In an increasingly competitive environment, call centres need solutions that enable them to optimise time, improve contactability and increase agent productivity.

In this context, the predictive dialler has become a key tool for customer service and sales teams seeking outstanding customer experiences (CX), more engaged agents and increased sales.

WHAT IS A PREDICTIVE DIALLER?

A predictive dialler for call centres is a system designed to make calls automatically, meaning agents no longer need to dial numbers or search for contacts the system does it for them.

The dialler calls multiple numbers simultaneously and, when a person answers, connects the call directly to an available agent. This prevents agents from wasting time on unanswered or failed calls.

This predictive dialler software anticipates agent availability and adjusts the dialling pace based on response volumes and the average length of conversations. The goal is simple: more productive calls, less wasted time and better results.

5 BENEFITS OF A PREDICTIVE DIALLER FOR A CALL CENTRE

1. IMPROVED AGENT EFFICIENCY

Predictive diallers free agents from repetitive tasks such as searching contact lists or dialling numbers manually. The system:

• Identifies the best times to call.
• Predicts when an active call will end.
• Automatically launches the next call.

In addition, it can be integrated with Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) systems, allowing incoming and outgoing calls to be balanced according to workload. This significantly reduces idle time and improves overall team productivity.

2. SMARTER, MORE EFFECTIVE LEAD MANAGEMENT

When connected to customer management software, predictive diallers make it possible to keep all customer information organised and up to date. The system knows the best time to call and avoids dialling unsuitable numbers, such as fax lines, voicemail boxes or contacts that should not be called.

All calls are also automatically logged in the CRM (Customer Relationship Management system). This makes follow-up easier and provides real-time metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to optimise sales and marketing actions.

3. SPEED UP SALES

Speaking to the right person at the right time is essential to closing a sale. A predictive dialler helps agents prioritise contacts with a higher likelihood of interest, avoiding unnecessary calls. Features such as:

• Call recording
• Automatic call-backs
• Task automation

Enable agents to focus on high-value conversations and close more deals in less time, significantly improving performance by up to 150%.

4. BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE SATISFACTION

Predictive diallers can boost customer satisfaction by contacting customers at the right time and with the clear aim of offering products and services that genuinely interest them. Reaching customers with relevant offers at optimal times increases loyalty.

5. OPTIMISE RESOURCES

In addition to boosting sales, predictive dialers indirectly help reduce costs. Operators can make more calls in less time by reducing the time they spend on manual tasks.

By integrating directly with the CRM, there is no need for additional hardware or complex integrations, making the system simpler, more efficient and more cost-effective.

HOW A PREDICTIVE DIALLER IMPROVES KEY CALL CENTRE KPIs

Implementing a predictive dialler not only streamlines processes but also has a direct impact on the most important performance indicators:

• Contact rate: increases by avoiding failed calls and invalid numbers.
• Agent productivity: agents handle more live conversations per hour.
• Average Handling Time (AHT): reduced through task automation.
• Abandonment rate: lowered by matching call volume to real agent availability.
• Outbound campaign ROI: higher return on investment by making better use of resources and reaching the right customers.

Thanks to this data-driven approach, the predictive dialler becomes a key tool for managing call centres more efficiently and with a strong results focus.

DISCOVER THE ENREACH OUTBOUND AUTO DIALLER

Boost your business with our cloud-based business telephony software: no installations, no hardware. All you need is a device with an internet connection to create and manage your marketing campaigns, measure their effectiveness in real time, track results and grow your business by up to 400%. You can also seamlessly connect branches, departments and team members.

ITS MODULES AND TOOLS INCLUDE:

• Smart diallers
• Customer information
• Dashboards and analytics
• Real-time management
• Call administration
• Appointment scheduling
• Advanced customer management
• Agent organisation

La entrada Top 5 benefits of a predictive dialer for a call center se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

The absenteeism rate in the Spanish contact centre sector reaches 14.12% in 2024, according to the latest report from the CEX Association.

Although it’s an improvement compared to 2023 (14.63 %), the figure remains well above the average for the services sector (6.7 %).

Burnout, stress and challenges in achieving work–life balance partly explain a worrying phenomenon—for operations managers in particular.

The good news is that the sector is responding: with increased investment in technology, greater adoption of AI, hybrid working models and a clearer commitment to training.

HOW TO SUSTAIN THE DOWNWARD TREND IN CONTACT CENTRE ABSENTEEISM

The CEX Association’s study on contact centre absenteeism within its market report highlights that January 2024 was the only month last year with higher absenteeism than in 2023. That signals the sector is implementing effective measures that are already delivering visible results.

Some of the strategies reflected in the study include:

1. EXPANDING INITIAL PRODUCT TRAINING

In 2024, 36% of contact centres are providing product-level training to their teams. It might sound modest, but this actually recovers ground lost in 2023 when the figure dropped to 28%, down from 41% in 2022.

This uptick highlights a revealing trend: agents aren’t leaving the sector, they’re shifting within it. They’re seeking better conditions, more efficient tools and companies that value their experience as much as the customer’s.

For operations leaders, this means one thing: the real competition isn’t only outside the sector, but within it. Retaining talent requires workplaces that are well organised, cohesive and technologically robust.

