How Your Contact Center Could Benefit from AI

October 2, 2017

When was the last time you interacted with an automated system from the contact center of one of your favorite brands and you didn’t know it? Chances are this hasn’t happened – at least not yet. We all have stories of frustrating interactions with computers that don’t really understand what we’re trying to do on the other end of the line.
Projections suggest this is going to happen less and less as key market providers are introducing artificial intelligence (AI) like we’ve never seen before. And the speed at which these solutions are coming to the market exceeds that of the disruptive force that is the current cloud-based movement.
In fact, year over year growth in the Software as a Service (SaaS) space for contact centers is nearly 24 percent, according to Markets and Markets. Businesses unable to keep pace or that are holding firm in the on-premise space are losing considerable market share in a short amount of time. As the AI movement gains momentum, it is expected to disrupt the market quickly.
This is great for those who are tired of automated systems that do little more than cause frustration. But larger companies don’t always seem agile enough to embrace this kind of pace, whether the customer base demands it or not. And many have just recently fine-tuned their approach to multi-channel integration, providing a seamless experience across social networking, calling, email, text messaging, and even messaging apps. A swift move into advanced AI could upset the entire operations model.
Such an upset is not a bad thing, however. For many organizations, the opportunity to embrace digital communications has significantly reduced the cost of customer care. Those who have been able to experience success with social networks and even automated systems have seen the cost savings and are willing to reserve some of the budget to embrace AI. The opportunity to replace front line individuals with bots who can handle intelligent conversation is significant, especially as bots can now go beyond heavily scripted interactions.
The key to success for the contact center will be to embrace the technology in a way that helps reduce costs while responding to what customers want. Simple streamlining without consideration of the voice of the customer could have the opposite effect. With a planned approach, the potential is significant in terms of the customer experience.
Until the time is right to consider this move, you still need to ensure the health of your digital systems, especially as they contribute to the overall customer experience. At Access Tech, we can help in this process. Contact us today to discuss how our audit process and customized solutions can help you put your best interaction forward.

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