Telecats genoemd als Exceptional A.I Solutions Provider door Frost & Sullivan
Dit rapport zet Telecats in de schijnwerpers en is een sterke erkenning voor de lange termijn strategie om te investeren in spraakgestuurde oplossingen met kunstmatige intelligentie voor het optimaliseren van klantcontact. Telecats is sinds 2017 onderdeel van de Webhelp Group en werkt voor meer dan 100 Europese toonaangevende bedrijven zoals DPG Media, easyJet, MSD France & MSD Vaccins, KPN en Webhelp. Door het implementeren van Smart IVR, Voicebots, Spraakrouteren en aanverwante use cases draagt Telecats sterk bij aan de huidige digitale transitie binnen de klantcontact branche.
Federico Teveles, Research Analyst – Informatie- en communicatietechnologieën bij Frost & Sullivan:
“De uitzonderlijke technologische mogelijkheden van Telecats zijn cruciaal voor het succes om aan de verwachtingen van de markt te voldoen. Ze hebben een succesvolle staat van dienst als het gaat om het leveren van geavanceerde, op maat gemaakte AI-oplossingen aan toonaangevende wereldwijde ondernemingen en vertonen een uitzonderlijke klanttevredenheid. Telecats beschikt over een groot aantal hoogwaardige, toekomstgerichte oplossingen waarmee organisaties de klantreis kunnen optimaliseren en de ervaring van agenten (AX) en klanten (CX) kunnen verbeteren. De overname door Webhelp heeft eraan bijgedragen om zich ook als marktleider buiten Nederland te positioneren”.
In dit rapport heeft Frost & Sullivan een breed scala aan bedrijven in de gehele Europese markt onder de loep genomen en specifiek aandacht besteed aan de trends, kansen en uitdagingen in de snelgroeiende industrie van Voicebots en A.I. Deze studie belicht Telecats in het bijzonder vanwege de sterke troeven die zij in huis hebben; een combinatie van hoogontwikkelde technologische vaardigheden, langdurige ervaring en de associatie met Webhelp, Europa’s toonaangevende CX en business solutions provider, die Telecats een unieke positionering in Europa heeft opgeleverd. Met een focus op 2 specifieke klantimplementaties is het rapport een bevestiging van Telecats’ trackrecord voor het leveren van geweldige AI-gedreven oplossingen aan toonaangevende wereldwijde bedrijven.
Martijn Franssen, Directeur Digital Transformation KPN:
“De innovatieve spraakoplossingen van Telecats passen perfect in de architectuur die nodig is om de digitale strategie van KPN tot leven te brengen binnen Customer Service. Er is sprake van een echte “Cultural fit”. Telecats straalt in alles een flexibele, moderne aanpak uit. De behaalde resultaten zijn het bewijs van deze unieke samenwerking. Met een duidelijke stem voor Customer Service is de klant letterlijk de basis van innovatie op gebied van klantcontact geworden”.
De nominatie van Telecats, als uitzonderlijke A.I. Solutions-leverancier, volgt op de erkenning van het leiderschap van Webhelp, met name op het gebied van innovatie, door de toppositie van de groep in de Frost & Sullivan Radar TM: European CX Outsourcing 2020, die slechts enkele dagen geleden werd aangekondigd.
Over Telecats
Telecats is een innovatieve AI- en technologieleverancier, gespecialiseerd in slimme spraaktechnologie op het gebied van klantcontact. Al meer dan 25 jaar toont Telecats een sterke toewijding aan het waarborgen van innovatieve klantcontactoplossingen met spraaktechnologie en kunstmatige intelligentie. Telecats maakt sinds 2017 deel uit van Webhelp en speelt een belangrijke rol in de strategische investeringen van de Groep in het creëren van geweldige, door technologie ondersteunde, menselijke ervaringen.
Meer informatie op www.telecats.nl
Klantcontact massaal vanuit huis
De zoektocht naar het ideale werkmodel
Voordat corona de wereld overspoelde, werd er bij Webhelp in Nederland niet op grote schaal thuisgewerkt. Al waren de plannen er wel voor dit jaar.
Webhelp omarmt het thuiswerken en gaat niet meer terug naar de kantoorsituatie van voor de Corona crisis. We gaan voor een hybride werkmodel, waarbij klantcontact medewerkers deels thuis en deels vanuit kantoor werken.
