AGENT, CUSTOMER CHALLENGES
Gartner research shows that 55 % of organizations are running a pilot or live production with Generative AI, and more than half of organizations have increased their Generative AI investment, particularly in customer-facing functions.
However, there’ s no one-size-fitsall approach to integrating technology solutions into daily operations. Call center managers must acknowledge the internal and external hurdles when incorporating AI into customer experience( CX) strategies and hybrid work.
One of the biggest challenges that call center managers face is that live agents have varying preferences when it comes to using AI-assisted tools. Some of them may be open to embracing AI’ s ability to automate or assist with routine tasks, while others prefer to stick to manual operations.
Managers, therefore, have the challenge of accommodating individual needs, while also ensuring the overall efficiency and consistency of agent operations. That includes diminishing the outside noises and distractions that may pop up with remote working, along with the high noise levels and interruptions on call floors that both negatively impact the CX.
In the same vein, customers have different attitudes towards interfacing with IVAs. Especially since AI capabilities are not yet advanced enough to offer specialized solutions to more complex cases.
For example, a customer looking for general purchase information may be more open to interacting with an IVA, compared to someone with an urgent or nuanced payment-related concern. Generative AI and ChatGPT customer support continue to fall behind searches for phone support in most countries, with most people looking for customer service phone numbers to reach a human agent right away.
AI INTEGRATION WITH PEOPLE BENEFITS
Despite initial hurdles, AI remains a powerful tool for business and call center managers, especially as the technology’ s capabilities continue to advance.
Some 77 % of customers expect to interact with someone immediately when they contact a company( Zendesk, via Hubspot“ 80 Customer Service Stats to Know”) but many businesses don’ t have staff available around the clock to provide support. Chatbots and IVAs offer on-demand availability and global reach, not only satisfying this expectation but also reducing operational costs.
Automation of menial tasks through AI chatbots has also improved agent efficiency. For example, OpenAI’ s integration with Klarna( Payments Dive), did the work of 700 live agents, addressing two-thirds of Klarna’ s customer queries.
Decreasing the number of routine tasks for which live agents are responsible allows Klarna to focus on the most pressing matters. This means that customers with advanced queries can receive solutions more quickly.
However, rather than leaving agents to handle intricate cases from start to finish, AI can assist by tackling primary steps to make reaching resolutions easier for employees. Complicated customer service issues can then be raised in their final iterations to human decision-makers, further decreasing the time that each customer spends waiting for solutions.
In today’ s hybrid work environment, most contact centers no longer have full-time agent coverage on the floor. This makes it difficult for supervisors to oversee agents.
AI can check multiple agents’ work simultaneously and monitor work more closely in real time to keep the CX consistent across organizations, regardless of where requests are routed. Using this technology to flag issues with agent
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT CALL CENTER MANAGERS FACE IS THAT LIVE AGENTS HAVE VARY- ING PREFERENCES WHEN IT COMES TO USING AI-ASSISTED TOOLS.
performance helps ensure satisfaction and keeps negative customer sentiments to a minimum.
INVESTMENT FROM CONTACT CENTERS
To take advantage of AI’ s contact center benefits, managers must understand the investment areas that best align with organizational needs.
Upskilling
Employees cannot be expected to understand the intricacies of AI tools on day one of adoption, so upskilling efforts are a crucial first investment. Upskilling and reskilling provide a knowledge foundation for agents as emerging technologies continue to be integrated into contact centers.
Upskilling will only become more critical over time, given that AI and big data rank seventh among increasingly important work skills, with 60 % growth in demand predicted by 2027.
Investing in upskilling assures employees that their roles in the contact center are advancing their careers in the long term, especially as nebulous questions around the future of human agents swirl.
However, studies show that AI is more likely to enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. For instance, 70 % of contact center managers believe that AI will create more demand for competent agents, enabling them to focus on complex issues that require human empathy and critical thinking.
By investing in human skills, companies can show their employees that they will work in conjunction with AI, rather than in opposition to it.
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