Article | The Hidden Costs OF AI for CX

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how companies communicate with their clients. By 20221, it is anticipated that conversational agents powered by AI, such as chatbots and voice assistants, would handle 20% of all customer support enquiries. Without the assistance of a human, these bots can respond to frequent inquiries quickly, accurately, and individually. AI may improve human agents' performance by supplying them with pertinent data, ideas, and feedback both before and during the conversation.

The question is, though, what does this mean for the millions of individuals who work in contact centres throughout the globe? Are they destined to be replaced by machines at work? Or are they able to change and prosper in the new customer experience era?

The benefits of AI for call centers

Call centres may benefit greatly from AI, both for consumers and staff. Among these advantages are:

Increased customer satisfaction:

Modern consumers demand immediate, seamless service across a variety of platforms. They don't want to repeat themselves, wait on hold, or be switched to another agent. By offering self-service choices like chatbots and voice assistants that can handle straightforward problems or deliver basic information, AI may help satisfy these expectations. AI may direct customers to the best qualified human agent, who already has access to the customer's history and context, for more difficult or delicate situations. Customers may receive quicker and more individualised assistance in this way, increasing their pleasure and loyalty.

Reduced operational costs:

Running call centres may be costly, especially if they depend on outsourcing or offshore. By automating routine, low-value processes like account updates, password changes, and appointment scheduling, AI can assist in lowering these expenses. Human agents may then be able to concentrate on harder and more fulfilling activities that call for empathy, creativity, or problem-solving abilities. By predicting demand, allocating resources, and scheduling shifts, AI may also improve labour management.

Increased employee engagement:

A contact centre job may be tedious and frustrating. Agents must handle irate or disgruntled clients, adhere to stringent scripts and procedures, and achieve high performance goals. By giving workers the resources and assistance that make their jobs simpler and more pleasurable, AI may help to enhance the employee experience. For instance, during a conversation, AI may offer coaching, feedback, and real-time advice to agents, helping them hone their abilities and gain more self-assurance. Additionally, AI may offer gamification, prizes, and recognition to encourage and reward agents.

The challenges of AI for call centers

Call centers cannot solve all their problems using AI. Additionally, it presents various difficulties and dangers that must be managed. Some of these difficulties include:

Ethical and legal issues:

Large volumes of consumer data are collected, processed, and analysed using AI, which raises questions regarding privacy, security, permission, and transparency. Customers might not be aware of or feel comfortable with the fact that a computer is handling their interactions or recording them for analysis. Additionally, they could be curious in how their data is shared, kept, or used. Call centres must make sure that they abide by all applicable laws and rules governing consumer rights and data protection. Customers must also be informed and educated about the advantages of AI in their services.

Technical and operational issues

AI is not infallible or flawless. It is susceptible to errors or issues that degrade its dependability or performance. AI might not be able to comprehend, for instance, the customer's accent, dialect, slang, or mood. Additionally, it could have technological difficulties including network outages, system breakdowns, or cyberattacks. The methods and procedures call centres use to monitor, test, and debug AI applications must be reliable. Additionally, they require human supervision and backup procedures in case of crises or malfunctions.

Cultural and social issues

AI may have unforeseen effects on call centre culture and society. For instance, AI could make human agents feel threatened or competitive because they worry about being replaced or outperformed by robots. Customers who seek personal touch or empathy could feel detached or alienated as a result. The culture of cooperation and trust between people and technology has to be fostered in call centres. In order to improve the consumer connection, they must balance the usage of AI with human touchpoints.

The future of AI for call centers

Call centres are not playing a zero-sum game with AI. It does not imply that machines will entirely replace people or the other way around. Instead, it implies that people and robots will collaborate in a symbiotic fashion that takes use of their individual strengths and makes up for any inadequacies.

How successfully contact centres can incorporate AI into their service delivery strategy will determine how successful they are in the future. They will need to choose the best automation and humanization balance for their company objectives, clientele, and personnel preferences.

Some possible scenarios for the future of call centers are:

Fully automated:

In this scenario, conversational agents powered by AI manage all client contacts. These agents are able to interpret natural language, deliver pertinent information or solutions, and improve over time. Rarely, when AI is unable to handle the request or when the consumer specifically demands human assistance, human agents are sent in.

Partially automated

In this scenario, conversational bots powered by AI that can execute easy tasks or deliver basic information handle certain consumer encounters. Human agents who have access to AI technologies that provide them information, ideas, and feedback manage other encounters.

Fully humanized:

In this scenario, human agents who have access to AI systems that provide them information, ideas, and feedback manage all client interactions. Only in cases when human agents are unavailable or overburdened are AI-powered conversational agents deployed.

The kind, complexity, and frequency of client requests, customer satisfaction and loyalty levels, the cost and availability of human resources, and the amount of market difference and innovation will all play a role in the choice of scenario.

Conclusion

The call centre business is changing as a result of the strong influence of AI. It has several chances to enhance staff engagement, call centre effectiveness, and customer experience. Additionally, it presents various difficulties and dangers that call for ethical, legal, practical, operational, cultural, and social concerns. How successfully contact centres can incorporate AI into their service delivery strategy will determine how successful they are in the future. They will need to choose the best automation and humanization balance for their company objectives, clientele, and personnel preferences.

Refrences:

1: https://www.forbes.com/sites/insights-ibmai/2020/06/25/how-ai-is-revamping-the-call-center/

2: https://www.forbes.com/sites/calumchace/2020/08/10/the-impact-of-ai-on-call-centres/

3: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-bot-calls-why-id-rather-talk-call-center-ai-daniel-rebhorn

4: https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/tip/AI-improves-customer-experience-call-center-efficiency

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• #CustomerServiceAI
• #CallCenterAutomation
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• #AIvsHumans