De wens voor een hybride model zien we ook terug bij veel opdrachtgevers en organisaties. Hoe we dit samen gaan realiseren, is een spannende reis. We nemen je graag mee hoe wij de optimale balans vinden tussen thuis en op kantoor, hoe we omgaan met data en security eisen, hoe we onze performance op peil houden en ook hoe we elke keer weer leren en onze werkwijzes aanpassen.
In deze paper nemen we je mee in onze zoektocht naar het ideale model. We hopen dat je jouw reis ook deels herkent in onze reis en dat we je kunnen inspireren.
Download de paper en krijg meer inzicht in:
- hoe je jouw klantcontact medewerkers in Coronatijd de aandacht kan geven die ze nodig hebben,
- welke uitdagingen managers hebben bij het aansturen van hun team,
- hoe techniek wordt ingezet om thuiswerkers te faciliteren en data en security maatregelen te borgen,
- het hybride werkmodel van Webhelp en hoe deze nieuwe manier van werken meer werkgeluk, duurzamere arbeidsrelaties en hoge kwaliteit dienstverlening oplevert.
Rising to travellers’ expectations for the future of travel
What was once a favourite pastime is now looking very different due to this year’s events of COVID-19. Traveller behaviour has rapidly changed, with many opting to not take a trip at all this year. It has changed our ways of thinking towards travel, leading to historic transformation in organisations and society.
In 2019, the number of passengers boarded by the global airline industry reached over 4.5 billion people. At the beginning of 2020, this all changed. Travel unsurprisingly came to a halt due to coronavirus. The total number of flights began to decline by over 60%, according to Flightradar24 racking statistics. This was due to the nature of the virus, forcing governments to ground planes and stop all unnecessary travel.
Government guidelines progressively relaxed in June, allowing travel and leisure activities to resume and get back to some form of ‘normality’ to revive the economy. However, according to IATA, there wasn’t a significant improvement in passenger demand due to the lockdown and quarantine in some markets with August’s traffic performance the industry’s worst-ever summer season: August international passenger demand plummeted 88.3% compared to August 2019.”
Rising to traveller’s expectations
Getting on a plane and travelling the world is not top of everyone’s bucket list at this moment in time. People are not travelling like they did before the pandemic. The uncertainty of ‘wave two’ is causing many people to become frustrated and emotionally unsettled for the future. And with markets imposing quarantine rules, it has impacted travellers wanting to go abroad altogether.
Travel is recognised as a sense of escapism – now fraught with concerns that were not always top of mind before: cleaning procedures, hygiene, or what places to visit.
Webhelp’s Travel & Mobility Sector Lead, Nora Boros states from our previous article “No matter what kind of trip is being taken, travel clients go through a myriad of emotions before, during, and after their journey – which will undoubtedly affect their consumer behaviour.”
The first wave of COVID-19 amplified these emotions; undoubtedly affecting consumers behaviours and expectations towards travelling and the industry overall.
Nonetheless, it enables organisations to augment and find alternative ways of transforming their servicing and offer travellers new ways of attaining the pleasure of wanderlust.
Health and safety are at the forefront of travelling now more than ever. Passengers are more inquisitive about hygiene policies and what exactly the process looks like before, during, and after flying – the same goes for domestic travel.
It’s not surprising many people have opted to not travel, go on a staycation, or save their plans for a trip in 2021. A Euronews poll surveyed four European countries – Germany, France, Italy, and Spain to identify travel plans which showed a comparison pre-COVID and now. Respondents from all countries had over a 60% decrease in travelling abroad, an average 50% increase in no travelling while domestic travelling stayed consistent between 24%-40%. A Statista survey showed “one third of respondents in the United Kingdom planned to spend their annual leave on holidays in the UK if travel abroad was still difficult due to lockdown restrictions. Over a quarter of respondents expected to spend more time at home.”
Travel influencing new ways of working
Although spending more time at home allows people to have time with their families and make more time for themselves, many people have had to shift to work from home trying to find and maintain a work-life-balance.
These changes have affected people’s behaviours concerning their place of work, inspiring people to seek alternative travel possibilities such as work from home, but anywhere.
“As we continue to adapt to the new ways of working, our work lives become more flexible”, Nora Boros states in our future of travel blog, “leisure travel will become blended with business needs, giving more consideration than ever to the concept of ‘Bleisure’.”
Introducing hybrid models of flexible working allows colleagues to work from home, the office or anywhere in the world. This could open-up longer trips for travellers who want to stay somewhere with office space, or result in an increase of international mobility for organisations to implement.
