Exceptional customer service is the backbone of any good call centre. However, even the most talented agents and experienced managers don’t always equate to the best possible service.
With competition high and client expectations higher than ever, it is crucial to stay ahead of the game and contact centres to use everything within their power to do so.
Software is one of the most important investments for call centres, without the right implementation of modern technology, call centres can swiftly see standards slip in comparison to their competition. One of these technologies is the use of powerful voice analytics, a form of AI that helps to improve customer experience and help to alleviate pressure on agents and managers.
What Is Voice Analytics?
Before looking into the benefits of voice analytics, it’s important to understand exactly what this piece of technology is.
This software analyses phone calls, both live and pre-recorded, to gain an insight and understanding to customer behaviour and reaction.
Voice analytics detects phrases and words based on a database designed by the user and can provide data that breaks down patterns and trends in phone calls with customers and contribute an observation of customers emotions and intents.
But how exactly is this piece of software helping within call centres? We look at 5 ways voice analytics software can play an integral role in improving customer experience, while also making things easier for hard-working employees.
Reduce AHT
Average handling time is a metric that is measured by all contact centres. The faster a customer’s issue is resolved, the better service they are receiving.
With call times shortened, agents are free to answer more of these calls during the working day, reducing wait times, which is often a common complaint of customers.
Voice analytics can detect why a customer has made a call and ensure they are out through to the right person to handle their query first time, removing the hassle of being transferred between departments and enabling the best agent to handle their call.
It can also detect agents who may have a longer average handling time than others, helping managers to step in and provide support and training where needed.
It can also detect calls exceeding these average times that have recurring phrases in, this can help managers allocate staff to certain departments that may be experiencing more queries.
Improve Products and Services
There are times when a product or service, especially newly-launched ones, can experience problems or require more clarity and customer queries increase.
Voice analytics can recognise patterns in this and flag to managers the reason for increasing call numbers, without having to interrupt agent workflow.
With this feedback, managers can implement training or procedures that give the right tools to agents to handle these calls as effectively as possible.
It also provides valuable information that can be forwarded to marketing and development teams, who can alter products or services concerning any complications customers may be experiencing.
Increase Customer Retention
Every business will inevitably see customers come and go, but this doesn’t mean cancelled services and contracts shouldn’t be prevented at all costs.
Dissatisfied customers can be turned around and converted back into paying clients with the right handling of a phone call.
Voice analytics can detect when a customer is intending to take their business elsewhere and identify the best course of action to the agent, in real-time, to make sure revenue is not lost due to something that can be rectified.
Even the most adamant of customers can change their mind if the right solutions are presented to them as clearly and swiftly as possible.
Turn Negatives Into a Positive
Empathy is a valuable trait for call agents, being able to sympathise and show care when a customer is experiencing a problem is essential to providing the best experience possible.
A vast majority of callers arrive with negative emotions, from annoyance, anger and frustration to those ready to argue from the moment they are connected.
Converting these customers into happy ones is an invaluable attribute for call agents. By using words, acoustics and phrases that have negative connotations, agents can be alerted instantly when a call is irate.
Voice analytics can also flag any triggers that cause a negative response to help train staff to avoid these and create an insight into what can cause a positive response for future reference.
With this post-call feedback, agents and managers can work together to identify any training needs and provide examples to agents of what does and does not work well.
With real-time voice analytics, this software can quickly alert an agent to when a call is deteriorating, something that may not always be picked up quickly enough, and incite the agent to change their language and tone before a caller can no longer be saved from cancelling your service.
Decrease Staff Turnaround
A high staff turnaround rate can be detrimental to many aspects of a contact centre. Firstly, callers will not always be provided with the best experience if large numbers of staff are still in their training or probation periods, with little support from senior staff.
Secondly, hiring and training new bodies is costly and time-consuming to any business and with call centres often being a fast-paced role, managers can find themselves having to use their precious hours training others when these could be implemented in other areas of the business.
Agents can often find themselves in a stressful role and many experience high rates of angered customers each day, which can take its toll on mental health and overall job satisfaction.
By providing tools such as voice analytics to staff, not only are customers given the best experience, but agents can reduce upsetting situations and improve their overall working day and boost their confidence to help progress their career.
These are just a few of the ways voice analytics can help improve customer experience in a call centre. The software can be programmed to monitor almost any metric and can significantly improve performance within agents too.
