If you are one of the many project managers or call center owners who have looked at the science of data and felt overwhelmed, you should know that your reaction is a common one. Big data is a terrifying prospect when faced without a way to narrow it down and make use of it. This can lead to companies disregarding or ignoring it entirely - something you really can’t afford to do when you’re a contact center!

Thankfully, there are ways to tackle big data and extract useful information from it. Think of it like fishing in the ocean. The body of water is vast and intimidating - too large to even fathom. However, there are very useful products lurking beneath the surface; they just have to be fished out.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways to make use of customer data in today’s contact center:

Get Analytics on Your Side

Before you go any further, it is important to note that there is way too much information out there on your customers and their habits to analyze without help. Your agents could have professional training or even college degrees in data analysis and still be overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of information that can be extracted from big data sets. It’s a lot to process!

Thankfully, we have technology on our side. At least, those who work with analytics do. These programs are designed to make the processing of big data simpler. They streamline the identification of relevant information and help users extract useful data. This can make isolating and using customer data easier than you ever imagined!

Understand the Value of Historical Data

When you think of using customer data in your contact center, you probably think of forecasting for the future. However, there is much to be learned from historical data, too - much that should not be overlooked by your team. Before you can know where you want your company to go and what you want to provide for customers in the future, it is critical to know where they have been.

If you face difficulty accessing information because historical data is not digitized, this is an easy fix. Invest time in digitizing and archiving information to make it accessible to your agents in the future. This will make using the information easier - and forecasting for the future more informed.

Another important type of information that should not be ignored is that which is obtained over time, This kind of data can deliver information everything from customer behavior to purchasing trends and more. There is so much to learn when it comes to what customers have already done and so many ways to apply it to their future actions.

Realize the Impact of Social Media

Social media is a form of data, too. If you don’t accept and embrace that fact, you are destined to miss out on a lot of important and useful customer data that you can use to make more connections with consumers.

Don’t let that happen to your business. Get ahead of your competition by using social media as more than an outreach and advertisement platform. Use it to test the waters of your target demographic’s interests and cater to those needs more effectively.

Automate the Process of Data Collection and Cataloging

Data collection can be an exhausting process, but only if you let it. In today’s world of automation, there is no reason to exclude data collection. This is a task that can easily be handled by software - all while agents are attending to more human-dependent tasks. By allowing your agents to almost-effortlessly conduct customer research through automated data mining and organization, you empower them to have better, more productive conversations with consumers.

Make That Data Easy to Access and Utilize

All the mining and cataloging of customer data in the world won’t amount to anything if your agents can’t access and use that information. It is critically important to ensure that the data you have on hand is easy to access for those who should have access to it - and protected from those who should not.

Use password protection and user authentication to ensure that those outside your agency are not able to access information. With that in place, make it simple for those who need to access that information to do so. Whether it is your financial department accessing payment records or your customer relations department being able to look through consumer complaints or questions from the past, all of it makes business easier for your agents - and experiences better for your consumers.

Remember to Apply the Collected Customer Data to Operations

The most important part of collecting customer data is putting it to work in your center’s daily operations. If that isn’t your top priority, there isn’t much sense in collecting that information in the first place!

How do you make use of customer information in your daily routine? One of the best ways to do so is to use that data as an indicator of success or the need for change. An example might be that data analysis is showing few leads coming from one platform than previously witnessed, while another platform is suddenly outperforming it. That information can be used to readjust your marketing strategy and shift your focus to the platform where your leads are coming from. The best part? With automation, all of this can be done in a matter of minutes, rather than days or weeks!

If you are looking for better tools and technology for the purposes of mining and utilizing customer data, look no further than ChaseData. We have the software solutions your business needs to make the most out of the most important parts of big data - and keep the rest from clouding your view. To learn more, give us a call today!