2020 took the already evolving contact centre environment and turned it on its head.
The sudden restrictions imposed by a global pandemic meant that companies moving into the cloud had to accelerate their strategies almost overnight. Many organisations not equipped to handle a remote contact centre environment had to shut their doors entirely.
While the transition into a post-pandemic world has been a difficult one for many companies, most organisations have also begun to discover tools that can help them to achieve their goals in this new landscape. Artificial Intelligence is just one solution, estimated to reach a value of at least $13.9 billion by 2025.
The Trends in Augmented Agents
When Artificial Intelligence first began to emerge in the contact centre, there was some concern that machine learning tools would take over from human agents. The reality is that bots and automated systems still can’t replace human creativity or empathy. However, these solutions can augment the existing abilities of your workforce.
Some of the trends starting to emerge in 2021 for augmented agents include:
- Self-learning AI: Companies don’t always have the data knowledge and resources required to train an agent completely on their own. A self-learning solution with machine learning algorithms can ensure that your virtual agent grows more impressive over time, with minimal human input. The more conversations you have with this AI, the better it gets
- No code or low code deployment: In an age where many companies simply can’t thrive with human agents alone, everyone needs access to artificial Intelligence. No-code and low-code platforms give companies without developer knowledge the ability to build their own virtual agents on a simple platform
- More conversational Intelligence: Customers increasingly expect interactions with agents to be as just as seamless as discussions with human beings. Advanced natural language understanding and conversational Intelligence will ensure that agents can respond just as well to a spoken voice as they do to written text
- APIs and Integrations: AI solutions work better when connected with the rest of your contact centre environment. Connections to existing service ticket solutions and CRM systems will make virtual solutions all the more impressive in a new digital world. These tools will be able to tap into those systems to serve customers and provide support to agents
- Increased automation: Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of AI in the contact centre is its ability to remove excess repetitive work from an agents shoulders. Going forward, the right tools will be able to support customer self-service, deal with mundane tasks, and free up valuable agent time with ease
The Contact Centre Agent: Only Better
The experiences that contact centres have had with augmented agents and virtual assistants during the pandemic is evidence of where we’re headed. AI isn’t here to overtake the human agent (at least not yet). Instead, access to intelligent tools can support agents in an increasingly complex and ever-changing customer service environment.
AI solutions augment the modern agent with quicker access to information, better routing, and more opportunities to streamline their schedules.