And training alone isn’t enough. What matters — and matters a lot — is the everyday tools your teams use. Organisations investing in technologies that reduce friction — from quality headsets to contact centre software that keeps everything in one place — send a loud and clear message: your time and energy are valued here.

In fact, according to the latest Gartner study, 45% of agents feel overwhelmed by the number of tools they use daily. The verdict is clear: either we simplify, or we integrate. And if eliminating apps isn’t feasible, at least let’s stop forcing agents to jump between them constantly.

This is where omnichannel software makes a real difference. Centralising all channels — phone, WhatsApp, email, social media — in one platform improves customer experience and reduces agents’ cognitive load. Fewer tabs, less stress.

Moreover, integrating telephony within the CRM automates essential actions: identifying callers automatically, opening their profile, logging their history, and making and receiving calls without leaving the CRM. All in one place.

And when you layer on workflow automation — such as an intelligent predictive dialler for outbound campaigns that boosts contact rates without overburdening agents — or implement AI-powered skill training simulations, you create an environment that’s more capable, more human, and far more appealing to agents who know the ropes.

2. EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGIES

While tech investment dropped by eleven percentage points from 2023 to 2024, total spend is actually higher. That points to a more strategic focus: fewer initiatives, greater impact.

Companies are no longer looking to just “have tech,” but to have the right tech. Solutions that are quick to deploy, light on resources and — above all — deliver value from day one.

That’s why usability has become a crucial decision-making factor. Tools that don’t require weeks of training, that integrate seamlessly with CRM systems, ticketing platforms and digital channels, and adapt to agents — not the other way around.

AI in the contact centre is becoming standard. With 76% adoption, the industry has stopped seeing it as a distant promise and begun to test — and verify — its real impact: optimising time, reducing burnout and enhancing customer experience.

And it’s not just about automation. It’s about AI as part of the team: copilots that suggest real‑time responses, fetch relevant info without disrupting conversation flow, and generate tickets automatically — helping to shoulder the silent burden agents have carried for years.

This isn’t the future — it’s the present of contact centre operations. In fact, a Microsoft survey reveals that 75% of agents want AI to help them find the information they need.

It makes sense. When you remove technical barriers, your way of delivering service changes: less rush to close calls. More space to listen. Because ultimately, AI doesn’t replace the human touch — it restores the time and focus that humans need.

3. HYBRID AND REMOTE WORK TO REDUCE ABSENTEEISM

One notable trend is the resurgence of remote work: 70% of contact centres now operate with hybrid or fully remote models. After a dip since 2021, levels in 2024 are back to what they were in 2022.

And the reason is clear: absenteeism falls where flexibility increases. The CEX report shows fully office‑based teams have a 15.70% rate, while hybrid drop to 12.73% and fully remote to 10.11%.

This shift has been enabled by two converging factors: the sector’s technological maturity and improved home connectivity, which now supports professional‑grade call quality from almost anywhere.

But remote work only works if your operations are built accordingly. That’s why a cloud contact centre that ensures service continuity without downtime or glitches, provides real‑time service level monitoring, agent status visibility, dynamic queue management and operational intervention capability, isn’t a perk — it’s essential.

And there’s one more crucial link: seamless integration between your contact centre software and internal communication tools. When this connection is strong, teams collaborate smoothly, share context and stay connected — even across distance.

Because when you have full visibility, real‑time coordination and well‑integrated communication channels, where agents are based becomes irrelevant. And that, in terms of wellbeing and operational sustainability, translates into less friction, less stress… and lower absenteeism.

SECTORS WITH THE HIGHEST ABSENTEEISM IN CONTACT CENTRES

According to CEX data, the telecommunications sector saw the largest increase in absenteeism, rising from 16.09% in 2023 to 16.95% in 2024.

Meanwhile, most other sectors moved in the opposite direction, with retail and eCommerce dropping nearly four percentage points, from 13.07% to 9.17% in 2024.

This sector has consistently led the way in investing in cutting‑edge innovation and technology to deliver outstanding customer experiences. Shifts in physical shopping habits have forced it to differentiate digitally — a change that has also shaped its customer service approach.

The philosophy of placing the customer at the centre and adopting omnichannel strategies is mirrored in their customer service strategy. Improving the customer’s experience doesn’t just mean merging offline and online — it also means being present in every channel, giving customers the freedom to reach out however suits them best.

What does this have to do with absenteeism? More than you’d think. It’s no surprise that enhancing agents’ experience directly influences that of end customers. Teams equipped with integrated tech, automated workflows and emerging tools like AI work smarter — with less friction, less effort and more efficiency.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS

The truth is there’s no universal magic formula to reduce absenteeism, but there are tools that can support and guide this transformation.

The sector’s efforts are clear, and regions like Murcia and Catalonia are leading reductions by increasing awareness, opening dialogue around mental health, investing in mood-boosting technologies for customer-facing professionals, and embracing continuous improvement and flexible, inclusive work philosophies.

If you’re looking to reduce absenteeism in your operation without sacrificing quality or the employee experience, speak with our experts. We can help you identify where effort is being wasted…and how to start recovering it.

