3 uses of AI in customer service that save time for customers and call centres

Level: Beginner

Yes, it’s true. Artificial intelligence in the contact centre integrates as another member of the customer service team, helping agents to manage large volumes of communications.

Regardless of contact peaks, AI enables contact centres to continue to provide the same level of service with the same number of agents.

On the one hand, this technology frees customer service teams from the routine tasks that take place before, during and after a customer interaction. 

On the other hand, from the customer’s point of view, Artificial Intelligence provides instant support through any contact channel, 24 hours a day, eliminating waiting times forever.

This technology has the wonderful ability to take care of both the agent’s experience and the customer’s experience. As a time optimiser, we like to refer to it as “the customer service team’s ally”.

Even in the worst-case scenario, where a contact centre is overwhelmed with calls and messages, AI can help save time for both the customer and the call centre. How does it do this? Here are three levels it can achieve:

1. ELIMINATE PHONE QUEUES

The first option is very simple but highly effective. 

To ensure that customers don’t waste their time waiting in a phone queue, a bot can be programmed to allow them to move forward in the queue without having to stay on the phone.

Once the user enters the queue and knows their position, the bot tells them they can stop waiting, hang up and be called back when they reach the first position, where an agent is available to help them. 

In this scenario, agents don’t save time per se, as they still have to answer all calls, but they don’t have to listen to customers complaining about being put on hold for too long.

2. IDENTIFYING CUSTOMER NEEDS

Another way AI can be used to eliminate queues and save agents time is by training it to identify the customer’s intent and emotional state. 

Thanks to natural language processing (NLP), natural language understanding (NLU) and natural language generation (NLG), this technology can understand the customer’s needs and even their emotional state. 

With this option, agents are still responsible for handling all conversations, but with a significant difference: AI gathers information from the customer through any contact channel and provides it to agents to speed up problem resolution. 

For example, by presenting a transcript of the conversation, highlighting keywords that reflect the customer’s mood and the nature of their query, and even suggesting a response script to the agent.

3. RESOLVING CUSTOMER QUERIES

The last option for managing the peak of calls and messages is the one that helps agents the most, as it involves bots that directly address customers. 

Once they’ve been programmed to follow the flow of the conversation and trained to recognise all the variations of the same question, it’s possible to have Artificial Intelligence so powerful that it can: send a copy of a contract or change a doctor’s appointment without human intervention. 

At any time of day and through any channel, customers receive an immediate response to their queries, and agents can focus on handling conversations where they can add value, such as managing cancellations or complaints.

FINAL THOUGHTS

AI for customer service is synonymous with speed and optimisation. 

It’s faster for customers because it completely eliminates waiting times, not just on the phone, but across all contact channels. 

At the same time, it helps agents assist consumers by providing relevant information to resolve queries more quickly and, ultimately, by relieving them of the most common doubts.

In summary, having a virtual agent in the team means an improvement in two of the most common Service Level Indicators (SLAs) in call centres.

These are the Attention Level (ATA), which refers to answering calls in less than ‘x’ seconds, and the Average Wait Time (AWT), which refers to the time users wait to be attended to.

Discover how Artificial Intelligence can help your teams manage high volumes of calls and conversations without compromising the agent or customer experience.

Request a demo from our team of experts to learn how you can use callbots and chatbots to streamline your customer service. Call us now on +34 900 670 750 or write to us in the chat below.