| | July 20169CIOReviewThe need to manage and integrate the explosion of customer and product data coming from connected devices into call center infrastructureAn opportunity to leverage this new data for better customer experiences (e.g., proactive support, better consumer insights for sales, less time capturing customer verification data)Investing in the support infrastructure and staffing resources to react to issues in real time or on a proactive basis across all support channelsEnables the ability to identify gaps, issues, or opportunities to proactively resolve customer issues. And further builds the business case for omni-channel support­creating consistent cross-channel experiencesThe need to train agents to support more complex interactions; potentially servicing not just one product but the entire product ecosystem. This may require more specialized customer service/BPO supportAgents have the opportunity to "wow" and delight customers by owning the entire customer problem, not just one device-specific part. It also opens the door to tiered levels of support, including the business opportunity to add value to standard service offeringsWhen it comes to owning a customer's problem involving numerous connected devices, traditional call metrics like Average Handle Time (AHT) will be a thing of the past. Ditching AHT helps put customers first and will better drive other metrics like First Call Resolution (FCR)Transparent and open communications about how brands are protecting this data and building security into the products themselves can build consumer trust. It's an opportunity to arm call center agents with the appropriate information and messaging to explain how customer information is protectedCall center efficiency and performance metrics may need to be revisitedData privacy and security are greater concernswith customer service representatives capable of owning the entire product ecosystem? That will be one of the biggest challenges and opportunities for IoT in the years to come. Brand-building opportunities with IoTAt first blush, IoT is likely to make things a lot more complicated in the call center­culturally, operationally, and of course, technically. Many will view IoT as one big customer service headache. But at the same time, IoT also presents a huge brand-building opportunity for those companies that embrace owning the full IoT customer experience. It all depends on how you look at it.Building upon these challenges and opportunities, customer service organizations, including the BPOs that support them, will be expected to tackle significantly more complex customer interactions­especially since IoT will mean more than just connecting devices; it will also mean connecting disparate brands, like having to support an Apple iPhone connecting to a Samsung Smart Fridge. In order to support the desired brand experience, agents will need to be innovative and resourceful. This means working with partners who care about team member engagement and tenure. After all, it's the most experienced and passionate agents who deliver the best customer experience outcomes. Further, the technology required to support this environment will need to connect agents to customers in new ways, empowering them to own these complex customer service issues in any contact channel. There's a brave new IoT world headed our way, and with it comes tremendous opportunity for brands to establish themselves as clear leaders in the IoT ecosystem­starting with how they support their customers. IOT CHALLENGESIOT OPPORTUNITIES
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