With 2018 around the corner, Phocuswright and PhocusWire are presenting snapshots of the 12 trends we think will be significant next year across six installments.
Our fourth piece today examines the Call Center and Mobile AR. (You can read parts one through three here.)
This series forms the backbone of the PhocusWire Forecast 2018.
These 12 trends will be summarized in greater detail in a future Phocuswright Innovation report.
In addition, Phocuswright's analysts will take a deep dive on each of the trends we are showcasing over these next six days in analyses to be published throughout 2018.
The call center is the face of the company: does it need washing?
The call center is the corporate face to the customers, and a successful call center usually means those customers are happy.
Unfortunately, over the years the call center has just been a line item cost of doing business.
Now with new technologies and customer insight, it can be considered a strategic initiative where customers don’t leave unhappy.
The travel industry has so many variables that often personal contact is the only resolution of a problem.
In 2018 it will be seen how many problems can be alleviated by direct or indirect communication with a call center using a multitude of tools including artificial intelligence, translation or text.
Mobile augmented reality is ready for takeoff: what’s the business case?
Next year could prove an interesting one for augmented reality.
While AR glasses have useful applications, the results of the initial Google Glass effort suggest that consumers aren’t ready to jump straight into headgear.
Peripherals may ultimately be part of the mix, but in the short term, mobile devices will be the mechanism that takes AR mainstream.
Recently released AR development platforms from Apple (ARkit) and Google (ARCore) enable brands to develop AR-powered apps (such as IKEA Place) without the need for specialized devices.
In 2018, the ranks of AR apps will grow, but some in the C-suite will be asking, where’s the ROI?
In contrast to retail, AR travel applications (in-destination, on-property, in-airport) tend to be further removed from the “buy” button.
How can these new development platforms make it easier for innovative travel companies to test out the potential of AI as the technology develops? Experiment, measure, repeat.