Webhelp has used the flexible working approach, Webhelp Anywhere with several clients to ensure the safety of colleagues while positively achieving business continuity. We have supported clients with their digital transformation strategy by identifying quick-wins and sustainable long-term objectives to phase through the crisis and transition into the new normal.
As we continue to phase through these uncertain times, it is an opportunity to invest in digital and operational transformation capabilities and become a differentiator in the market, as this will play a key role in helping travellers feel safe in their future travels.
Interested to learn more about these changes and travellers’ expectations for the future?
Sign up to our webinar where we will discuss how businesses can rethink their customer experience strategy and operational/digital transformation.
Read our article series:
Think human when it comes to automation
Webhelp named CXM Leader by Everest Group for the second time in 2020
Following our positioning as a Global Leader in Customer Experience Management (CXM) by the leading analyst, Everest Group, we have now been recognized as a Leader again in its CXM in EMEA Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2020, rating high in terms of vision and capability.
This report is an objective recognition of Webhelp’s successful growth strategy, and our unique people-first, end-to-end approach with Skand Bhargava, Vice President, Everest Group saying:
“Webhelp is a leading CXM provider globally, especially in Europe, supported by a large multilingual workforce of more than 60,000 agents. With a focus on digital transformation, CX consulting, and customer journey orchestration, Webhelp has been able to drive exponential growth over the last few years,”
He continues “Further, its deep digital and domain expertise, outcome-focused approach, and strong leadership have allowed it to resiliently navigate the uncertainties created by COVID-19 and continue on its growth journey.”
This result builds on our strong track record in analyst rankings and assessments, and our second year as a Leader in the PEAK Matrix, with Everest Group specifically highlighting our strong coverage in major industry verticals, our geographical delivery footprint, and the value delivered to our clients.
Everest Group defines Leaders as companies that deliver consistent Customer Experience Management (CXM) Services through expansion in new regions, serving various buyer sizes, and delivering high satisfaction scores due to greater technological and advanced digital capabilities.
For this EMEA edition, Everest Group selected 21 organizations to evaluate and compare for their 2020 report based upon the service provider’s market success, vision and strategy, service focus and capabilities, digital and technological solutions, domain investments, and buyer feedback.
Your Guide to build an efficient patient-oriented strategy at a global scale
In a context fueled by digital disruption and global acceleration, healthcare companies must design a new framework to better provide a seamless, constistent care accross all moment and all frontiers Through this white paper, Webhelp Medica reveals its best practices and learnings based on more than 20 years of expertise. Mixing feedbacks, testimonials and regulatory analyses, here are the keys to a winning strategy.
Recommerce on the surge: Why second-hand stores are booming
Why is recommerce on the rise? and why are marketplaces such as VINTED, thredUP or Poshmark thriving in this business model? Is it just trendy, cost effective, sustainable or a mix of all these that explains the current surge? Tomorrow’s personalization and customer journeys are expected to be even smarter, more immersive, more trust-enabling than they are today. The question is: Are brands and consumers ready? Here is an analysis from Olivier Carrot, Global Business Unit Direct, Retail & E-commerce.
So which are some of the factors that have contributed to this increase?
- Rise in the use of mobile devices. The accessibility of mobile devices globally has essentially contributed to the growth of e-commerce thanks to the increased reach which has consequently increased the sales. According to Aaron Orendorff – Forbes Top 10 B2B Content Marketer, e-commerce has helped businesses launch beyond borders reaching out to millions of new potential customers. By 2023, an increase of 276.9% in the total global sales in retail is projected with APAC taking the lead (source: shopify.com).
The easy accessibility of mobile phones and internet has definitely elevated the demand of recommerce as a service. This surge has seen many start- ups joining the bandwagon to not only meet the growing demand but also to take advantage of the efficiency and scalability that marketplaces provide.
Through the creation of an application that links second-hand products to customers, VINTED has grown from being owned by its two co-founders Milda and Justas to an organization that employs more than 450 people and unites a community of 25 million people.
- Personalized customer experiences. In reference to platforms like VINTED, personalized services that match customers preferences are highly sought after. Customers want to feel valued and there is no better way than to offer a personalized experience. Even though many consumers are in search of products being offered at discounted or affordable prices, they will not compromise on the experience. Brands are thus competing not only on price but also on offering the most memorable experience to their customers.
