FEATURE
Paul Milloy , Business Consultant , Intradiem
digital interactions – would follow up with live agents . This led to additional enquiries from frustrated customers to agents ’ already heavy call volume .
New AI-powered automation technology can absorb much of the transactional requests and achieve better resolution rates than basic chatbots . At the same time , it is helping to prepare agents for the more demanding but also more engaging work that lies ahead .
Reclaiming lost productivity
Through its ability to monitor and analyse large volumes of data , the new generation of AI-powered automation can identify and use unanticipated intervals within the unpredictable flow of customer service enquiries .
These intervals had always been moments of lost productivity but the real-time capabilities of new automation enable contact centres to seize those precious moments for necessary development . Training or coaching can now take place when call volume is low or there are extra staff , without affecting customer service .
The automated coach
The application of AI in conversational analytics can also help pinpoint the areas of agent training needs . This can be addressed by targeted training undertaken directly through the desktop , whether the agent is working at home or in the office .
Additionally , businesses can extend the use of conversational AI analytics to review and analyse customer feedback systems , which will enable them to identify trends in agent behaviour and the causes behind any issues that arise . Team leaders can then intervene by implementing the training or coaching needed to develop the skills and experience needed to resolve the problem .
In the area of coaching , some of the latest AI technologies provide a safe environment to practise this activity . The technology provides feedback and scoring to allow supervisors to assess agent competency levels without the need to practise on live customers , which could have adverse results . This can be extended to fully interactive two-way conversational journeys , which simulate the organisation ’ s sales or service processes .
Managing increased complexity
Another challenge for customer service operators traces back to the multitude of channels that customers can use to contact an organisation , such as web forms , chat , messaging and phone calls . Customers often use more than one channel at a time to get help faster . This adds complexity for contact centre agents who need additional support to handle it .
This is another area where AI can help , and it is a win-win situation for customer service leaders . The customer service environment is complex ,
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