- Atento, the leading company in customer relationship services and business process outsourcing (CRM / BPO), has surveyed its clients to find out how Covid-19 has affected their business models.
- 47% of respondents consider that the highest risks they face after the crisis is losing their customers and the consumption drop of their product or service.
- 78% claimed they had changed their channels used during the crisis. It is noticeable the inquiries increase via the contact centers by 24%.
Madrid, June 23th, 2020 –Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO) (“Atento” or the “Company”), the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services in Latin America, and among the top five providers globally, has surveyed its clients, which include recognized companies in the retail, banking, insurance, and telecommunications sectors, to find out how the Covid-19 crisis has affected their business models.
The first revealing fact was that 79% of companies, who were forced to expand telecommuting due to the pandemic, bet on continuing with this model once the confinement situation is over. However, they consider that the optimal percentage of time spent in the home office model would be 50%.
On the other hand, almost half of the respondents consider that the highest risk that companies face after the crisis is losing its customers and the consumption drop of their product or services, precisely 47%.
The contact center: the most used channel among customers.
The confinement situation imposed by the Covid-19 has changed not only the routines and habits of users but also their behavior on the internet and the way they relate to brands. According to the survey carried out by Atento, the contact center has been the most-used channel by customers, followed by web applications and mobile apps, with an increase of 24%, 21%, and 17%, respectively.
Besides, 8 out of 10 respondents say that the confinement situation imposed by Covid-19 has changed which channels are used. For both the sales service (28%) and queries and incidents (31%), the contact center continues to be the channel chosen by customers, above instant messaging, email, or mobile apps. Likewise, the companies surveyed plan to invest more in mobile applications (27%), web applications (23%), and contact center solutions (21%) in the upcoming months.
Changes in business models
This crisis has made something evident; with the increase in remote work, there will be business model changes for many different businesses. Companies must act proactively and find new ways quickly. In this sense, six out of ten companies surveyed confessed they had to modify their digital strategy due to the Covid-19 crisis. As Atento reveals, the areas most involved in the digital plan due to the pandemic have been Systems/IT, Operations, and Marketing. The objectives are very diverse, while 25% have changed their strategy to get results in the short term, another 25% do it to streamline projects, and another 25% to align their plans to particular business needs.
According to the results, 65% of companies have changed how they execute projects. Managing them requires the use of a series of technical, conceptual, and interpersonal skills that help to clarify situations and act appropriately. In this context, the primary support respondents need when executing digital projects is technical knowledge.
“It is quite revealing to us that, after the crisis, customers are so clear that telecommuting is here to stay, and that they can even argue that half of the activity of their customer relationship centers is carried out by agents working remotely. Without a doubt, we see a great opportunity in the long-term implementation of the home office model for our industry. The results are demonstrating that the same quality and efficiency standards can be maintained with more motivated employees, applying monitoring tools adapted to the new situation”, says José María Pérez Melber, Atento Director in the EMEA region.
About Atento
Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing (CRM BPO) services in Latin America, and among the top five providers globally, based on revenues. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM/BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries where it employs 150,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Atento’s clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in sectors such as telecommunications, banking, and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. Atento´s shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2019, Atento was named one of the World´s 25 Best Multinational Workplaces and one of the Best Multinationals to Work for in Latin America by Great Place to Work®. For more information visit www.atento.com
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