With the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, all industries, including call centers, are rapidly experiencing change. Before, the industry worked with a large workforce with multiple specializations and skills. Today, AI augments human agents' abilities to provide better service by automating routine calls, allowing them to focus on more critical conversations.
Working in any type of service industry means having processes that follow patterns. If one user has a particular problem, the chances that it is unique are very slim. It is precisely this aspect of customer service and the call center industry that has been completely transformed with the introduction of AI technology. Instead of having human agents sit handling very similar calls multiple times a day, these conversational patterns are automated to allow customers to solve simple queries by themselves.
As a result of automation and adding a more granular understanding of customers and their journeys with AI technologies, human agents become more productive. Doing work that matters and helping people with problems that require a deep understanding of multiple systems is a much more engaging and stimulating process than repeating the same thing repeatedly.
In addition to rising productivity, employees also report a more positive work environment by reducing the pressure on meeting call volumes to resolve complex problems instead.
Running a large call center operation requires a workforce that is quite significant. Without AI, the number of human agents was quite high, increasing operational costs and reducing efficiency by handling similar problems multiple times. With automation and the augmentation of human agents with AI, operational costs are reduced, given that a single agent can handle a similar number of calls but with a much higher impact on the organization.
Traditionally, customers had to reach out to their service providers during working hours whenever they wanted to. This resulted in a poor customer experience, forcing people to go out of their way to get the service they deserve. With conversational AI technologies, call centers can automate most simple tasks so that customers get the answers they want in seconds, anytime.
At the same time, the call center workforce also has the chance to devote more time and attention to each customer. As a result, the overall satisfaction scores improve, the contact center’s main KPIs improve, and employee satisfaction increases.
Given the complexity of running a call center, making the right decisions is a challenge that requires insight and understanding. With AI technology supporting teams and processes, many of the time-consuming and complex research activities are now simplified and, in many cases, automated.
The better decisions an organization makes, the more profitable it can be. Best of all, with AI, getting better information to make decisions doesn’t take more time; rather, it frees up menial tasks so that more time can be spent on strategy and tactical steps.
Ensuring that every call is handled with the required level of service is a complex process that needs to be standardized for call centers. While some of your human agents meet all your KPIs, others are still in training or simply having a bad day, which can affect their performance. With conversational AI solutions, human agents can forget the volume of calls once and for all to focus on providing the best possible service on each interaction. At the same time, given the large number of calls handled by your IVA, quality assurance metrics increase with a standardized and tested process for multiple scenarios.
While some people might think that AI will take over the industry, the chances of that happening are very slim. Regardless of the level of technological implementation of AI, there will always be the need for a human supervisor who monitors and evaluates customer interactions and ensures quality. Likewise, as we have already mentioned, not all interactions can be handled by an AI without any capacity for genuine empathy and understanding, meaning there will always be room for human-first service in call centers.
IVR and dialers are some of the traditional tools used by call centers to reduce the strain on their workforce, which has to handle hundreds of calls daily. However, generally, these technologies are much more limited. They use a basic decision-tree type of logic, in which end customers are trapped in endless loops that may or may not provide answers for their specific needs.
Instead, advanced IVAs with AI technologies work differently, identifying intent and providing the best solution for each interaction. Would you be able to provide good service with an IVR and dialer? Maybe. But, it is better to stay ahead of the curve in an industry as competitive as contact centers.
The time to take your call center into the future with conversational AI is here. Partnering with Mosaicx means doing the right thing for your call center today and tomorrow. We have decades of experience delivering CX solutions for enterprise-level companies.
Book a call with one of our specialists and discover how to level up your call center with conversational AI technology.