La entrada 3 effective ways to reduce contact centre absenteeism se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

In fact, research shows that 35% of businesses fear that AI could make mistakes that negatively impact the customer experience (CX).

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI isn’t perfect. But then again, are humans? Just as you trust your best agents, knowing that they might occasionally make a mistake, AI works on the same principle. The mistakes it makes aren’t due to its nature, but rather to unforeseen scenarios or a lack of continuous improvement.

However, AI has one undeniable advantage over humans: it’s far more consistent. It sticks to the guidelines you give it, it doesn’t get tired, it doesn’t go off script, it doesn’t improvise.

So the key question isn’t whether AI can make mistakes, but rather: “What can I do to make sure it doesn’t make mistakes that my best agents would never make?” Read on, because we’ve got the answers you need.

3 KEYS TO GETTING AI RIGHT

1. KEEP YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE ORGANISED AND UP-TO-DATE

The challenge:

A bot that relies on disorganised or out-of-date information will not only provide incorrect answers, but may even “hallucinate” by making up details that don’t exist.

How to fix it:

• Develop a clear strategy outlining who is responsible for keeping the knowledge base up to date and how often it should be reviewed.
  Organise your information by separating similar processes, such as the steps for subscribing to and unsubscribing from a service, to avoid the bot mixing things up and confusing customers.
  Use an AI solution that flags conversations by satisfaction level, and assign someone from your team to review the bot’s responses in interactions flagged as “unsatisfactory”.

2. TRAIN YOUR BOT TO HANDLE MALICIOUS QUERIES

The challenge:

A bot that isn’t prepared to recognise requests that have nothing to do with your business, or attempts by hackers to exploit it for free services or products, puts your brand at risk.

How to fix it:

• Configure the bot to respond only within its area of knowledge. Irrelevant queries should be redirected to a human agent or met with clear responses such as: “Sorry, I can’t help with that.”
  Protect your brand by limiting the bot’s capabilities: don’t allow it to process payments, close sales or access sensitive data without supervision.
  Implement AI tools that label conversations by query type. Regularly review interactions in the “other” category to monitor how the bot handles unknown topics.

3. USE A BOT THAT UNDERSTANDS EMOTIONS

The challenge:

A bot that can’t detect a customer’s emotional tone could escalate a tense situation or mismanage a complex request, ultimately damaging the CX.

How to fix it:

• Make sure your bot uses natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to detect emotions such as frustration, urgency, or dissatisfaction in customer messages.
  Train your bot to distinguish between simple queries, such as FAQs, and complex issues that require human attention.
  Design a clear process for the bot to automatically escalate emotional or critical queries to a rep, letting the customer know that a specialist will be handling their case.

IS AI READY TO REPRESENT YOUR BRAND?

The answer is yes – but only if you take the time to implement it properly and focus on continuous improvement.

Even generic AI solutions marketed as “easy to implement” require time and effort. It’s important to define the bot’s purpose from the outset, tailor its tone of voice to reflect your brand identity, and test it thoroughly with malicious queries before deploying it on your channels.

This initial phase is essential to correct up to 90% of the bot’s potential errors. Bear in mind, however, that the remaining 10% can’t be identified and resolved until the system is live, as it’s simply impossible to predict every future scenario.

Remember, well-configured AI can reduce errors by 40%, but poorly implemented AI can damage not only your reputation, but also consumer trust in the technology as a whole.

So if you decide to invest in a bot, make sure you do it right. The AI you choose and how you manage it will reflect your commitment to your business, your customers and the future of technology.

READY TO TALK AI?

La entrada 3 tips for implementing AI in customer service without compromising CX se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

As they’ve shared on social media, the evening will be full of surprises, which we can’t reveal in full just yet (stay tuned!), but we want our loyal readers to be the first to get a glimpse of some exclusive details.

The celebration will bring together around 150 guests, including members and event sponsors. Representing Enreach will be Alfred Nesweda, our CEO, Carlos Jiménez, our CCO and Luís A. González, our Head of CCaaS Sales.

The event will take place at WPP La Matriz, a campus that has established itself as Madrid’s creative hub. With an impressive 35,000 square metres of space, it’s the perfect setting to gather leading contact centre professionals.

Among the attendees, we are delighted to highlight the presence of two industry giants, Emergia and Intelcia, partners who will undoubtedly make this an event to remember.

Of course, the evening will be a first class culinary experience. There will be no shortage of tasting stands and, of course, the Mojito Corner, sponsored by Enreach… which promises to be the life of the party!

We’d like to thank the entire CEX Association team for this fantastic opportunity, with special mention to Iñigo Arribalzaga, the association’s president, Ana Buxó, its secretary general, and Montse Bonastre, its communications manager.

Stay tuned to our social media to make sure you don’t miss a moment of this magical evening!

La entrada Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Asociación CEX se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

Using a product or service less frequently, not purchasing additional services in the future, and speaking negatively about the brand are all consequences of a poor customer service experience.

A recent Gartner report on the behaviour of new generations warns the industry that now, more than ever, it needs to invest in improving the customer experience (CX).

Fortunately, contact centre professionals are taking the demands of new consumers very seriously, and 86% of customer service leaders will prioritise improving the customer experience in 2024.

