Call center AI refers to various technologies that use artificial intelligence in call centers to assist human agents. The AI is typically used to handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks, freeing employees to focus on more complex matters.
Developments in other fields of artificial intelligence, such as machine learning and natural language processing, allow call center AI to learn from the data collected in calls and provide better assistance to agents.
How Is Artificial Intelligence Used in Call Centers?
Here are some of the AI technologies commonly used by call centers.
1. Interactive Voice Response and Call Routing
An interactive voice response or IVR system is an AI that works with automated call distribution (ACD) systems. During a call, the IVR can ask for information such as the customer’s name, preferred language, location, or the type of inquiry they want to make. This allows the call distributor to direct the caller to a more suitable call agent.
Call center AI has also been used to develop predictive call routing. The AI can connect the caller to the right agent based on call history, personality type, and communication preferences.
2. Chatbots
Call centers utilize chatbots, also known as conversational AI, to assist customers with concerns and other inquiries that can be resolved without interacting with a live call agent.
The main goal of chatbots is to reduce call volume so that agents do not have to deal with simple calls but are free to handle more complicated issues instead.
3. Analytics
AI is also used to measure call center analytic metrics such as call times, first call resolutions, blocked calls, and so on. This helps save the workforce time measuring and analyzing the metrics themselves. Furthermore, the AI can spot patterns and anomalies in the analytics that could get overlooked if analyzed by a human alone.
What Are the Advantages of Call Center AI?
While it is difficult to say whether call center AI can truly replace human call agents, such technologies have their benefits. Here are some of the main advantages of incorporating AI in a call center.
Faster Data Gathering
AI software and other technologies can gather and measure analytics faster than a regular human worker. With more useful data coming in faster, call centers can easily pinpoint any workflow and performance issues or patterns that can help them improve their current services and see what other methods or technologies they could still adapt.
Improved Agent Productivity
As call center AI saves call agents from handling repetitive calls and other tasks by automating them, they also save agents time and energy for more complex work. The data gathered by the AI can also serve to augment the agents’ responses, resulting in better call resolutions and more satisfied customers.