WHEN CUSTOMERS ’ HIGH EXPECTATIONS ... ARE MET OR EXCEEDED , CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SCORES RISE TOO .
exhausting for agents . But high call volumes rarely give agents time to recover from a negative call experience before they answer the next one .
Even if an agent encounters nothing but kind , friendly customers during a shift , high call volumes can be incredibly stressful . Agents must resolve issues as quickly as possible to reduce the next caller ’ s wait time and resolve their issue expeditiously .
Now , repeat this pattern ad nauseam , all day , every day . Longer hold times result in higher call abandonment rates and lower customer satisfaction scores because abandoned calls remain unresolved .
Many calls repeat the same pattern . An agent answers the call , looks up the customer ' s information , listens to the customer ’ s problem , researches the answer to the customer ’ s problem , and resolves the issue .
While these calls may not prove challenging , they quickly become repetitive ; pursuing information and answers consumes significant amounts of time . In fact , according to Forrester , agents spend about 35 % of each shift searching for information . Other challenges agents face include :
• High customer expectations . Customers increasingly demand faster , more personalized service , which puts pressure on contact centers to improve agent productivity .
• Competition . Contact centers are competing with each other to provide the best possible customer experience .
• Regulatory compliance . Contact centers are subject to various regulations , which can add to the agent workloads .
These challenges present call centers with opportunities for improvement . When customers ’ high expectations for customer service are met or exceeded , customer satisfaction scores rise too . Competition breeds innovation , and innovation in contact center technology and processes can help improve agent productivity .
20 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
THE ROLE OF AI IN TRANSFORMING AGENT PRODUCTIVITY
The standout trends bolstering call center agent performance and improving customer satisfaction include unprecedented automation capabilities , fueled by AI .
The days of hundreds of agents in one room constantly inundated with ringing phones will become ancient history , replaced by a frontline of intelligent voice assistants fielding calls . This technology provides customers with FAQ answers and resolves other straightforward queries , thereby freeing agents to focus on higher-level customer calls requiring an empathetic human touch .
According to a report by Allied Market Research , the AI market is expected to reach $ 9.95 billion in 2030 , with an annual growth rate of 26 %. As the use of this technology expands , contact centers must integrate AI tools into their operations or risk being left behind by competitors .
WHEN CUSTOMERS ’ HIGH EXPECTATIONS ... ARE MET OR EXCEEDED , CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SCORES RISE TOO .
AI can revolutionize contact center operations by :
• Decreasing agent toil . AI can automate repetitive tasks currently performed by agents , such as routing calls , qualifying customers , and providing basic information . These high-volume , low-complexity tasks are tailor-made prime functions for AI to assume .
This process enables call center staff to prioritize building relationships with customers , focus on complex problem-solving , and complete higher-order analytical duties better aligned with human capabilities .
• Tailoring customer interactions . AI can help personalize customer conversations by analyzing past interactions and outcomes to predict their needs .
Over 70 % of customers expect personalized business interactions , with 76 % becoming frustrated when those expectations aren ’ t met . A company ’ s ability to personalize consumer touchpoints is paramount to success .
Personalization also drives customer loyalty ( 78 % indicated personalized content increased the likelihood they ’ d make another purchase from a brand ) and can improve customer satisfaction .
• Informing agents . AI can analyze large amounts of historical data , such as a customer ’ s previous calls , and provide agents with real-time insights into current customer behavior . Access to relevant information empowers agents to resolve customer issues faster and more efficiently .
• Compliance improvements . AI can help agents streamline compliance tasks . It automates processes to verify customer identities by cross-checking data points and documents to ensure data privacy regulations are being met .
In addition to not being subject to emotional catalysts prompting social engineering , AI can also monitor agent-customer interactions to identify non-compliant behavior , sensitive data sharing or prohibited content . Doing so allows contact centers to take corrective actions more quickly .
A sophisticated voice assistant is one example of an AI-powered tool that can benefit contact centers . Rather than forcing a caller to say a specific keyword to move the call forward , these intelligent voice assistants can communicate with callers naturally and conversationally , understanding the caller . It does so regardless of accent , speech impediment , background noise , or interruption .