“86% of customer service leaders will prioritise improving the customer experience in 2024”.

– Gartner

The question many are now asking is: how do we improve the customer experience? In this post, we’ll outline five processes that need immediate improvement, whether it’s configuring features in contact centre software or integrating artificial intelligence tools for customer service.

1. POOR SOUND QUALITY AND DROPPED CALLS

Customer service is the visible face of the brand; even when dealing with a BPO, consumers believe they are speaking directly to the company. We cannot afford poor sound quality.

Hearing background noise and not understanding what the agent is saying can be extremely frustrating, as can dropping the call halfway through due to poor call quality.

Having noise-cancelling microphones so the customer can’t hear what’s happening around the agent is essential, as is having customer service software with the right features.

Providers that develop their own contact centre software (CCaaS) and are also telecom operators offer all-in-one solutions that simplify operations and administrative management.

2. LONG WAITING TIMES

According to Spanish news channel La Sexta, insurance companies take between 6 and 36 minutes to answer a call, while energy companies take an average of 16 minutes.

Waiting in a queue for an eternity is a universal frustration that inevitably makes us think “we are off to a bad start”. Being put on hold for more than ten minutes in an emergency is undoubtedly very damaging to CX.

The forthcoming Spanish customer service law, which will require customers to be dealt with within three minutes, is about to be passed. To avoid fines of up to €100,000 and not ruin our customers’ experience, there are three solutions we can apply:

1. Integrate a bot that allows users to hang up without losing their place in the queue and receive a callback when they reach the top position. This bot is quick to implement and gets to the root of the problem.
2. Automate the handling of frequently asked questions with an AI bot that can qualify the user’s intent, resolve their query, and reserve agents for more complex inquiries.
3. Enable new customer service channels to reduce call volumes. Millennials and Generation Z, the digital savvy, prefer to interact via their preferred platforms, such as web chat or WhatsApp.

3. REPEATING THE REASON FOR THE CALL

Being passed from one agent to another and having to repeat the problem is frustrating. If the customer does not have a ticket number or is not connected to an expert on the first call, they will inevitably have to repeat the reason for their call.

To avoid this, we can:

1. Implement a skills-based routing system that recognises the user’s need and directs them to the right department.
2. Use artificial intelligence to identify the customer, review their call history, and connect them with the agent they spoke to previously.

Integrating customer service software with a customer management programme (CRM or ERP) allows agents to have customer information with every call, enabling a more personalised experience.

4. DROPPED CALLS DUE TO QUEUE OVERLOAD

Another major frustration when contacting customer service is when the call is dropped because the queue has run out of time.

Therefore, in the configuration of the customer service software, we need to change the rule that causes this to happen.

Alternatively, we can place users in another queue when the current one is about to overflow or, as mentioned in the second point, use callback bots and automate responses to common call reasons.

5. AUTOMATED RESPONSES THAT END THE CALL

At the pinnacle of the worst customer experience are automated systems that do not provide personalised attention. We’re talking about IVR systems that ask users to press numbers on a keypad and play only prerecorded messages without transferring the call to an agent.

The aforementioned Spanish customer service law also prohibits the exclusive use of these systems, penalising companies that do not provide accessible and human customer service.

If we receive a high volume of calls and/or have a small team of agents, we can leverage personalised service with artificial intelligence that automates responses to simple queries.

Unlike automated responders, AI bots can provide the same level of service as an agent, but only for queries that do not require emotional intelligence, such as sending an invoice, explaining the return process or resolving an issue outlined in a manual.

DOES YOUR CONTACT CENTRE SOFTWARE ALLOW YOU TO OPTIMISE THESE PROCESSES?

Discover how Omnichannel Contact Center features are designed to improve your customers’ experience, and how it uses artificial intelligence to reduce waiting times and assist your agents.

La entrada Top customer frustrations when calling customer service se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Jorge García, our Product Director, for several articles on artificial intelligence. During one of those informal meetings where we were discussing potential use cases in the contact centre sector, he told us:

“The philosophy behind self-service should be nothing more than automating customer service without losing the quality of experience you would get when talking to an agent.”

It’s true. The word “self-service” can have a certain negative connotation because it evokes a scenario where the customer is alone in the face of danger.

For example, we call the checkout machines in supermarkets self-service, but the machine does not help the consumer to scan the products, the consumer scans them alone.

So when we talk about an AI-powered chatbot that serves users who come to the website and provides answersto their questions or redirects them to the best available agent, we are talking about a system that automates responses.

We have been stressing this a lot lately, but we think it is very important to remind those companies that are thinking of investing in this technology that if it is not applied with certain criteria, the bot can end up truncating the customer experience.

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO MAINTAINING QUALITY WHEN AUTOMATING RESPONSES?

1. PROCESS SIMPLE AND REPETITIVE ENQUIRIES

The first thing we can start automating are FAQs. Frequently Asked Questions are those that come up all the time, either before buying a product/service or after.

One of the questions a telecommunications company could automate would be “Why has my phone bill gone up this month?”.

If we connect the AI to our customer service agent, the bot can access the customer’s bill, analyse the document and inform the customer of any additional charges.

