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Jul 10, 2020 Thomas Cannon

Using AI in Contact Centers to Boost Customer Satisfaction

AI Contact Centers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a controversial subject. These new technologies are changing the game for many organizations’ customer service strategies by automating time-consuming, repetitive tasks that allows live agents to focus on conversations that require a human element.

But talk of AI often comes with a worry that workers will lose their jobs and companies will have to implement new processes and ways of operating. This couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when it comes to outsourced call center AI

AI-powered virtual agents are a fantastic example of just how important AI has become in the modern day call center. In fact, virtual agents can assist customers on the front line to improve the customer experience (CX), while reducing a live agent’s workload and helping them to become more efficient at their job.

In this blog, Advantage Communications will be taking a look at exactly what an AI-powered virtual agent is, and how implementing conversational AI into your customer service strategy can PowerUp your company’s entire customer experience.

What is an AI-powered virtual agent?

Virtual agents are one step above virtual assistants, such as Alexa or Siri. While virtual assistants guide consumers through basic personal tasks such as finding a webpage or turning on a device in their home, virtual agents are used by businesses to improve their customer service and customer support strategies.

These virtual agents are commonly used on a company’s website through chatbot technology, as well as answering basic queries (or directing a customer to the appropriate agent) over the phone.

Historically, virtual agents were only able to answer low-level customer support queries because of the complex algorithms needed - but large strides forward in outsourced contact center AI technology has changed that.

So, what is an AI-powered virtual agent?

AI-powered virtual agents can accomplish many of the redundant tasks that a live customer service representative typically handles today. Virtual agents can work hand-in-hand with live agents to offset both simple and complex tasks, such as intent-based routing, completing an application, scheduling appointments, and more.

It’s important to note that AI-powered virtual agents complement and enhance the human element live agents provide to achieve high levels of customer experience.

Whether through a voice or digital channels, AI-powered virtual agents use conversational AI to understand language as spoken and written by humans and reply to them as a human would.

AI-powered virtual agents use a variety of technologies to mimic real-life customer service agents, including:

  • Ability to read and record data as live agents do.
  • Using natural language processing to understand complex conversations and create a back-and-forth dialogue just as a human would.
  • Predicting why a customer might be calling your company.
  • Using and making sense of, the same real-time data that your live call center agents are using.

What can an AI-powered virtual agent do?

These advancing technologies mean that call centers now use AI-powered virtual agents to handle routine calls and chats, saving time for live call center agents to work on more complex tasks that offer a higher value for your customers.

Call or chat customer queries that are commonly resolved by AI-powered virtual agents, include:

  • Basic FAQs
  • Order management
  • Tech support
  • Account and membership changes
  • Billing
  • Basic customer issues
  • And much more!

How will an AI-powered virtual agent benefit your company’s customer service strategy?

AI-powered virtual agents are designed to automate your company’s customer service calls and website chats, without sacrificing an ounce of your customer experience. That means your organization will realize a host of benefits from implementing this type of technology.

These benefits for your company will include:

  • Having the resources to provide omnichannel support, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, in the channel your customer prefers to use.
  • Offering a self-service approach to customer service that reduces customer effort and makes their life easier.
  • More time for customer service agents to work on more complex queries that deliver higher value, and a better CX, to your customers.
  • The ability to automate repetitive tasks that waste live agents’ time.
  • Collect detailed customer information so that you can anticipate a customer’s needs before it becomes a problem.

Ready to learn more about the outsourced call center AI technology that can revolutionise your brand’s customer service strategy? Contact Advantage Communications today for more information.

 

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Published by Thomas Cannon July 10, 2020