, distributor, and vendor levels.

To grow your business, we are committed to innovation, partnership, and a relentless focus on what’s next. Simplification, communication, and localisation provide a clear advantage in any market. We are the company you can trust to help you deliver Experiences that Matter to your channels and customers.

For more information – graham@trustpartnerservices.com

Business

Change is afoot. Are you good with change, or more of a “if it ain’t broke” sort?

I can’t be precise about when but I do know that there was a time and the deep dark past where I probably didn’t like change too much. I always felt content with the way things were.

But I can tell you right here and now that I’m a real change catalyst, and if things are not changing fast enough, I put my shoulder to the door to push harder, and then I look hard for new things.

I think it’s fair to say that some changes, can perhaps be somewhat of a deflection or distraction, but pragmatically I tend to ride the wave. Other stuff I’m definitely responsible or partly so, for making the change.

(edit) My good friend Dave Brown commented on Twitter that “If it ain’t broke, then fix it before it is”

There’s some new stuff coming just over the other side so watch out – more information, and VERY SOON