2. TAKING THE CUSTOMER’S EMOTIONAL STATE INTO ACCOUNT

The AI that powers the chatbot not only understands the user’s request, but also has the ability to extract their emotions. As a result, it knows from the outset the severity of the incident and the emotional state of the customer.

The bot is not a human, so no matter how much we train it to deal with serious problems, it will always lack emotional intelligence.

So if the bot is talking to a customer who has a power cut at home, for example, we need to train the AI to transfer the conversation to an agent.

3. TRANSFER THE CONVERSATION TO THE AGENT WHEN THE USER REQUESTS IT

There is nothing more frustrating for a user than talking to a bot when they want to talk to an agent. So it’s always a good idea to give the user instructions on how to get in touch with an agent.

In addition, it will soon be illegal to offer customer service based on voicemail or bots that do not allow you to speak to an operator. When the new Spanish customer service law comes into force, companies that do not comply will be fined up to €100,000.

4. AVOID BOT HALLUCINATIONS AT ALL COSTS

We don’t want our bot to give a customer the wrong answer. So we need to learn how to maintain the knowledge bases properly.

When we create a knowledge article, we must avoid explaining multiple processes in the same document.

WANT TO ADD A CHATBOT TO YOUR BUSINESS?

La entrada How not to lose quality when using a chatbot to automate responses se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

Implementing automation systems in the contact centre is synonymous with improving service levels, reducing waiting times, improving both the customer and agent experience, better resource allocation and increased efficiency.

Using AI in the contact centre, in addition to all the above benefits, we can make strategic decisions based on data we couldn’t measure before, such as how many customers called us for ‘X’ reason, or how agents performed in each interaction.

The recent democratisation of AI means that the contact centre sector is still in a phase of discovery and testing, so today we’ll demonstrate its potential through eight use cases.

1. FAQ RESOLUTION

AI Agents can handle the most common customer queries. When training the bot to recognise these types of queries, we can either specify the answer it should give, or alternatively let it automatically generate one after reviewing manuals, web pages or conversation histories.

Note: The AI itself will help us identify and add new FAQs in the future.

Use case:

A customer visits our website to check the return policy. After not finding the section, instead of calling customer service, the user can access the online chat on our website and get instructions from the AI Agent.

2. SELF-SERVICE

In addition to answering simple questions, bots can perform more complex tasks that may require accessing a database or sending documentation.

Use case:

A customer calls customer service to reschedule their doctor’s appointment, and our call bot qualifies their intent. After understanding the request, the bot identifies the user by asking for their ID, accesses the appointment system and suggests a new date and time. Once the new appointment is agreed, the AI records the change in the system.

3. TICKET MANAGEMENT

AI-powered bots can automate ticket creation and updates to reduce After Call Work (ACW).

If the bot recognises during the intent qualification that it can’t help the customer, it will transfer the call to the best available agent and simultaneously create a ticket in the system.

Note: If the customer calls to follow up on an incident that has already been registered, we can also train the bot to update the associated ticket.

Use case:

A customer calls the contact centre because they have no electricity at home and our call bot qualifies their intent. After identifying the customer, it accesses the ticketing system and creates a new ticket, filling in all the necessary fields.

4. SPEECH ANALYTICS

AI can also benefit contact centre supervisors or managers, as its ability to analyse a large amount of data can help them generate detailed reports to evaluate agents.

Use case:

The customer service manager can create a report for a team member detailing their performance based on service level, tone and efficiency.

5. FRICTION POINT ANALYSIS

Customer experience (CX) managers will also benefit from AI’s analytical capabilities. As the bot collects data after each interaction, it’s easy to see what friction points customers encounter when contacting customer service.

Use case:

An airline’s CX manager can quickly see how many people have called to complain about lost luggage.

6. CALL TRANSCRIPTION

This powerful technology can also transcribe all calls in real time. In addition to creating a document that separates the dialogue between the customer and the agent, we can also program the bot to summarise and/or label the conversation.

Use case:

An agent is talking to a customer; instead of taking notes, the agent can focus on solving the problem. Then they don’t have to typify the conversation and can move on to the next person in the queue.

7. AGENT SUPPORT

As well as freeing agents from many administrative tasks, AI can also be programmed to assist operators during customer interactions.

Whether it’s through an internal ChatGPT where they can type during a call to resolve a product/service query, or as a proactive bot that analyses the conversation in real time and suggests responses.

Use case:

A customer service agent is on the phone with a customer who has a technical problem. Instead of transferring the call to the technical department, the agent can enter the internal ChatGPT. The bot will check the manuals and provide an immediate answer.

8. EXPERIENCE PERSONALISATION

Generative AI can recommend products/services based on user responses. To do this, we need to feed the bot with our portfolio of products/services and their buyer personas.

Use case:

A user arrives at a bank’s website because they need to apply for a credit card. They turn to the AI Agent to ask about the types of cards available and which one is best for them. The bot asks about their spending habits and recommends the most suitable card based on the answers.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There is still a lot of uncertainty about how artificial intelligence can be applied in the contact centre. Contrary to what many may think, this technology doesn’t have the ability to replace humans, but it can replicate the way we communicate and the methodology we use to perform administrative tasks.

