CONVERSATIONAL AI
BY ANDY O’ DOWER, TWILIO
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
HOW CONVERSATIONAL AI IS REWIRING CONTACT CENTERS THEY CAN BECOME( FINALLY!) REVENUE, NOT COST, CENTERS.
Over the past 60 years, contact centers have evolved far beyond their analog origins of roomsized switchboards and crowded bullpens of elbow-to-elbow operators.
Today, these sophisticated digital hubs serve as brands’ customer nerve centers, providing service and support while orchestrating holistic, deeply personalized experiences.
24 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
Now, conversational AI is driving the next generational step change in how customers interface with brands, shifting contact centers from passive inbound cost centers into proactive outbound engines of revenue generation.
But this transition doesn’ t come without its challenges. Enterprises can struggle to connect models with live communication channels, like real-time voice,
... HOW CAN COMPANIES MATURE THEIR CONVERSATIONAL AI STRATEGIES...? or provide agents with unified data and context, forcing their customers to start from scratch and repeat themselves with every interaction.
This can be compounded by the inability for businesses to intervene during live interactions, where insights about negative sentiment or churn risk are surfaced afterward. And often too late for deal-saving interventions or agent support while customers are still engaged.
In a future of high automation and high augmentation, how can companies mature their conversational AI strategies— from frontline technology to backend culture— to reduce friction, enhance collaboration, and empower more intelligent, intuitive customer journeys?