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Will all contact centers use artificial intelligence (AI) technology and tools one day? It’s a fair bet. Even before the pandemic, many call centers, especially those deploying cloud-based operations, were using AI — although not always to its fullest potential. Post-pandemic, more companies are embracing contact center AI solutions to transform how they operate and facilitate new ways of working.
Market research suggests that the global contact center AI market, valued at $1.6 billion in 2022, will reach $7.5 billion by 2030. Why the strong growth? Used correctly, contact center AI solutions are viewed by many companies as having the potential to deliver superior customer experiences (CX) as well as a heightened employee experience. These are two powerful benefits that can lead to reduced costs and increased revenue for a company.
There are already several contact center solutions in the marketplace that are AI-powered, and many more are in the development pipeline. While businesses are likely to be spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting AI tools in the future, one thing won’t change: They still need to identify the right AI tools to integrate into their tech stack so they can run their contact center optimally and provide outstanding customer experiences.
If your business, like many, is new to using AI, here’s a quick summary of what contact center AI solutions are: They are tools that use technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and conversation intelligence to boost contact center performance.
AI can automate repetitive processes and free up agents to focus on more complex tasks. The technology can also provide consumers with more customer service options, such as self-service, and expedited responses to inquiries.
There are eight key components you’ll find in many AI-driven contact center solutions:
No doubt, you’ve heard of Moviefone. What you might not know is that Moviefone started out in the 1990s as a dial-in phone system where moviegoers received information on movies and show times based on their ZIP code. (The voice on the other end of the line was one of the firm’s founders.)
Well, conversational interactive voice response (IVR) has evolved significantly since then, but the benefits remain the same. IVR systems like Invoca’s, which feature AI and automation, can be easily configured to assist callers 24/7 in human-like voice interactions. Callers are in the driver’s seat with this type of IVR. If they want to use a keypad to self-route their calls to the right destination, they have that option. Or, if they prefer to have a more natural and accessible call experience, they can speak directly to the IVR.
So, instead of pressing “1” for sales when prompted by the IVR system, for example, the caller can simply say “sales” and the AI-powered IVR will understand exactly where to route the call.
Speech analytics uses speech recognition and NLP to transcribe and interpret audio data, extracting valuable insights from an entire phone call quickly and efficiently. And just one of the many benefits of this feature, which is available in Invoca’s call center solution, is its effect on quality assurance.
The data gathered from the speech analytics process allows for scoring 100% of inbound calls automatically, consistently, and fairly. Managers spend less time spotting issues in agent-customer interactions and more time working with agents to solve them.
Chatbots are perhaps the most widely recognized manifestation of AI online. And while consumers typically want to speak to a live agent for customer service and support interactions, they are likely to encounter a chatbot at some point in their journey. According to research from Salesforce, more than half (58%) of consumers interacted with chatbots in 2022, and nearly two-thirds (65%) of consumers used self-service portals.
Chatbots often take the form of interactive pop-ups that appear when you land on some webpages, and they can typically handle simple asks. More complicated requests are passed along to virtual agents. Virtual agents and virtual assistants are a step up from bots and can handle more complex interactions and perform tasks such as scheduling appointments, placing orders, or providing personalized recommendations. Highly complex interactions are handled by human agents.
AI algorithms, machine learning techniques, and statistical models are employed in predictive analytics processes to analyze data and provide crystal ball-insight into future customer behavior. This ability to predict what is likely to happen in the future can occur almost in real time, and contact center solutions with this capability can be powerful forecasting tools for businesses.
AI can be instrumental in automating repetitive, manual tasks in the call center, increasing operational efficiency, improving agent productivity, and enhancing the customer experience.
One example of workflow automation is using AI to send emails to customers following their conversations with agents. Customers feel acknowledged and valued with this follow-up, while agents are free to move on to helping the next customer.
Increasingly, customers are interacting with businesses and brands through multiple channels. So, it’s vital for contact centers to ensure they can provide seamless, consistent experiences for service and support that are expected in an omnichannel world.
Invoca’s conversation intelligence platform automatically integrates with customer relationship management (CRM), marketing, and sales tools. This allows sales and support teams to unify the customer journey and deliver a seamless end-to-end experience.
You need to know how your customers feel about your brand so you can provide satisfying experiences. Sentiment analysis models use AI algorithms to detect and classify customer emotions and sentiments in online, social media, and voice interactions. The resulting sentiment analysis allows contact centers to be proactive in addressing potential issues, personalizing experiences, and preventing customer churn.