- Old is new again. Founded in 2009 as a swapping company for men’s shirts’ thredUP is a huge consumer marketplace that flaunts over 35,000 brands. In one of his keynotes, CEO and co-founder James Reinhart forecasts sales of upto $51 billion from the second-hand apparel market by 2023 (source yahoo.com)
In reality, people buy twice as many clothes and wear them half as long. If one can buy a branded item for half the price of the new, why not? There is a growing trend to transform consumption through reuse. And so as to keep up with the changing environment in the retail industry, integrating a resale option in traditional retail outlets is seen to boost the overall sales. Customers are sparked to spend 21% more and visit 70% more frequently. James attributes the massive increase in the visiting percentage to the fact that second hand collection is restocked every two weeks whereas in the traditional format, new collection arrives between four to six times a year (source: www.thredup.com)
- Cost friendly. Pocket friendly purchases is a big driver in the recommerce boom. Customers are increasingly seeing the value in buying recycled brand-name products for huge discounts. “Recommerce has seen a tremendous upsurge” says Steven Bethell, founder of Bank & Vogue – a firm that specializes in the logistics of selling used goods and operates a sister company called Beyond Retro. Prior to making a purchase, many shoppers aquent themselves with the resale possibilities of items they wish to buy with the plan to resell them in the near future. The retail industry is seeing a continued shift with the majority of consumers shopping smarter.
- Sustainability. The new affluent generations like the Gen Z are more environmental and social conscious and as such, they expect brands to be more ethical and sustainable in their production processes. Fashion brands that have this audience as their customer base, are obliged to revamp their business models to be able to not only attract but most definitely also retain this segment.
VINTED is one such brand. By investing on its brand ethos which is providing a platform for purchasing and selling of second-hand clothes. These clothes reduce the environmental impact of Co2 levels that are usually released in the production of new clothes (think water, chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides). In addition, it prolongs the shelf life of clothes that would otherwise head to the dumping sites in one or two years. It’s estimated that 600 kilograms of used clothes would lead to a reduction of 2250 kilograms of Co2 emissions, 3.6 billion liters of water saved, and 144 trees planted. (www.smartgreenpost.com).
At Webhelp, our clients are at the heart and our core objective is to ensure that their customers experience world class service in every touchpoint. The creation and upholding of a sustainable environment also go hand in hand with what our company stands for.
In our endeavor to always provide seamless interactions, we go the extra mile to guarantee that customers’ needs are met. We focus on making the purchase process in the marketplaces as simple and fulfilling as possible.
Our flawless and memorable customer journey from order management to returns and replacements is swiftly executed with our dedicated service specialist who are located globally in the different hubs.
And thanks to the booming second-hand industry, content management and moderation is also on high demand. Ever thought of outsourcing your content moderation? Our highly experienced offshore content moderators ensure that our clients’ brands are duly protected across their target audience. We support our clients’ to not only maintain their brand integrity, but also to shield their customers from inappropriate, aggressive or illegal content.
Are you looking for an experienced partner who will help you take your marketplace to the next level? Get in touch to receive your tailormade solution: Olivier Carrot.
The future of travel in the post COVID world
The arrival of COVID-19 may have changed the travel industry forever. We’ve asked sector expert, and Webhelp Group Chief Sector Growth Officer, Nora Boros, to reflect on how far we have come and, most importantly, what the future holds for this most human of industries?
What was the travel industry landscape prior to COVID-19, were there any ongoing issues, or significant changes on the horizon?
Although it feels like an age away right now, looking back to 2019 the outlook for the travel industry was fairly optimistic and, on the whole, the industry was in a place of maturity in customer experience - especially when compared with other sectors which might be perceived as being weaker in this area such as financial services.
In fact, the industry had developed some depth in the ability to emotionally and personally connect with its audience, in order to deliver unique leisure experiences. Brands were using new consumer behaviours to create buy in, especially in creating enriched customer journeys, something that I explored in a previous blog.
As travel is such a broad and diverse industry, some disruption was evident and there were emerging players and newcomers to the market, joining travel from competing sectors.
There was the growth of personalised, sustainable and eco-tourism, and its impact on the traditional value, luxury and price based travel campaigns - plus the continued arrival of start-ups, bringing new technology, fresh services and additional booking avenues to the industry.
Unfortunately, some areas of the travel industry were already financially fragile. For example, where low operating margins coincide with high cost in distribution or intermediation. This is especially apparent in models where there are go-betweens such as resellers, who are bridging the gap for providers and the consumers themselves, and draining income flows.
