Where is your contact center on its AI journey?
Does your website feature a Frequently Asked Questions bot? Does a bot perform rudimentary tasks such as password resets or account look-ups? Do your agents benefit from a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform integration that automatically provides them with key on-screen account information?
Or – in the case of larger or more sophisticated contact centers – are Machine Learning and Natural Language Understanding enabling bots to respond in real -time to complex issues that require a human intervention?
The likely reality, of course, is that every organization will be looking to leverage the transformational power of AI but will be at very different stages for very different reasons. Budgetary constraints may be the main blocker; however, many still lack a comprehensive understanding of AI capabilities and their potential impact on their business.
Plotting the best and most appropriate course is a process that will undoubtedly benefit from the consultative help of experts. One thing is certain – one size definitely does not fit all and, regardless of the scale of deployment, tangible benefits must result.
“There are many different ways organizations can approach the deployment of AI in their contact center. From investing in feature-rich, full-automation with very few human interactions, to slowly introducing certain forms of AI that gradually give agents more time – how impactful any kind of deployment will be should be the first question businesses ask themselves,” says Mike Kraybill, US Sales Executive at leading contact center provider ComputerTalk, which has a solution for every situation.
“Those questions include: ‘How many more calls can agents take? What does that do to the performance metrics of their contact center? How does it affect estimated wait times? And how quickly can an agent finish an interaction?”
“Also, how can AI impact agents? Many organizations suffer high agent attrition, and one of the main reasons is that they often perform the same task repeatedly. AI can really help in that regard. Bottom line; first understand your contact center’s deficiencies, then quantify the positive impact of AI, then make a calculated business decision.”
Key to knowing the impact is also knowing your customer. In the case of ComputerTalk, the organization provides its clients with a smart customer survey tool designed to assess the potential impact of AI on the way it communicates. This includes identifying processes that customers prefer to keep manual and those they would prefer to be automated.
“Often a senior leader in an organization orders that AI is deployed but doesn’t understand where and to what extent,” says Kraybill. “We say that it’s vital to identify what problem is being solved. It’s true that a lot of business problems can be solved by AI, but it’s also possible to throw a lot of money at AI to solve problems that could be otherwise solved.
“ChatGPT is obviously something that’s driving a lot of interest, and the reality is that we are seeing AI in our day-to-day lives now. It’s a conversation every business needs to have but every business will have a different pace.
“The best advice is to trust your technology partner and be guided by their advice. Together, you will be able to identify the opportunities where you and your customers can benefit from AI. Those opportunities are everywhere, you must have the right tools at the right time to capitalize.”
To learn more about how Computer Talk can help your and your customers’ businesses introduce contact center AI, visit their website!
