7 Ways Call Centers Use AI to Unlock Time for Their Agents and Customers

A study by CCW Digital reveals that up to 62% of contact centers are looking into investing in automation and AI. At the same time, many consumers are willing to use self-service options or chat with chatbots, especially if it helps them skip lengthy wait times. This presents an ideal opportunity for contact center leaders to explore various technologies to find what best aligns with their objectives and meets their customers' needs.

The call and contact center industry, with its roots stretching back to the days before the Internet, faces unique challenges when adopting AI-based innovations. This is particularly true for teams handling sensitive client data. Deciding whether to delegate these tasks to bots is a tough call. Still, those who quickly embrace new automation technologies will likely see a notable increase in productivity over their competitors.

Read on and explore specific AI applications tailored for contact centers. Used wisely, these technologies can not only save time for agents and callers but also enhance the overall efficiency of operations.

AI Voicebots

Expecting human agents to answer every call quickly and attentively is a tall order. To streamline this, many teams are now turning to sophisticated conversational AI solutions capable of understanding customers and engaging in natural conversations. These bots can handle FAQs and basic tasks, freeing up agents for more complex issues.

While having an AI-based voicebot conversing with your callers may sound scary at first, there are plenty of use cases where this can be useful. After all, IVR (Interactive Voice Response) was one of the first automations ever introduced in the call center industry, and using a voicebot as part of the setup is just another step in its development.

Furthermore, AI capabilities can be integrated with traditional IVR systems, offering self-service options through the phone keypad, such as the option to connect with a live agent. This feature becomes especially handy during peak times when call volumes skyrocket. Often, customers may prefer a quick response from a bot over a long wait for a human responder.

Speech and Text Recognition

Incorporating AI-powered text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) capabilities can significantly enhance the flexibility of your contact center. These technologies allow for the automatic and real-time conversion between speech and text, offering a wide range of applications.

For instance, agents can conduct surveys using dynamically updated scripts, which the system reads out loud to the caller, eliminating the need for pre-recorded messages. Similarly, STT technology facilitates the effortless transcription of customer calls without requiring manual input from agents. This not only saves time but also gathers extensive customer data, enabling a deeper analysis of customer behavior and preferences.

Sentiment and Tone Analysis

While transcripts of call recordings provide valuable data for AI to understand each customer's preferences, they often miss the emotional nuances of the conversation. This is where sentiment analysis comes into play. Utilizing machine learning, these systems can delve into voice recordings to identify cues that contribute to the success or failure of calls. Over time, AI becomes adept at offering better recommendations. For example, it can suggest adjustments to the call center script, tailoring product and service suggestions to individual customer needs and preferences, enhancing both customer satisfaction and call center efficiency.

Moreover, there are also AI-based lie detectors that scrutinize voice recordings, not just for emotional cues but also for signs of deception. This can be particularly useful in scenarios where verifying the authenticity of information is crucial.

Voice Biometrics

Verifying a caller's identity is crucial for security in call center operations but can be cumbersome when done manually. AI streamlines this through automated voice recognition, offering a faster, secure verification process.

This technology swiftly identifies a customer's voice and matches it with existing samples, quickly detecting any patterns. This rapid process not only reduces the risk of fraud and identity theft but also enhances the multi-factor authentication process. Most importantly, it saves agents time by removing the need for manual verification speeding up customer interactions without compromising security.

Automated Ticket Routing

Automated ticket routing intelligently categorizes and directs customer inquiries to the most suitable department or agent. For example, a customer query about a billing issue is automatically identified by the AI and routed to the billing department, while a technical support query goes straight to the tech support team. The precise sorting is based on the content of the customer's request, often identified through keywords or the nature of the inquiry.

This approach means customers no longer need to be transferred multiple times between different departments, significantly reducing their wait times and frustration. This leads to a more organized workflow for the call center, allowing agents to avoid misdirected calls, thereby improving productivity.

AI-Enhanced Training

Artificial intelligence can provide agents with customized training experiences. This approach uses data-driven insights derived from an agent's own performance metrics and customer feedback to tailor training programs that target specific areas of improvement. For example, if an agent consistently receives feedback regarding the speed of their response, the AI system can focus on improving their time management skills.

Furthermore, AI can analyze the types of queries an agent frequently handles and provide specialized training in those specific areas. This method ensures that training is relevant and highly effective, catering to each agent's unique strengths and weaknesses and developing the skills they need most. This leads to a more competent and confident workforce, able to address customer needs more effectively.

Real-time Assistance for Agents

During live interactions with customers, AI systems can analyze the conversation in real time and provide agents with instant suggestions, information, and solutions relevant to the customer's query. For example, if a customer is discussing a specific product issue, the AI system can immediately pull up the most relevant troubleshooting guidelines for the agent, allowing for a swift and informed response.

Moreover, if an agent encounters a particularly complex query, the AI system can guide them through the most effective line of questioning or even suggest transferring the call to a more specialized department or expert.

In addition, this approach can also suggest relevant cross-sell or up-sell opportunities based on the customer's history and current conversation, thereby not only solving the immediate issue but also enhancing customer engagement.

Conclusion

Implementing AI in your call center may not seem essential yet, but moving in that direction could significantly boost competitiveness. When done correctly and cautiously, automation in the contact center industry can help resolve queries faster and more productively, allowing the workforce to focus on more demanding tasks that require creative thinking beyond the capabilities of any script.