Here are a few things to weigh before implementing an AI solution in your contact center:
You can get the most from an AI solution by conducting a thorough assessment of your business needs and objectives before deployment within the call center. Where are your pain points? For example, are you having challenges fielding all of the inquiries that come in? AI-powered chatbots can take on some of the easy-to-answer customer questions, lightening the load for agents.
Also, remember that AI can help your employees as well as your customers. So, for instance, do you struggle to provide precise and timely feedback to your team about call quality that can help them improve? AI can help with automatic call scoring, which can help your whole team elevate their game.
Once you have a business case, it’s time to research and evaluate AI solution providers to determine which ones can meet your business needs best. As with any other vendor, consider the provider’s track record, years in business, customer reviews and case studies, and the capabilities of their AI solutions.
And, before you choose, make sure the AI contact center solutions you’re considering are compatible and will integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack.
Successful adoption of AI in the contact center requires comprehensive onboarding to familiarize agents with the AI technologies and how to use them to full effect in customer interactions.
Ongoing training is also beneficial. Invoca’s conversation intelligence platform allows managers to provide real-time feedback to agents and use AI to easily locate coachable moments
Once you’ve deployed the right AI solution in your contact center, you’ll start to see several benefits. Among the most important to contact center operations are:
Automation of routine but vital processes like quality assurance (QA) scoring can improve efficiency and drive better team performance in the contact center. Invoca’s automated QA grades agent performance on every call, right after the calls are completed, so managers and agents can make adjustments to tactics on the fly to improve call outcomes.
Also, with real-time, objective call scoring generated by AI, agents are empowered to self-coach and improve their performance following every call. And because managers can review call transcripts and recordings after each call concludes, they can provide quicker feedback to agents, home in on teachable moments, and help their whole team become more efficient through more targeted, timely coaching.
Contact center AI solutions can help businesses deliver great customer experiences by bringing speed and efficiency to basic problem-solving situations and providing customers with quick answers to FAQs.
However, customers should still have the option to interact with human agents when they have more complex issues (or simply want to talk with a real person).
When call center agents are supported by AI solutions in their everyday work, they are well-positioned to provide the standout experiences that today’s customers expect. Automation gives them the time to focus on addressing customers’ more complicated issues or inquiries and intelligent tools enable them to work efficiently while adding a personal touch to every interaction.
AI is meant to be a helper in the call center. As noted earlier, it helps agents to work more efficiently and allows them to focus on the most important tasks, including more complex issues. That efficiency translates to cost savings for businesses. AI solutions can also help them to reduce costs by optimizing resource allocation in the call center and minimizing the need for transfers by providing more effective call routing and reducing call handling times.
Automation and AI can free agents to focus on more meaningful and challenging work. That, in turn, leads to greater job satisfaction — and helps to prevent call center burnout. It also helps to reduce employee attrition rates. Ultimately, your contact center operation, and the customers it’s designed to serve, benefit from having an experienced and engaged agent workforce in place to support them.
Contact center AI solutions, such as speech analytics and knowledge management, deliver information quickly, accurately and with relevance, enabling agents to provide solutions to customers’ inquiries faster. You’ll see a much higher first-call resolution rate as a result of bringing AI strategically into your call center. That also leads to lower costs and a better customer experience.
Call centers generate huge amounts of valuable data from customer interactions. But without the right tools, collecting that data effectively so it can be analyzed (and monetized) is challenging and time-consuming.
AI for call center companies can provide advanced analytics and reporting capabilities quickly and efficiently, allowing contact centers to gain deeper insights into customer interactions, agent performance, and overall contact center operations.
From a customer experience perspective, AI solutions are increasingly critical in a call center environment. Post-pandemic, customers are demanding speedy response times and faster resolution of their issues. This places even greater pressure on call center agents and managers.
Invoca’s AI-powered conversation intelligence platform can deliver the AI that call center companies need to unlock a gold mine of data and insight, streamline operations, take routine workloads off agents’ shoulders, and realize cost reductions.
Invoca can deliver automated quality assurance, which helps your agents to stay on track in all customer interactions. It also allows you to provide meaningful coaching moments right when those moments matter most to help enhance agents’ skills and growth. Invoca also provides insights that can help your agents elevate the customer experience. Also, and importantly, Invoca can integrate seamlessly with your CRM and other key systems, making it an efficient addition to your tech stack.
To embrace the full power of AI for the contact center, get started with conversation intelligence today, and learn more about how Invoca can help you use AI to maximize every customer interaction.
Want to learn more about how Invoca AI can help you improve contact center experiences? Check out these resources:
