In 2011, Gartner predicted that by 2020 customers would manage 85% of their interactions without the help of a human. This demand for customer service anytime, anywhere and in any way has generated the need to invest in automation and self-service tools such as IVR’s, Webchat, and SMS.
The application of Artificial Intelligence to these contact center processes, through bots or virtual assistants, are defining the beginning of a new era in customer service.
The reality
Currently, voice (voice bots) and text (chatbots) bots are the most common and developed artificial intelligence applications. Enabling 24/7 service, manage high volumes of interactions, while reducing operating costs. They are the perfect choice to serve the wave of customers. The hyperconnected ones.
In both cases, these virtual agents require the use of voice recognition and synthesis technologies and natural language processing. That endows them with 100% conversational capabilities. Moreover, it allows companies to provide increasingly versatile experiences similar to those provided by an agent. Transmitting the professionalism, trust, and closeness demanded by customers.
Their ability to integrate digital and more traditional channels and combine artificial intelligence with machine learning, allows them to create alternatives adapted to each requirement. Also increasing the probability to solve customers’ doubts quickly and efficiently without ever talking to an agent.
Next steps
Big companies such as Amazon and Google, are making a clear commitment to the use of these technologies, integrating into our daily life. With home assistants, smartphones, operating systems, appliances, and cars among others.
Aware of the scope of these devices, many companies have opened lines of development for platforms. In the contact center, software vendors, are already working on integrations with the Google Home and Alexa platforms. This will allow both from the customer side and internally on the platforms, through supervisors and administrators, the use of these devices to improve efficiency in the customer service experience.
Emotional customer experiences
According to Fjord, today 62% of users already feel comfortable being attended by a virtual assistant. However, this is not the end of it. Although these technologies already have a high level of innovation, the turning point will be the emotional intelligence.
The experiences of customers will be much more effective and close. Knowing them better and understand their feelings at every stage of interaction, can offer real-time options that suit their needs. Rather than overwhelm them with irrelevant alternatives. That hurt the customer journey and their brand loyalty.
Continuous learning
Another great revolution of this technology is going to be their learning abilities. Thanks to Big Data, Machine Learning, and its integration with cloud collaborative networks, you can access massive amounts of information and learn from them.
Using continuous analysis models to generate new patterns of customer behaviors. Based on demographic, economic, and social data and with that create new customer strategies.
This will make Virtual Assistants more effective and as nearly as dynamic as a human being.
What lies ahead?
Many companies are already investing in these technologies. Integrating them into its operations to test and learn from their mistakes and prevent imperfections. Only this way they can offer unique experiences and remain competitive in the coming years.
Although they are not very developed, Artificial intelligence tools are already a reality. More capable, efficient, and humanized solutions that will completely transform the customer journey are still to come.
In conclusion, only those who are pioneers in the application of this technology will survive in the new environment of the Contact Center of the future.
In this demo, you can see a small example of how a Virtual Assistant can interact with the Contact Center.