Alongside this, there was the growing financial challenge faced by the traditional retail brick and mortar travel providers from new players in digital technology.
And, there was huge impact from the way that technology can very quickly, change a regional provider to a global one – going digital provides the ability to easily disseminate an offer across multiple geographies and languages.
Interestingly, at Webhelp we are in the perfect position to provide support in this area, creating a unified customer experience across multiple markets.
What was the initial response to COVID-19 from the industry, and what challenges did Webhelp face as a company?
In the past decade, the travel industry has weathered many storms, including the ash cloud crisis in 2010 and the impact of the tragic events of 9/11. So when COVID hit, there was the awareness that it was going to hurt – but it was approached with a certain amount of resilience.
We saw a significant drop in sales volumes across our existing client operations, which we approached with a high degree of flexibility. As a people first company, we value our people and moved to protect them with swift workforce management measures like redeployment and adapted hours while working to reduce negative financial impact on our clients.
The travel industry has a substantial learning curve when producing the best customer advisors, particularly in the airline, tour-operating and hospitality segment. There must be a deep understanding of the sector, tools and processes – which can only be provided by time-served and highly trained advisors.
We focussed on retaining this wealth of experience; we knew that once the immediate challenge passed, our clients would need a highly skilled service.
And, it’s important to note, that as sales volumes fell, customer service needs in areas like refunds, information and rescheduling rose dramatically. We protected the industry and our clients by cross-skilling advisors, redeploying them and introducing homeworking, where possible, to protect our people and ensure continuation of service.
We have also deployed automation where possible to accelerate digital transformation at a lower cost.
We entered a crisis discussion with one of our clients, who were understandably deeply concerned for their business and were considering calling off their contract. In response we provided a clear and robust financial roadmap through the crisis, working with local legislation to retain our people, safeguard their salaries and reduce the financial drain on our client and the ability to re-invest the savings to the post-crisis situation.
And now, as the industry is gradually returning to business under the next normal, our client is in an ideal position to come back strongly – and appreciates the flexibility, cost reduction and value Webhelp brought to the long term relationship.
Can we touch on the impact of COVID from an air travel perspective?
Yes, obviously the global travel industry has a symbiotic relationship with the airline industry, because travel by its very nature is closely linked to transportation.
The past three months have created a highly unusual situation, with limited (or no) cross border transportation and grounding several airlines. This is without a doubt one of the single largest crisis’ to hit ANY industry, and we will see ripples and consequences for the next decade, if not longer.
There will be lasting consumer trends resulting from this, including a renewed interest in sustainable tourism and more purposeful, meaningful travel.
The recovery period for airlines may create a decrease in availability resulting in a potential price increase, both for the leisure market and particularly for business travellers. I think that for the corporate market, recovery will be much longer, and many companies will need to adapt their propositions to suit this new reality.
As a consequence we should see short term growth in domestic markets, as people have less in their pockets and less opportunity for international travel. There will be a return to travel as a simpler and more meaningful activity, with family relationships and new experiences assuming greater importance as some global destinations are limited.
The way ahead for the industry and your thoughts on the future of Travel under COVID-19?
Transformation and restructuring will be visible across the whole industry, which is already evident in the actions of Ryanair and British Airways and hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton. Travel companies will need focused customer experience during this difficult time and Webhelp can really support operational and digital transformation in this area.
Change is certainly ahead for the hospitality industry, and some independent hotels could struggle to comply with the new social distancing regulations, reduced guests and increased costs required to stay open while maintaining the bottom line.
Travel brands, like Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia, with more diversified portfolios or private rentals where new regulations and safety measures can be introduced quickly, may be in a position to benefit.
As we live more flexible work lives, leisure travel will become blended with business needs, creating the new travel concept of ‘Bleisure’, something that we will be exploring in future blogs.
The real trends will become more apparent in the first quarter of next year, as the financial and social effects of COVID become clearer.
And finally, I think that the human experience of travel, the need for personal contact and connection will be increasingly valued and promoted.
Travel is the most universal way to unlock boundaries and understand how diverse and beautiful the world is, and I am confident that the industry will recover and remerge. It may be changed but will remain just as meaningful.
In future blogs we will explore the travel horizon in further detail, re-imagining the customer experience and looking at how this can unlock meaningful opportunities for the travel industry. Feel free to contact Nora Boros via LinkedIn and to explore more of our services.