Rather than replacing humans, artificial intelligence has the potential to improve call centre employees and make them more relevant and effective. Here’s how.
Call centre robots can quickly answer specific questions, to the great satisfaction of the customer who independently uses this service. With a few clicks and a few numbers pressed on the phone the problem is resolved in a few seconds, if all goes well. This is an undeniable benefit both for the customer and for the supplier of services and products. But when the needs are more complex, a human is still (and will remain) the better option.
Who is on the line?
Artificial intelligence (AI) can decode the customer’s words ahead of the conversation with the agent and can then provide information about the caller – male or female, age group, tone, etc. It may be interesting and beneficial for the call centre agent to know what type of customer he is dealing with even before answering.
In addition, AI can analyze customer experiences through recognition of human interactions and identify the customer’s state of mind. A chatbot will ask and interpret prequalifying questions in order to properly route the calls. The agents therefore know in advance what attitude to adopt to respond to angry customers, for example.
Customer satisfaction
AI can also decode and interpret the effect of the employee’s response on the customer. This makes it possible to know if the problem has been resolved to the customer’s satisfaction and quite likely tell if they will choose this supplier again. If not, AI will propose new avenues – even suggesting responses – to retain customer loyalty. It is also a way for the employer to assess the quality of its agents’ work.
The use of AI to facilitate and improve the work of call centre agents therefore helps improve efficiency and performance. Of course, time needs to be taken to build the database of customer conversations, but it’s an investment that keeps the human at the heart of the process!