AUTOMATION
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
BETTER AUTOMATION MAKES BETTER AGENTS
HOW EMERGING NEW TECHNOLOGIES ENABLE AGENTS TO PERFORM THEIR BEST .
BY MATT MCCONNELL , INTRADIEM
If you ’ ve ever called customer service to dispute a bill , cancel a service , or return an item , there ’ s a chance the conversation could end in frustration . If it did , your first instinct might have been to blame the agent , but it may not have been the agent ’ s fault . Maybe the agent just didn ’ t have the organizational support needed to resolve your issue quickly and completely , and to also make you feel like a valued customer at the same time .
Consumers ’ demand for both efficiency and reassurance in these situations is often difficult to satisfy . But new automation tools based on artificial intelligence ( AI ) are boosting efficiency and , by extension , empowering human agents to bring more of the empathy , flexibility , and judgment that leaves customers
32 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE feeling understood and valued . That can only be good for the bottom line .
To be clear , I believe that concerns about unanticipated consequences from groundbreaking technologies like ChatGPT are legitimate . But in the contact center , I ’ m convinced that the impact of emerging automation technology will be overwhelmingly positive .
THESE TOOLS ... WILL FREE AGENTS TO FOCUS MORE ATTENTION ON THE UNIQUELY HUMAN SKILLS THAT ARE SO ESSENTIAL ...
These tools will bring much-needed efficiency by taking over execution of simple transactional requests , streamlining delivery of training and other agent development functions , and providing more responsive in-call support . That will free agents to focus more attention on the uniquely human skills that are so essential to positive customer service experiences .
HUMANS AT THE WHEEL , TECHNOLOGY UNDER THE HOOD
The “ human touch ” is at the core of customer service . No matter how fast and smart technology becomes , it ’ s still unlikely to be a satisfying substitute for a human-to-human connection in highstakes interactions .