It’s that time of the year where we can pause, reflect and look ahead to see how you can continuously improve your operations in 2022. Part of this strategizing should include revisiting your tech stack. To help you get started, we put together a list of top call center technology trends we expect to take center stage in 2022.

2021 is coming to a close, and unfortunately, we’re still living through the effects of the global pandemic. And contact centers have been hit especially hard. Agent turnover continues to be a problem, and your current team members are feeling the brunt of it.call center technology trends woman at computer

That’s why you need to turn to technology solutions to help smooth out operations and retain the talent that you do have. The good news is today’s contact center technologies can do a lot, allowing you to take the burden off your agents and, in the process, improve your customer experience.

If your call center needs a technology upgrade, then make this your year to invest in your business and your agents – and reap the rewards that come with that investment.

But to make that investment, you have to know what’s out there. Here’s our list of call center technology trends to keep on your radar for 2022.

Call Center Technology Trends: What to Add to Your Tech Stack This Year

There are a lot of call center software solutions, so it can be hard to know where to start. To help you focus on getting the best bang for your buck, we focused on the essentials and the new technology that’s here to stay.

#1. Cloud-Based Solutions

In the age of remote work, everything is moving to the cloud – and that includes call center technology. In 2022, that trend will continue.

There are a lot of helpful applications that you can find on the cloud, and really the world is becoming your oyster here. Cloud solutions are cost-effective and usually quite easy to implement. They’re also flexible and allow for easy integrations.

For example, one cloud-based solution that you need to make sure you have is a customer relationship management (CRM) software solution. These solutions are designed to collect and categorize data from many different sources about your customers.

#2. Data & Analytics

Many applications track data, but you need a way to capture that data, send it where it needs to go, and use it to your benefit. After all, you can’t improve what you can’t measure.

So, make sure you have an analytics solution lined up to track important metrics for your call center and your agents. That way you can see exactly where you need to improve and make the necessary fixes to solve any problem areas.

#3. IVR

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a call center technology trend for the ages, and it’s just as important today as it was years ago. If you’re not making use of this essential function in your tech stack, you need to be.

IVR takes a customer’s voice input, processes it, and sends it to the proper routing or escalation.

The benefit is that you can automate a lot of the routine service calls that can pile up on your call center reps, allowing them to clear a lot more difficult or high priority calls. On the other side, customers can quickly and easily serve themselves through automated menus.

IVR is an essential piece to a well-functioning contact center, so make sure it’s part of your 2022 plans.

#4. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

CTI is the connector behind the other tech features you want to add – landing it an important spot on our list of call center technology trends.

If you don’t have a solution that integrates your full tech stack – from your cloud-based CRM to your data and analytics tool to IVR – then CTI needs to be at the top of your 2022 priorities list.

CTI makes sure every bit of useful information is connected and accessible in real time. Here’s what happens when a call goes through the system:

  • An incoming call is captured by the contact center telephony switch.
  • Call data interfaces with the CTI platform.
  • Call data is stored, and additional data is retrieved from a database.
  • The CRM system creates a trouble ticket, while the platform sends the call data to the agent taking the call.
  • The agent gets a screen pop and answers the call already knowing the customer, the customers’ sales and service history, and the reason for the call.

You can see the benefits immediately.

CTI helps improve your customer experience as well as your agent experience. It allows you to get the most out of all your systems, using them to their fullest potential.

And when your systems are running efficiently, your agents are happy. When your agents are happy, they deliver better service to the customer. When customers get good service, they keep coming back.

So, start with the basics, and integrate your systems with CTI.

Conclusion: Implementing New Call Center Technology

Bringing on more tools to your technology stack will help your call center operations – but, as mentioned, you need to make sure you can connect it all.

Traditional, custom integrations can be costly and take months to implement. By the time you get up and running, 2022 might be halfway over! So, finding a cost-effective and scalable way to implement these features is just as essential as picking out the tools to capitalize on these trends.

That’s why we recommend turning to iPaaS – or Integration Platform as a service. An iPaaS provider combines a robust core engine with prebuilt connectors for leading technologies, making it easy to integrate and configure with zero custom code.

The iPaaS provider supplies the infrastructure and tools for building, testing, deploying and managing applications in the new cloud-based, on-premise or hybrid environment. You don’t have to worry about an IT lift (or associated heavy cost burden).

It’s 2022, you don’t need costly integrations. You need a quick and flexible solution that connects all your software and allows you to make the most of the New Year. Don’t settle for less.

Looking to build up and connect your contact center tech stack in 2022? Great! Contact us to get started.