Benefits of using speech analytics: I

As we mentioned in an earlier post, speech analytics refers to the process of analyzing recorded calls to gather customer information to improve communication and future interaction. The information cumulated using speech analytics can be used to discover information relating to strategy, product, process, operational issues and contact center agent performance. Moreover, it can be leveraged to identify areas in which contact center agents may need additional training or coaching, and can automatically monitor the customer service provided on calls. Easing out a number of processes at the call center, speech analytics provides a number of benefits.

1. Helps manage operational and performance issues:

Speech analytics can be used by call center managers to monitor customers and call center agents simultaneously. They can actually keep an eye on their performance in order to make sure regulatory requirements are met. Moreover, this highly efficacious technology can be used for coaching call center agents. Well trained agents are efficient enough to resolve customer queries which further improves first call resolution and reduces call volume. In other words, operational and performance issues that occur throughout the enterprise can be tracked and managed, hence, resulting in improved service quality.

Monitoring call center agents
Monitoring call center agents

2. Provides valuable insights regarding marketplace:

Not only call centers but the entire enterprise can benefit from speech analytics. As an example, sales organizations can leverage the power of this amazing technology to identify up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. The tools engaged in this process can actually be used to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Sales managers can utilize the data gathered using speech analytics to learn about how a particular up-sell or cross-sell impacted a customer’s level of satisfaction. They can also determine how different customer demographics respond to the offers, using this technology. This does not end here! Personalized up-sell and cross-sell opportunities that meet a customer’s specific needs can also be created using this wonderful technology.

Upsell and crossell
Upsell and crossell

 

 

Tactics to reduce your call abandon rate: V

1. Provide your agents with the right tools:

The tools that you provide to your agents play a crucial role in deciding the quality of their service. In certain scenarios where the agents are provided with complex tools, that they are unable to use appropriately, they take much more time than expected to handle calls. This affects the quality of customer service and boosts the call abandon rates. Thus, instead of using five different tools which are for free, consider having a developer create one tool that incorporates all the five tools and is easy to use as well. This will help increase your agents’ efficiency and ultimately lower the call abandon rates.

Providing the right tools
Providing the right tools

2. Find the appropriate agents: 

Finding the right people to do work can help assure that calls would be handled quite nicely. With all the calls handled well, the time spent on one call should be short and there would be a lot less number in the queue. Thereafter assigning the respective tasks to the appropriate agents will help you be sure that work will be done well and there will be minimal or no delays. This further means that the callers will not have to wait for long time intervals and their calls will be transferred to the agents as soon as possible. Therefore, customer satisfaction would be an added bonus along with a lowered call abandon rate.

Find the right agents
Find the right agents

3. Make use of the right technology:

Though there is no harm, making use of old tools and old equipments but sometimes these can run slow and affect how agents work. This can, in turn, increase the call handling time and also increase call abandon rate. So, you need to find and use the best, fastest and most efficacious technology. An upgraded, efficient technology helps a lot, especially when you are multi-tasking.

Choose the right technology
Choose the right technology

 

 

All you need to know about automatic speech recognition

Automatic speech recognition, also known as speech recognition is the inter-disciplinary sub-field of computational linguistics that develops methodologies and technologies that enables the recognition and translation of spoken language into text by computers. This technology is known by various names such as computer speech recognition or speech to text (STT). Automatic speech recognition can further be defined as the independent, computer‐driven transcription of spoken language into readable text in real time.  In other words, ASR is a technology that allows a computer to identify the words that a person speaks into a microphone or telephone and converts it to written text.

Automatic speech recognition
Automatic speech recognition

The ultimate goal of ASR research is to allow a computer to recognize all words that are intelligibly spoken by any person, with 100% accuracy, in real time. Moreover, this recognition is independent of vocabulary size, noise, speaker characteristics or accent.  Commercially available ASR systems usually require only a short period of speaker training and may successfully capture continuous speech with a large vocabulary at normal pace with a very high accuracy.

Speech recognition
Speech recognition

The entire process that takes place in an automatic speech recognition is described below:

i) The process begins when a speaker actually speaks a sentence.

ii) The software then produces a speech wave form, which embodies the words of the sentence along with all the extraneous sounds and pauses in the spoken input.

iii) Next, the software converts the speech signal into a sequence of vectors which are measured throughout the duration of the speech signal.

v) Lastly, using a syntactic decoder it generates a valid sequence of representations.

Working of ASR technology
Working of ASR technology

Being an amazing and highly efficacious technology, automatic speech recognition offers various benefits. Some of those benefits include:

i) Accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing

ii) Cost reduction through automation

iii) Searchable text capability

 

 

Capabilities of automatic call distribution system

Automatic call distribution refers to the process of routing incoming calls to the most suitable agent who can answer the caller’s need appropriately. Moreover, it comes pre-integrated with a Computer telephony integration technology and an IVR that provides the options of self-service and helps in reaching the appropriate department directly. ACD is a highly capable technology. Some of its capabilities include:

1. Skill-Based Routing :

Skill based routing means that incoming calls can be routed to the specific agent or department based on pre-determined criteria. In other words, the call is routed to an agent with appropriate skill-set and who can address the customer’s needs properly and efficaciously.

