Are your call center agents stressed and overworked? If so, you’re far from alone; it’s an industry-wide issue. Research from SQM Group found that 63 percent of agents have a high job burnout rate, fueling an average annual turnover of 38 percent for call centers, according to a 2023 blog entry.
The steady stream of customer inquiries seems unlikely to abate anytime soon. Despite the rise of other channels, 57 percent of customer care leaders polled for McKinsey’s 2023 State of Customer Care Survey expected call volumes to increase by up to one-fifth during the next one to two years.
The May 2023 McKinsey Customer Service Survey found that while people are warming to non-phone communication methods, many still favor phone calls when they need to resolve a customer service issue. Even among members of Gen Z (ages 18 to 28 in 2023), 71 percent still said they were likely to reach out via phone.
So, what can businesses do to tackle increasing call volumes and cater to consumers’ preferences while preserving the sanity of customer service agents? One option is deploying an AI voice agent capable of resolving common issues over the phone.
If you want to increase productivity in your call center while enhancing both employee and customer experiences (EX and CX), here’s what you should know about AI voice agents.
What are voice AI agents?
A voice AI agent utilizes artificial intelligence (more specifically, natural language processing and machine learning) to understand and respond to human speech, according to Salesforce. These intelligent virtual call center agents can tackle tasks such as providing information about orders and answering questions with natural-sounding speech.
AI voice agents or voice assistants leverage conversational artificial intelligence to help callers navigate interactive voice response (IVR) systems without using the keypad or listening to long lists of menu options, according to Infobip. If someone calls in with a complicated request beyond what the AI can address, it can route them to a live agent.
Notable business benefits of voice AI agents
Here are a few notable advantages of AI voice agents, according to Infobip and Salesforce. Note: This isn’t an exhaustive list of voice AI agent advantages and features.
- Instant, personalized customer service: AI voice agents can reduce customer wait times and ensure a better CX by handling routine tasks (e.g., providing order statuses or account balances).
- Better employee experiences and less burnout: By tackling simple requests, the AI agent can make work less hectic and stressful for human workers, improving EX and reducing burnout and turnover rates.
- 24/7 service: An AI-powered virtual agent can answer customers’ questions around the clock.
- Multi-lingual customer service: AI voice agents can typically communicate in various languages.
- Cost containment: A voice AI agent can lower operational costs by allowing you to answer the same amount of customer inquiries with a smaller team.
How to find the best voice AI agents
Our trusted technology advisors are here to help if you want to explore your voice AI agent options. We maintain partnerships with top AI solution suppliers and have experience identifying the best virtual agent offerings for businesses seeking to improve customer service and call center operations. Our team typically saves our clients dozens of hours by utilizing a powerful decision-making tool to generate detailed comparison matrices, making it easy to see which suppliers and solutions fulfill your specific needs and support your goals.
Start by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