AI solutions for customer service have a positive impact on many aspects that are vital to businesses, such as customer experience and, in recent years, agent experience.

So it’s no wonder that after implementation, our NPS increases, our cross-sales increase and our churn rate decreases.

Want to discover the power of Artificial Intelligence for your contact centre? Call us on +34 900 670 750 or fill in this form.

La entrada 8 of the most common AI automations used in customer service se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

Contact centre software is much more than just inbound and outbound call management software. Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) platforms now have a direct impact on agent productivity and improving the customer experience.

Of course, every business has different needs and objectives, but to make sure we’re choosing the right tool, we can’t ignore these ten features:

1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS

AI within a contact centre software is a very versatile tool that can deal with:

• Qualify intent (like an IVR, but with greater understanding and communication capabilities).
• Provide self-service so customers can get immediate answers to simple questions.
• Assist agents by clarifying doubts about a product/service or proactively providing advice.
• Automate post-call tasks such as summaries and typing.
• Facilitate agent supervision by impartially evaluating agent performance after each conversation.

2. ADVANCED CALL DISTRIBUTION

If we want to prioritise certain types of enquiries over others, we need to implement an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD).

The ACD is a system that routes calls based on rules. From a configuration panel, we can give one queue more weight than another so that, for example, medical emergencies are always given priority.

We can go a step further and define the skills of the agents (languages, knowledge, soft skills…) so that they receive the requests they are best suited to handle.

3. MULTI-CHANNEL MANAGEMENT

If we have multiple touch points with our customers: a contact phone, a web chat, an email address, a WhatsApp number… we need to be able to manage all channels from a single tool.

Not only so that agents can see all conversations in the same tab, but also so that supervisors can measure the customer experience in each channel.

4. INTEGRATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMMES

Voice integrations are the most common and allow us to make or receive calls when we are in other programmes.

For example, if we talk about integration with a CRM, we will not only be able to use all the telephone functions of our contact centre, but we will also be able to automate the display of customer files and the creation/update/deletion of contacts.

5. AUTOMATED DIALLING

Our sales team can also use customer service software to contact leads.

By including an auto-dialler for outbound calls, you can eliminate manual dialling and increase your conversion rate.

Plus, when integrated with CRM, the call history and all associated information is automatically recorded in the customer file.

6. CALL RECORDING

In order to comply with GDPR, it is essential to be able to record all calls and keep a record in case your customers request the recording. Therefore, it is an essential feature to operate your contact centre in accordance with the current regulations.

We need to ensure that we have full control over call recording during a conversation, so that we can stop it if customers disclose their confidential data.

7. MONITORING QUEUES AND AGENTS

In order to make quick and informed decisions, the customer service programme needs to have a dedicated supervisor panel. The more visual it is, the quicker they will be able to see how many agents are busy, how many are free and which queues are overflowing.

It is also very important to have dynamic, real-time information that they can interact with and apply filters to, for example, see how a particular agent is performing or make adjustments on the fly, such as changing the maximum number of calls in a queue.

8. CALL WHISPERING

This feature allows supervisors to listen or speak to an agent during a call without the customer hearing.

Call Whispering can be used to guide agents during training or to intervene in a call that is taking too long.

9. CALL STATISTICS

Just as supervisors need to see real-time information about agents and queues, we also need to monitor call traffic: how many calls are being handled, what is the average length of calls, what is our service level, etc.

This wallboard should also be highly visual, providing a bird’s eye view of all the metrics that impact contact centre performance.

10. COMPATIBILITY WITH ANY DEVICE

The usual scenario is a desktop computer with integrated WebPhone for agents to answer calls from a handset, but the pandemic has taught us that we need scalable and flexible tools.

Whether from a personal laptop or even a mobile phone, the software must adapt to the usability of each device without losing any functions: call transfer, recording, synchronisation of information, etc.

NEED CONTACT CENTRE SOFTWARE?

Discover these and many other features of our contact centre software by requesting a free demo. Our experts are always available on +34 900 670 750 or in the chat below.

La entrada 10 essential features to look for in a contact centre software se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

THE IMPACT OF AI

The day began with a welcome from our CEO, Alfred Nesweda, who highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in the sector, noting that there are more and more AI solutions for the contact centre.

“Every week I discover a new company offering AI solutions for the contact centre.”

Alfred Nesweda

Alfred Nesweda, CEO of Enreach ES, welcomes attendees to the CX Brunch by Enreach.

This technology, which is now gaining significant momentum, could become a new business model and “new economy” in the future, as it is expected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the US economy by 2023, according to PwC.

SPANISH LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR AI

Our CEO then handed over to Daniel Vidal, a lawyer and legal director of Webpilots España, who began his presentation by explaining the nature of AI and its rapid development.

“The train is leaving, and those who don’t catch it now may not be able to get on at the next station.”

Daniel Vidal

After this metaphor, he moved on to the topic of AI regulation, making it clear that Spain is a global leader in the regulatory field, highlighting that a Royal Decree was issued as early as 2023 to oversee artificial intelligence on Spanish territory, long before the AI Act was approved at the European level last month.

Daniel Vidal, Legal Director of Webpilots España, during his presentation at Enreach’s CX Brunch.