Skill based routing
Skill based routing

2. Quick responses to VIP Callers:

Some of the callers are regarded as high value callers based on pre-determined info. With the help of ACD, such callers are immediately routed to the most appropriate agent. In cases of non- availability of agents, they are placed first in the waiting queue.

Immediate responses to high value customers
Immediate responses to high value customers

3. Meaningful and valuable conversations with the customers:

CTI stands for computer telephony integration. Upon integration with CTI and skill-based routing, ACD allows agents to view the customer’s information such as past communications history, before they answer the call. This results in a very meaningful conversation with the customer.

CTI technology
CTI technology

4. Route calls to agents at different locations:

ACD has a provision for connecting agents at multiple locations. In other words, it can easily route calls to agents sitting at remote locations. Therefore, all the agents working in different geographies can function as a single team.

Connecting agents at multiple locations
Connecting agents at multiple locations

5. Call-back Feature:

With ACD, callers can opt for call back instead of waiting in a queue. Due to this facility, the callers do not have to wait and as soon as an agent is available, he calls back immediately.

Call back service
Call back service

6. Upgrade agent coaching processes:

Call center managers can go for call monitoring, whispering and call barging with the aid of automatic call distribution system. This can help in upgrading agents’ skills by leveraging the call monitoring facility.

Utilizing call monitoring to coach agents
Utilizing call monitoring to coach agents

 

 

ACD and its integration with IVR technology

As discussed earlier, IVR is a technology that allows users to obtain information from a phone system without the assistance of an operator. On the other hand, ACD technology automatically routes calls to phone agents based upon organizational rules.

IVR
IVR

ACD stands for automatic call distributor or automated call distribution system. It is a device or system that distributes incoming calls to a specific group of terminals or agents based on the customer’s selection, customer’s telephone number, selected incoming line to the system, or time of day the call was processed. In most cases it is a part of a computer telephony integration (CTI) system.

ACD
ACD

ACD system is meant for routing incoming calls which employs a routing strategy that determines how the calls are handled inside a system. This strategy is a rule-based set of instructions based on an algorithm that determines the best available employee or employees to respond to a given incoming call. Additional data are solicited and reviewed to find out the customers’ requirements and help make a match accordingly.

Routing incoming calls
Routing incoming calls

Integration of ACD and IVR technology:

After IVR and call distribution integration the system works as follows:

i) ACD system uses the DNIS (Dialed Number) to check the necessary rules for processing a call on the number as soon as it receives a call.

ii) Further an associated IVR program is invoked by the ACD.

iii) The IVR client process then invokes a server process on the application server and starts a two-way communication with the respective IVR Server.

iv) An IVR program controls the flow of the IVR script by prompting the caller and requesting key input or directing the caller to another ACD call routing path, extension, or voice mail.

v) The respective IVR program can perform customer information lookup, transaction processing or initiate outbound calls and prompt the called individual with the same messages and accept phone key input from this individual as well. Hence, the caller and called individual can be connected.

An example of ACD and IVR integration
An example of ACD and IVR integration

 

 

 

Incredible benefits of IVR technology: I

As mentioned earlier IVR technology refers to an automated telephony system that interacts with callers, gathers information and routes calls to the appropriate recipient. IVR is a simple and efficacious system that will significantly reduce costs and increase efficiency within any company. It has to offer a number of benefits to the organizations employing it. Some of those benefits have been listed below:

1. It helps attain valuable information about your customers:

IVR technology helps collect information about customer’s needs and transfer calls to the most appropriate agent or department depending on their IVR input. Making use of technology to direct calls, reduces the probability of the caller being transferred to the wrong agent or department, hence, increasing the efficacy of the entire system.

Gathering valuable information
Gathering valuable information

2. It aids in an increased productivity:

Directing callers to the perfect department or agent to address their issues exempts the wastage of time. It also means that there won’t be any sort of confusion in finding the right answer or transferring the caller around for a query resolution. Thus, it would lead to more problems being solved in lesser time.
Increased productivity
Increased productivity

3. It has a provision for personalized greetings:

IVR technology allows you to record any sort of personalized greeting you want, and include the appropriate prompts to transfer callers to the corresponding department.

Personalized messages
Personalized messages

4. It exempts any sort of errors:

Since an IVR system does not require a receptionist for answering your calls, so, there is no chance that in the hundreds of calls received daily, a couple of them will wind up in the wrong place. Error exemption is yet another benefit provided by an IVR auto attendant.

Error exemption
Error exemption

5. It allows the usage of pre- recorded messages:

Its not always preferable to use your own voice on the IVR. In such cases, you can use pre-recorded IVR messages to make your task easier.

Pre- recorded messages
Pre- recorded messages

 

Essentials and applications of IVR technology

IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response. It refers to a technology that allows a computer to interact with humans through the use of voice and DTMF ( dual- tone multi frequency) tones input via keypad. IVR technology is also employed in telecommunication systems where it allows customers to interact with a company’s host system through a telephone keypad or by speech recognition, after which services can be inquired about through the IVR dialogue. IVR systems can respond with prerecorded or dynamically generated audio. This directs the users on how to proceed further. A single large IVR system has the ability to handle calls for thousands of applications, each with its own phone numbers and script.

