From my associate, Janice Giannini.

Once upon a time, many companies viewed technology, or what they called IT, as an expense. In addition, many of them also considered call centers or customer contact centers similarly.

Then, the world changed. Technology is no longer viewed only as an expense; it is a business growth driver and competitive discriminator. It is viewed as an investment in a sustainable business’s future.

Similarly to technology, call centers, customer service representatives, and the fullness of the customer experience are no longer just expenses; they are critical investments for future growth.

Customers’ expectations have changed and continue to evolve. McKinsey’s article “Hyperpersonalized Care and “Care of One” hypothesized that personalized care/experience requires realigned attitudes and investments in technology, processes, and mindsets.

What might that look like? McKinsey summaries it as:

• White-glove customer service for all shifting from reactive to proactive control of the customer experience.
• One company, one voice, so there is consistency and transparency across all interactions to facilitate a seamless experience for the customer.
• Workstation of the future using advanced analytics tools to detect customer sentiment and emotions, enabling customer contact personnel to focus on listening and responding to the individual’s needs.
• Contact centers are becoming the future talent factory. The voice of the customer increasingly drives strategy and operations. Consequently, hiring people with the right attributes and coaching customer service representatives becomes a highly valued feeder of long-term talent for the company.

While most companies today may speak to the need for a holistic customer experience, industries have yet to arrive. When customers call a support center, they want to feel heard and respected, with their problems solved correctly and quickly on the first call so that they can move on with their lives.

To accomplish this seamless experience, understanding where your company stands with the needed technology, processes, and mindsets is critical. The challenge for all is finding the optimal way to realign the three (technology, processes, and mindsets) with the minimum disruption for current customers.

Based on your business sector and competition, some companies may have more time to realign than others. Caution, however, as newcomers to the market space have fewer barriers to overtake a legacy company.