Another piece of Spanish legislation that will regulate the use of AI in customer service is popularly known as the ‘3-Minute Law’, which, once passed, will, among other things, limit phone hold times to three minutes and prohibit the exclusive use of auto-attendants or conversational bots to assist consumers, among others.

As a result of users’ bad experiences when calling customer service and wanting to speak to an agent, or at least a more advanced bot that understands their queries, this bill is the perfect opportunity to adopt technological solutions that enable quality self-service while reducing waiting times to zero.

THE ROLE OF AI IN THE CONTACT CENTRE

The third and final presentation of the CX Brunch was a live demonstration of our virtual agent: EVA (Enreach Virtual Assistant).

Led by Marc Brunés, an AI specialist, and Jorge García, Product Director, they were able to demonstrate how our virtual assistant works and is configured through a user case.

Our AI solution for customer service was able to engage in a chat conversation with a fictional customer, recognise their problem, check the customer’s record in Salesforce, log the issue raised by the user and return the tracking number in a matter of seconds.

On the other side of the spectrum, Enreach’s virtual assistant is programmed to leave a note for the agent with the incident alert, the ticket and the history of the conversation it had with the customer.

On the left, Jorge García, Product Director, and on the right, Marc Brunés, AI Specialist, during the demonstration of Enreach AI.

EVA has been programmed to follow the steps that any other agent would take, but in a fully autonomous manner, freeing operators from tasks where they do not add value, and allowing them to focus on providing a more personalised and humanised service.

We have no doubt that consumers who still prefer human contact will appreciate being assisted by a person who takes the time to listen to them, while those looking for a quick solution will marvel at the efficiency and immediacy of the bot.

EAGER TO KNOW MORE?

Together with Webpilots España, we are preparing a whitepaper with the aim of sharing, free of charge, the main contents discussed during the two sessions of the CX Brunch.

Subscribe to the blog and you will be the first to receive our report on the latest trends in AI in the contact centre.

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La entrada Challenges of AI in customer service: Summary of the second CX Brunch se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

The forthcoming Customer Service Act will require companies providing customer service to implement a rating system to measure customer satisfaction.

CSAT surveys are ideal for this purpose. In addition to telling us what percentage of customers are satisfied, they can be conducted through any channel in a contact centre: phone, chat, WhatsApp, email, SMS, etc.

In this post, we’ll look at what they are, how to calculate the result and how to use them in a contact centre. Let’s dive in!

1. WHAT IS CSAT?

CSAT stands for Customer Satisfaction Score and it’s used to measure customer satisfaction.

This metric is used to understand how satisfied our customers are with a product, service or contact point, such as customer service.

CSAT scores are derived from short surveys that ask very specific questions, such as “How satisfied are you with the response to your inquiry? Customers provide a rating, which we then quantify.

The result of a CSAT survey, usually expressed as a percentage, shows the number of customers who are satisfied with a very specific process/action or product/service.

So there’s no better metric for identifying friction points in the customer experience and working on continuous improvement.

2. CSAT VS. NPS

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) are both metrics derived from feedback surveys conducted with our customers, but each serves a different purpose.

While CSAT measures satisfaction with a very specific aspect, NPS measures the willingness of customers to recommend our brand to others.

On the face of it, both measure customer satisfaction, because nobody recommends a brand they’re not happy with. However, the data we get from an NPS survey gives us information at a general level and doesn’t allow us to measure individual customer service experiences, as CSAT surveys do.

3. WHEN IS CSAT USED?

All companies that want to measure their customers’ experience should conduct CSAT surveys: there’s nothing better than listening to our customers to make improvements in any area of the business.

In fact, leading companies using agile methodologies are already integrating customer feedback into their workflows to build their product/service roadmaps. This allows them to develop specific features for customers and have a much more competitive end product.

Listening to our customers not only has a positive impact on customer satisfaction metrics, but also impacts the business with customer retention and sales strategies for loyalty.

Have you noticed that more and more companies are integrating the role of the CX manager? Welcome to the 21st century! Today, customer experience is critical; it’s a competitive advantage, and consumers value it even more than price and product/service quality.

4. HOW ARE CSAT SURVEYS CONDUCTED?

CSAT surveys usually consist of a single question, as their purpose is to assess satisfaction with a very specific aspect. If there is a second question, it’s usually to provide optional clarifying comments.

Applied to customer service, the question would be designed to assess, for example, the service received from an agent, the experience of contracting a service, or the time taken to resolve an incident.

As well as knowing what we’re going to ask, we also need to design the response format we’ll use. There are two methods: numerical or graphical ratings and the Likert scale.

4.1 NUMERICAL OR GRAPHICAL SCORES

There’s no hard and fast rule about the length of the rating scale, but it’s most common to give three, five or seven options, although sometimes it goes up to ten. Why? Because odd numbers help us draw a line between negative and positive ratings.

Remember that the results of CSAT surveys are usually calculated using only positive ratings.

EXAMPLE OF THREE GRAPHICAL OPTIONS

If we give three alternatives, the second option divides the negative (“terrible”) and positive (“excellent”) ratings.

