Callnet.ch: Connecting the community, creating networks, strengthening skills

Let's start with a necessary premise: what is Callnet.ch and how was it founded?

Jonathan Sala: «Callnet.ch – Swiss Contact Center Association was founded in 1997 with the aim of fostering the exchange of technologies and methods relating to everything related to the world of Customer Service. Our mission is to connect people and create opportunities for growth and professional development. Through networking and targeted training, we aim to enhance the skills of our members, raising quality standards, and promoting operational excellence at all levels. Through events, specialized training, and collaborative initiatives, we pursue the goal of building an active and supportive community of professionals by fostering knowledge sharing, data and consumer protection, continuous improvement, and innovation in the industry, promoting ethical and sustainable practices that put people at the center, both inside and outside our organizations.

How is Callnet.ch organized in Switzerland and which companies are members?

Jonathan Sala: "Our origins are in German-speaking Switzerland, and that is indeed the region with the highest number of members. Callnet.ch has always operated in the regions; new working groups, such as the one in Italian-speaking Switzerland, were created with the aim of further strengthening our presence in the region. Our role as a bridge between the needs of companies involved in managing clients at various levels, and those producing the tools needed to provide these services, means that virtually all industry professionals are members of our association, representing every sector of production, commerce, services, and public administration."

Customer services today are faced with a technological transformation that, along with undoubted advantages, also risks creating confusion and disorientation...

Jonathan Sala: "This is undoubtedly a key point. The challenge lies precisely in offering customers a full range of services, allowing them to choose the contact method that best meets their expectations, from the use of the most innovative technologies to more traditional forms of interpersonal interaction. Multichannel communication, reduced wait times, personalized responses, guidance, and interaction with the company are all essential values, and ultimately, the quality and satisfaction of customer contact and service depend on them."

How can AI be used to improve contact center performance?
Nicole Verga – Fischli “Through intelligent chatbots and voicebots, it is possible to automate first-level interactions, such as screening calls and respectively categorizing and directing them to the right and specialized consultants. This reduces waiting times and lightens the consultants' workload.

This optimizes operational efficiency, allowing consultants to focus on more complex and higher-value requests and thus provide better advice to clients.

Additionally, AI supports consultants in real time, suggesting relevant answers and providing immediate access to the necessary information, thus improving both the speed and accuracy of responses.

Artificial Intelligence helps improve process efficiency, making the entire system more agile and increasing its quality, for both clients and consultants.

In this context, the Contact Center transforms from a simple cost center to a strategic channel, which, with a 360° view of the customer, is essential for building lasting, valuable relationships. While entrusting tasks to automation may seem like a delicate choice, companies that quickly adopt these solutions are likely to see significant improvements in productivity and customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, it's important to remember the potential of AI tools to generate call transcripts and activity reports at the end of the conversation, as well as precise statistics on calls and customer satisfaction rates. It's also important to remember that advanced systems can also perceive the customer's tone of voice and determine their satisfaction level completely autonomously.

We can also consider real-time translation systems that can improve communication with customers by eliminating language barriers."

Can AI also have a strong impact on staff training?

Nicole Verga Fischli: Absolutely. Through virtual scenarios and simulations, managers can develop more effective and engaging training programs. Virtual assistants can also support consultants during customer interactions, providing useful information and real-time suggestions for more appropriate responses or even for suggesting new products. This way, team training time can be reduced and performance improved.

AI can also act as a knowledge assistant by providing contextual and up-to-date responses during the call, with the dual effect of training the consultant and improving the quality of service."

What other benefits can a company derive from joining Callanet.ch?

Giovanni Cavuoti: "I'd like to emphasize that for a small region like Ticino, the opportunity Callnet.ch offers to share experiences is particularly important, creating the conditions for building a true community where networking activities represent genuine added value. With this in mind, following the event held in Lugano last March, we will be organizing additional meetings in the coming months focused on highly relevant topics such as training and customer experience."