Every time you ask your digital assistant a question, Google something or interact with a chatbot on a website, you’re engaging with artificial intelligence (AI), a valuable tool that allows machines to learn from their experiences, according to the SAS Institute. Once just the subject matter of sci-fi depictions of the future, AI is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives, helping us accomplish everything from figuring out what to watch next on Netflix to diagnosing medical issues, as “The Wired Guide to Artificial Intelligence” explains.
One notable way that AI is transforming how businesses operate is by helping contact center agents deliver the best possible customer experience (CX). In the past few years, CX has become a huge differentiator in terms of competitiveness in the corporate world. Gartner has declared it “the new marketing battlefront.”
Particularly in a world drastically altered by the pandemic, it’s more vital than ever for companies to stay competitive and position themselves for long-term success by focusing on delivering a standout CX and achieving digital transformation by leveraging advanced technologies like AI. Most (80 percent) of businesses have fast-tracked at least some of their digital transformation projects this year, according to the Dell Technologies Digital Transformation Index.
If you aren’t already utilizing software that drives better customer experiences with AI, here’s what you should know about the technology and how AI in the contact center can increase agent productivity and customer satisfaction.
How Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) Platforms Commonly Incorporate AI
Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions have gained popularity as businesses have sought to connect with consumers via multiple channels and empower remote workers with the accessibility of a cloud-based platform. These cloud-delivered contact center offerings can utilize AI for various purposes and tasks, including the following.
- Chatbots: These bots can easily tackle simple customer service tasks like making reservations, paying bills or answering commonly asked questions, according to the CustomerThink article “5 Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Contact Center.”
- Intelligent routing: AI can ensure that calls get routed not only based on the nature of the customer’s query but also their previous interactions and personality, according to NICE inContact. Getting matched with the right agent can make all the difference when it comes to CX.
- Sentiment and interaction analysis: With real-time natural language processing, AI can monitor calls and determine when customers are getting angry or frustrated based on tone and cadence, according to the TechRepublic article “How artificial intelligence is taking call centers to the next level.” It can also provide insights into the flow of conversation and warn agents with pop-ups if they’re interrupting the customer frequently or talking too much.
- Predictive analytics: AI can analyze historical contact center data and provide valuable predictions for the future concerning fluctuations in query volume, according to CustomerThink.
Business Benefits of an AI-Powered Contact Center
AI call center solutions and contact center software that features AI can be the difference between mediocre and unforgettable customer experiences. Here are just some of the benefits of implementing this cutting-edge technology:
- Greater efficiency and productivity: With AI handling common queries via chatbot, your agents have more time to devote to more complex issues.
- De-escalating interactions: Agents might not notice subtle signs that a customer is getting frustrated, but AI can warn them and help them remedy the problem before the situation gets worse.
- Improved coaching with in-depth insights into interactions: Based on AI-powered analysis of an agent’s interactions, the contact center manager can better evaluate their performance and offer more targeted guidance.
Overall, artificial intelligence can help contact center agents deliver the high-quality customized service needed to earn customers’ loyalty and ensure they have an excellent experience with your business.
If you’d like to learn more about AI in the contact center, don’t hesitate to contact our team of trusted technology advisors. We have experience working with a wide range of contact center AI companies and can answer any questions you might have. Just give us a call at 877-599-3999 or email sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