IVR technology
IVR technology

IVR and voice automation allows callers’ queries to be resolved without the need for queuing and incurring the cost of a live agent. IVR systems are employed for the following reasons:

i) to service high call volumes

ii) reduce cost

iii) improve the customer experience

Improved customer experience
Improved customer experience

In situations where callers do not find the information they require or need further assistance, the calls are often transferred to an agent. This allows agents have more time to deal with complex interactions, hence, improving the system’s efficiency. Dialled number identification service (DNIS) ensures the execution of correct application and language when an IVR system answers multiple phone numbers.

IVR system
IVR system

There are a number of fields where IVR systems find their applications. Some of them are as follows:

i) IVR systems are used in call centers to identify and segment callers. This allows the services to be tailored according to the customer profile.

ii) IVR systems are employed by banking institutions for customer engagement and to extend business hours to a 24/7 operation.

iii) Pharmaceutical companies leverage these systems to conduct clinical trials and manage the large volumes of data generated. In addition to this, they are also used for patient randomization, drug supply management and for recording patient diaries and questionnaires

IVR for banking institutions
IVR for banking institutions

 

 

Tips to reduce average handle time: II

1. Inculcate short and pleasant customer greetings:

Visitors love being treated appropriately. Therefore, opening and closing greetings are critical to create a positive customer experience and also help in reducing average handle time. Whether automated or manual, it needs to be ensured that such greetings are short and pleasant. Instead of asking unnecessary questions, relevant questions should be asked such as “Hello Mr. ABC, how may I help you?”. Apart from reducing the average handle time, this would also instigate the customer to come directly to the point. Moreover, he/ she would definitely get impressed with the brand’s friendly attitude. Conversations can also be personalized by keeping the customer’s data up-to-date.

Customer greetings
Customer greetings

2. Ensure system efficiency:

Call center managers must ensure the system’s efficiency. In other words, every aspect of the system should be efficacious including the load time, number of window tabs that could be opened at one time etc. This is crucial because when system response time is slow, agents wait longer for their computer screens to refresh which adds unnecessary minutes to the overall call. Therefore, managers can take note of their system efficiency during the busiest hours of operation in order to employ strategies to reduce AHT. Moreover, the telephone lines should be up and running, with 100% voice clarity and multiple menu options such as mute/un-mute, record, etc.

System efficiency
System efficiency

3. Leverage knowledge repository:

The call center agents should be provided with necessary knowledge base so that they can quickly identify the relevant answers to some tough queries. Such that instead of thinking about the tough questions asked by the customers, the agents can quickly check the knowledge base to find the right answer, hence reducing the average hold time and eliminating customers’ dissatisfaction.

Knowledge base
Knowledge base

4. Make use of self service technologies:

Self service technologies such as the IVR technology helps in improving the efficiency of the customer support system. IVR collects basic customer information, presents answers to common queries such as address, hours of operations, and routes the calls to the right agent, which saves a considerable amount of time. Therefore, you need to make sure that your call center is equipped with an efficient call center software with features such as ACD, intelligent IVR system and skill-based routing. These self service technologies reduce the workload of the agents to a large extent.

IVR technology
IVR technology

 

Benefits of co- browse technology: I

By now all of you are quite familiar with co- browse technology. Apart from being a great tool for the success of a website, it offers a number of benefits to the companies and sites inculcating this technology. Some of those benefits have been mentioned below:

1. It improves support accuracy:

Co- browse technology helps to improve support accuracy by seeing exactly what the customer is seeing. Through screen sharing you can actually see what steps he is taking, what errors he is getting, reasons responsible for that error and more. Co- browsing helps ensure complete resolution as you’ll be solving the issue together with your customer.

Query resolution through co-browsing
Query resolution through co-browsing

2. Higher conversion rate:

Co-browsing lets the agents have a look at the customer’s browser tab to guide them through your website and support them with the buying process. Resolving purchase related queries during this process helps clarify their purchasing decision which results in higher conversion rates and thus higher revenue per call.

High conversion rate
High conversion rate

3. Increased customer contentment:

The attention span of visitors is very short and so is their patience level when they are online. So, they appreciate being helped quickly and efficiently, and having their issues resolved instantly. Most communications channels available show that customers demand fast fixes for their problems. Co- browsing is one such technology that can be used to provide quick fixes to customers’ problems. Companies can successfully meet their customers’ expectations by using such services that provide fast customer service.

Customer contentment
Customer contentment

4. Reduction in call handling time:

Another advantage or benefit that co- browsing offers is the reduction in call-handling time. This further increases agent utilization and reduces costs. Co- browsing involves sharing screen space online and being able to have a look at the customer’s screen which results in more involved and motivated agents. In other words, this technology actually helps to shave off all the time spent articulating what is on the screen, what the customer did previously, and what the customer should do next as it makes chats and calls more efficacious.

Reduced handling time
Reduced handling time