There are several things you can do to increase productivity in a call center. One of the first things that comes to mind is artificial intelligence (AI). This cuts down on the number of real people you need to hire to keep the business running smoothly.
While AI has come a long way, nothing is ever completely perfected. So, if you’re thinking about adding AI with human voice in your call center, consider these three things first:
Combining AI interaction and real person interaction
While business for employers is generally about the numbers, for the customer, it’s more about feeling positively about a brand. This tends to come from a sense of a “personal touch” that keeps them coming back.
However, customers still want a balance to cope with their busy lives. According to McKinsey, 86 percent of today’s customers prefer self-service systems to actually interacting with a salesperson. And companies that include omnichannel customer engagement have 89 percent customer retention as opposed to the 33 percent for companies who do not.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that customers would prefer AI, but you should consider having an option for customers to talk to an actual person as a failsafe. This way, you make your customers feel as if they are choosing to talk to the AI human voice.
Alternatively, you could use AI to help connect customers to real agents, giving you the advantages of both. Implementing an auto dialer for call center facilities can significantly cut back on time and resources, especially when using one that connects agents to an omnichannel conversation.
The voice you choose
The right voice will make customers trust you more easily. To get this affect, it is best to avoid using speech synthesizers. While this is the cheaper option, voice synthesizers tend to sound like a robot (so you’ll lose the personal touch) and they won’t give you brand recognition (anyone can use a voice synthesizer).
Therefore, an AI with a human voice is the way to go. This way, you get a voice that is unique to your company and you get a sense of warmth and authenticity that you can only get from a human voice.
Studies suggest that human brains connect to each other during communication. No robot can give you this human connection, another bonus to using human voice in your AI (more customers will feel a connection to the AI).
Consider natural language processing
Many people have had the experience of calling a company only to hear the robotic voice that asks us to push the number for the service they want. It’s time consuming, it’s annoying, and it’s impersonal.
With natural language processing, customers can merely say why we’re calling, and the software will pick up on their cues to direct them to the right place. This form of AI with a human voice saves your customers time and makes them feel appreciated. Plus, this software adds that personal touch most people desire in an AI interaction.
Consider adding AI to online platforms as well. For example, consider adding chat boxes for your customer’s smaller issues and AI capabilities for consumer and agent aid. This will not only enhance productivity, but this also tends to be what the customer desires.While 75 percent of consumers say that humans provide the best customer service, 76 percent of these people still said they want the option to solve their own issues digitally.