This format is useful for a website or app, for example. When the customer accesses their account to view the ticket resolution, they can click or tap on one of the three options.

EXAMPLE OF FIVE GRAPHICAL OPTIONS

In the group of five, the dividing line is drawn at three, so that the fourth and fifth stars are considered positive ratings.

This format can be very interesting when asking for ratings via WhatsApp; the customer can send us the stars using emoticons.

EXAMPLE OF SEVEN NUMERICAL OPTIONS

Numerical ratings, although odd, also allow us to quickly see that five, six and seven are positive ratings.

This format is ideal for phone channels as it allows the customer to say or dial a number.

4.2 LIKERT SCALE

This method has five options:

• Very dissatisfied (1)
• Dissatisfied (2)
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3
• Satisfied (4)
• Very satisfied (5)

In this scale, if we are measuring only positive responses, we should add ‘satisfied’ and ‘very satisfied’.

The Likert scale can be used when conducting an online survey. When we send a link via email or SMS, customers can mark the option that best represents their experience.

5. HOW IS CSAT CALCULATED?

Whether the answer is a number, a symbol or a word, everything can be quantified. If you’ve used numbers, you already have a numerical value, but if you’ve used graphical elements or words as an answer, you’ll need to convert them into numbers.

Go back to the previous examples and notice that each word in the Likert scale and each graphic element has a number above it (if you have already noticed: congratulations!).

Once we have assigned values, we can calculate the CSAT score. Depending on the information we want to extract, we’ll use one of these formulae:

5.1 AVERAGE SCORE

This formula gives us an overall picture of the responses, so we’ll look at all the scores (not just the positive ones).

Let’s say we used a numerical scale from 1 to 7:

To calculate the total number of ratings, we’ll multiply each value by the number of people who responded to it.

(1 x 1) + (2 x 1) + (3 x 2) + (4 x 0) + (5 x 2) + (6 x 1) + (7 x 1) = 32

And to find the total number of votes, we add up the number of people.

(1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 2 + 1 + 1) = 8

If we divide 32 by 8, we get a CSAT score of 4 out of 7.

Although the average is not usually expressed as a percentage, we can quickly calculate it by dividing 4 by 7 and multiplying the result by 100. We get 57.14%.

Note that this is the “average score”, not the percentage of satisfied customers.

5.2 PERCENTAGE OF SATISFACTION

If we just want to know how many customers are satisfied, we’ll use this formula:

Using the previous example:

This time we’ll only take into account positive ratings, so we’ll just add up the number of people who gave us a rating of more than 4.

(2 + 1 + 1) = 4

And the total number of people who responded to the survey remains the same, still 8.

So if we divide 4 by 8, the CSAT score is 50%.

If we want to calculate the percentage of negative ratings, we’ll use the previous formula, but only take into account the people who rated us below 4.

6. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CSAT IS GOOD?

When we calculate the CSAT score for the first time, we don’t have a historical record of how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ we are doing.

As a guide, we can say that:

• Good: In general, a CSAT score of 80% or above is considered good. This means that at least 80% of customers surveyed are satisfied or very satisfied with the service we’ve provided.
• Neutral: A score between 70% and 79% could be considered neutral. This indicates that most customers are satisfied, but there is still room for improvement.
• Poor: A percentage below 70% would generally be considered poor. This indicates that a significant proportion of customers surveyed are dissatisfied with the service they’ve received and we need to make significant improvements to address their concerns and improve the customer experience.

7. WHAT DO WE DO IF WE HAVE A NEGATIVE CSAT SCORE?

As customer service managers, we need to identify what’s wrong and what we need to do to fix it.

Firstly, we’ll make a list of all the questions where we score below 70% and rank them from lowest to highest.

For example, if our worst score is 40% and the question is ‘What do you think of the speed of our customer service’, we need to take urgent action to respond to customers more quickly.

We can adjust queue parameters within the contact centre software and route agents more effectively, or implement chatbots and callbotsto speed up intent qualification, or even offer self-service and free up agents from simple enquiries.

In addition to addressing the direct aspects that cause delay, it would also be interesting to examine the indirect elements, such as the After Work Call (AWC) times for each agent.

If we find that agents are spending more time in AWC than on calls, it could mean that the ticketing system is very old or not integrated with the contact centre solution, meaning that the current system is slowing agents down.

Once we’ve identified all the areas for improvement, we need to prioritise those that remove the most friction to see an immediate change in our average and percentage CSAT scores.

8. HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE CSAT SYSTEM IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

Once the Customer Service Act comes into force, all companies offering customer service will have to implement CSAT surveys.

So now is the time to start conducting them from your contact centre software or your CRM.

Once we’ve decided which platform to use, we’ll make a list of where and when, i.e. through which channels and after which actions, we’ll ask your customers for feedback.

If we’re going to work on continuous improvement of CSAT surveys, it’s a good idea to use the Customer Feedback Loop methodology.

Customers will feel that their opinions don’t “fall on deaf ears”; they will feel heard and empowered.

Have more questions about implementing CSAT surveys in customer service? Contact our team of experts on +34 900 670 750 or fill out this form.

La entrada How to conduct CSAT surveys in customer service se publicó primero en Enreach ES.