Editor’s note: This guest blog is from Flip CX, a partner of TTEC Agility.
Blink and things in today’s fast-paced environment have changed.
Drastically.
Staying ahead of the competition means constantly innovating and adapting to new technologies. And one of the promising (we’d argue, essential) areas of development for the contact center is the use of voice automation. As in, automating those phones.
Hold up, isn’t phone dead?
Nope, in fact, a recent CFI report concluded that over three-quarters of the interactions between customers and support agents occur over the phone.
And, according to RingCentral’s Customer Communications Review, 36% of respondents over the age of 56 rank phone as the top preferred communication channel. It’s a close second for respondents aged 40-55 – and even for the younger folk, phone is a very close third at 22%.
Why? Because it’s real-time, immediate, and direct. And when actual assistance is needed, it still remains the customer’s top channel of choice.
In other words: phone is still king.
Contact center conundrums
Another recent study reported that 80% of phone calls to businesses are still made to the contact center, yet only 30% of these calls are actually able to be answered by a human agent. This is what FlipCX CEO Brian Schiff calls the Capacity Problem. And one of the key benefits of automation is its ability to solve this.
Ok, pause. Let’s address the elephant in the contact center. Aren’t bots taking agents’ jobs?
Nope. While these concerns have been around a long time, the truth is that voice technology is a helping hand for agents. How?
The majority of contact centers’ volume consists of the same basic inquiries: “Where’s my order?,” “When will it arrive?,” “What’s your return policy?” Enter Voice AI. This automation allows a customer to simply speak (none of this old IVR “press one for” nonsense), and simple queries are answered quickly and easily.
What then? Well, suddenly agents can spend more time on the more complex, high-value interactions. They’re able to focus on the most important aspect of their job: providing the kind of excellent customer service your org needs to survive and thrive.
The key takeaway here is this. Voice AI works with agents – not without – to create more efficiency in your contact center, which directly leads to increased customer satisfaction rates and increased client retention rates. A win-win for any brand.
Then there’s this. Perhaps one of the most valuable benefits of voice automation is its ability to empower agents in serving people with disabilities, those customers who often find it hard (or impossible) to interact with standard phone systems.
According to a recent estimate, 1 in 4 Americans have a disability, and the market size for accessibility is projected to grow exponentially in the future. Voice automation helps bridge this gap, making customer interactions more inclusive and equitable.
Voice is powerful! We get it. But sure, not all Voice AI is created equal.
Right, you are!
One of the key factors that generative voice AI provides is that it can be implemented quickly and at minimal cost.
With 80+ pre-built integrations with the tech you’re already using, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes. And, unlike other AI solutions, it doesn’t require a complex flow builder. Which, again, makes it easy to use and implement.
And couldn’t we all use a little less friction these days?
Here’s what it comes down to. Voice automation, like so much of the extraordinary AI available today, is not something to be feared but utilized. The right automation has the power to revolutionize your contact center to provide more efficient, more effective, and more inclusive experiences for all.
And that can be a gamechanger for your brand.
So if you’re looking to stay ahead of the competition and provide your customers with the best possible experience, it’s time to consider voice automation.
