The Secret AI-gent: How automation can solve your contact center problems

Consumer technology is growing increasingly advanced, partially thanks to the huge leaps forward made in artificial intelligence (AI). While developments in this technology have been brewing under the surface for years, many are now becoming more aware of its power, particularly since the recent release of ChatGPT and other generative AI.

As we interact with more sophisticated devices and software, it raises the bar for what customers come to expect from their digital experiences with brands. That includes interactions with support agents.

But meeting these heightened expectations is not always straightforward.

Digital contact center services are constantly being updated to help businesses keep up with their customers’ rising standards. However, trying to integrate all the latest must-have features and communication channels can lead to a disjointed system, which impacts the effectiveness of interactions and overall customer experience (CX).

Cloud Contact Centre Solutions for Businesses, Source: Net2Phone

If you offer different channels for chats, emails, social media, and voice calls, customers are at risk of being exposed to varying approaches and levels of context from agents. They can also be deflected from one channel to another, losing the interaction history in the process. Customers may have to repeat their details and get frustrated, leaving them with a negative experience.

An excessive number of channels also makes it difficult for the agent they are speaking with to provide a personalized experience. This should be a priority, as 71 percent of consumers expect tailored interactions from companies. Having to navigate multiple platforms to piece together the customer’s journey will hinder the agent’s ability to deliver efficient and customized support, lowering their conversion rates.

Having all these channels and features can pose a different set of issues for managers. Each additional workflow – which is continuously becoming more advanced through software updates – results in more, and larger, pools of data to sift through when needing to make informed decisions. This data overload also poses challenges in storage, processing, and extracting actionable intelligence without comprehensive strategies and tools in place.

Cloud Contact Centre Solutions for Businesses, Source: Net2Phone

Is AI the Answer?

To cater to customers’ heightened expectations for personalized experiences, as well as the increasing amount of data that contact center services collect, providers must harness the power of AI.

A popular way of doing so is to hastily add a generative AI chatbot to the website, but this is a risky strategy. The technology is still prone to inaccuracies and bias, which can reflect poorly on the brand responsible for implementing it.

So, rather than letting a chatbot loose with customers, TechHQ looks at more sophisticated ways companies can utilize AI to improve their customer and employee experience and grow their business as a result.

• Call summaries improve agent efficiency

Rather than the agent manually having to take notes during or after a call, AI can autogenerate a call summary as soon as the customer puts the phone down. It turns data collected during the call into action items and next steps, which can be used to compose follow-up emails. Not only does this allow agents to be more efficient, but they can also more easily provide a personalized CX. This is because customers will only receive the necessary information, and will maintain a seamless conversation across channels.

• Deep call analytics enhance customer experience

New algorithms can take note of metrics that a person could not, such as words spoken per minute, instances of callers and agents talking over each other, and talking-to-listening ratio. By analyzing this data, an AI can identify subtle trends that contribute to agent success. This valuable insight can be used to optimize training, improve call-handling processes, and ultimately enhance the overall CX.

• Suggestions for improvement close the skills gap

According to a report from Cresta Insights, the employee attrition rate at customer call centers that focus on support is about 1.3 times higher than the US average. This high turnover rate leads to a skills gap, as the new staff need to have the appropriate training or experience to deal with complex customer inquiries. However, integrating AI into your contact center can offer a solution.

Algorithms can automatically generate suggestions for improvement based on deep call analysis, coaching the agent without the need for constant managerial input. The newer staff can then improve quickly, closing the skills gap and reducing the attrition rate in the long run.

• Sentiment analysis allows for fast issue resolution

Sentiment analysis accurately identifies voice tone and context, providing crucial insights into customer interactions. It allows agents to adapt their approach so they can address concerns more promptly, while also enabling managers to identify areas for improvement in customer service. Moreover, sentiment analysis helps managers and agents prioritize high-priority or at-risk interactions, allowing them to allocate resources effectively and ensure proactive issue resolution.

• Accurate transcription speeds up call reviews

AI technology can allow for more accurate transcription and call recording. This makes for an easier post-call reviewing process, leading to the swift identification of opportunities for agent improvement. Supervisors benefit from this too, as they can gain a deeper understanding of calls and incidents taking place within the business without needing to listen to every conversation. This enhanced efficiency in reviewing and analyzing calls saves time while empowering supervisors to provide targeted feedback to agents. Their performance will ultimately be improved, as will the overall quality of customer interactions.

To keep up with the increasing digital demands of customers, there has never been a more important time to add AI into your support arsenal. Learn more about how net2phone can leverage AI-driven Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions.