Despite common misconceptions, AI is here to help your agents, not replace them.
There are millions of agents currently employed at contact centers around the globe. Consultancy firm AT Kearney reports that at least one million of those jobs are at risk from advances in automation.
But while cloud services and AI have revolutionized the industry and streamlined contact centers into well-oiled machines, there is still the matter of the millions of agents that rely on these businesses for an income.
The fact is that no matter how slick your self-service is, there will always be a need for the human voice. In terms of customer service alone, no automated message will ever sooth a customer’s temper as well as a sincere call from a human agent can. Some people just want to be heard.
Other times human agents are needed are for closing deals on sales calls, resolving complex queries, or just for being the unlucky person who draws the short end of the “can I speak to the manager right now?” stick.
It would be a sad day indeed if a healthcare provider chose to fully automate its services over human agents with the skills and empathy needed to handle sensitive queries.
So how can AI be used to help agents? By improving routing.
Zailab’s AI routing feature is driven by a machine learning algorithm created to increase the number of successful calls by dealing with the ones most likely to fail. It does this by studying historical data to decide which calls need to be routed to which agents – the agents best suited to handle that query.
For example. Say you run an international travel agency. If a call comes in from Portugal, the algorithm would have learned over time not to serve that call to English-speaking agents, thus reducing the likelihood of an unsuccessful call.
How does this help the agent? By not wasting their time. Agents are only served queries they are best-suited to handle. This includes queries related to their specific role and skillset, as well as customers they have helped before. This also increases their ability to deliver excellent service.
Read more about how Zailab uses machine learning to ensure successful outcomes https://zailab.com/why-ai-is-here-to-help-your-contact-center.
AI can help your agents in other ways too. Features like speech recognition, for example, give your agents the signal when a call is not going well and gives them the opportunity to turn it around.
Plus, by taking over the simple tasks and allowing customers to resolve their own queries via self-service, agents are able to specialize and steer their career path upwards.
In a world where there are millions of people employed for the same job as you, being able to differentiate yourself as an expert in your field is a huge advantage.
AI can provide a major boost to your agents. It gives them the time and opportunity to really shine and be the best they can be. And who would say no to an upper hand at work?
Read more about how Zailab can empower your agents with technology and insight.