In the dynamic landscape of contact center operations, agent churn rates and compliance challenges loom large, posing significant hurdles for businesses striving to maintain high-quality customer service.
However, with the emergence of increasingly large artificial intelligence (AI) models and more powerful virtual assistants, there’s newfound hope for addressing these pressing issues.
This article delves into the multifaceted role of AI in transforming contact center training, enhancing efficiency, ensuring compliance, and preserving the vital human connection in customer interactions.
The Challenge of Turnover
Agent churn in contact centers remains a pervasive problem, exerting substantial financial strain and operational disruptions on businesses.
The staggering statistics paint a vivid picture of the magnitude of this growing issue. Metrigy research published by TechTarget reports contact centers are averaging agent turnover rates of over 30% - double what it says are “good” turnover rates - with some contact centers experiencing rates as high as 85%.
This alarming variance underscores the urgency of implementing effective solutions to mitigate turnover and its adverse effects.
Gallup research shows replacing existing workers costs one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary. Assuming, citing recent Indeed.com data, the average U.S. contact center agent earns $38,390 per year, that translates to between $19,195 and $76,780 per employee.
Equally critical is the impact on productivity from high turnover. There is a time lag before new employees are fully brought up to speed to that of those who left.
This financial strain underscores the need for businesses to address the root causes of turnover and implement strategies to retain talented agents.
Agent churn in contact centers remains a pervasive problem...
Behind the alarming turnover rates lies a deeper issue: pervasive job dissatisfaction among contact center agents. If they feel their jobs are awful, they will be less motivated to go the extra mile at work and will spread the word, like on social media, to others to avoid that occupation.
The nature of the role exposes agents to a myriad of challenges. These include handling abusive customer calls, navigating relentless pressure to meet key performance indicators (KPIs), and grappling with limited opportunities for development and career growth.
In essence, the role of a contact center agent has, in some instances, been reduced to a mere recitation of scripts, devoid of meaningful engagement, empowerment, or reward.
While traditional training methods served a purpose in their time, they are ill-equipped to meet the evolving needs of contact center operations in today’s fast-paced environment.
How AI Can Help
Amidst these prevailing challenges, and recognizing the paramount importance of customer service, businesses are embracing AI to augment and elevate the role of contact center agents.
AI-powered virtual agents or co-trainers have emerged as beacons of hope, offering innovative solutions to revolutionize contact center training and operations.
AI-powered co-trainers offer a transformative approach to contact center training, empowering agents with access to learning resources, and personalized feedback.
By leveraging co-trainers, businesses can unlock a myriad of capabilities to enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and foster human connection in customer interactions.
These co-trainers also serve as invaluable allies for agents, providing continuous monitoring, coaching, and support across various aspects of their roles: from language and communication skills development to knowledge acquisition.
AI-powered systems can ingest, process, and “understand” information faster than any human could. Thereby eliminating the inconsistencies inherent to traditional training methods and ensuring materials are, at all times, up to date.
In practice, AI bots are also equipped to train, coach, and even simulate interactions. Real-time action suggestions, real-time coaching, and script adherence are just some examples that allow coaching and training “on-the-job.”
AI agents are likely to reduce the number of interactions each agent will need to handle and ensure that human agents can focus their time on what truly matters: interactions that are crucial to the brand.
Enhancing Compliance
Compliance is another area that emerges where AI can help, particularly in highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and utilities.
Inadequate training and awareness among agents can result in mishandling of sensitive customer data, breaches of privacy regulations, and dissemination of erroneous legal information.
Consequently, these organizations may face legal liabilities, regulatory sanctions, remediation costs, and reputational damage.
However, with the support of AI co-trainers, human agents receive comprehensive training, gain access to essential information, and receive real-time guidance to ensure regulatory requirements are adhered to.
Similarly, contact center managers receive timely alerts that identify potential breaches, allowing them to take action and prevent those from escalating.
Preserving the Human Connection
Amidst the rapid advancement of AI technology, the enduring importance of the human connection in customer interactions cannot be overstated.
While AI serves as a valuable tool for automating routine tasks and streamlining operations, it is the human touch that imbues interactions with empathy, authenticity, and emotional intelligence.
AI systems are better than ever in elegantly resolving tasks. Thus ensuring that customer’s time is valued, and that the customer experience is enhanced with clear understanding and timely handling of requests.
However, true empathy and human connection is something that brands will keep investing in for high-value interaction.
By alleviating agents’ burden through AI-powered co-trainers, businesses empower them to focus on what humans do best: providing empathetic, personalized service that fosters lasting customer relationships and brand loyalty.
The Future of AI
As we peer into the future, the potential of AI in contact centers appears boundless. While many people consider that investing in AI is endangering the human touch and displacing humans, it is on the contrary, an investment in retaining the human touch where it is most needed and of high value. Namely improving the working lives of agents, instilling empathy, and innovating for growth.
Over the next five years, we’ll witness contact center agents’ roles being transformed as they start to harness the power of AI tools themselves to control and instruct bots.
In effect, three channels of service will converge. Human agents + virtual agents + human agents will control the virtual agents to create a powerful combination that provides an exceptional experience for every customer.
The data and insights that will be generated at the core of this triumvirate will provide a wealth of intelligence on what customers actually want. One that will enable human agents to significantly enhance the level of customer service they can provide, elevating them to become brand ambassadors.
Investing in AI for customer service is investing in a better brand, stronger customer relationships, and a more empathetic contact center experience.