Contact centers finally recognized as revenue generators?

Fascinating chart from McKinsey & Company highlighting the evolving priorities in customer care.

First, it shows that today, CX leaders must juggle numerous objectives. But it's the revenue generation curve that demands attention. It skyrocketed from less than 5% in 2016 to over a third of respondents rating it a top priority.

While predictions about contact centers becoming profit centers may come up, the reality is most customer service operations have remained cost centers.

A pivotal shift occurred post-COVID - an appreciation of their strategic role in the customer experience (CX). This chart goes a step further, recognizing customer care's revenue generation potential.

In discussions with Gartner Dan O'Connell, we found a reasonable rule of thumb - ~15% of agents in outbound activities (10% sales, 5% payments/collections). Taking into account inbound sales and service-to-sales, I estimate that 20-25% of contact center positions play a direct role in generating revenue.

I'm encouraged to see customer care's revenue impact gaining well-deserved recognition.

I am a strong believer that such data points provide important quantification of that role. On that front, I welcome feedback on your experiences with revenue-focused agent roles and any anecdotal estimates aligning with this 20-25% range. Such data would illuminate an exciting evolution for a historically cost-centric function.