The Artificial Intelligence Call Center era has begun. Call centers have long used cutting-edge technology, from call routing systems that sent consumers to the first available agents to interactive voice response (IVR) systems that millions of customers interact with today.

With artificial intelligence (AI) gaining traction in the early 2000s, call centers gained numerous new capabilities to improve the customer experience. AI’s capacity to lower operational expenses, personalize the customer experience, provide actionable insights, and enhance agent efficiency are just a few of the ways AI is transforming how customer service organizations operate nowadays.

According to Gartner, AI-powered chatbots will handle 20 percent of customer service calls in 2022. This frees live agents of a lot of stress and time. AI technology is also being used to assist contact center staff. Agents may know who’s on the line, what they require, and how to provide it before they start talking with the customer on the phone.

With the wide availability of cloud services and machine-learning tools, call centers have been given more powerful new AI capabilities to improve customer service in all forms. According to a study, executives cite client experience as their top reason for investing in AI, while cost reduction has dropped to second place.

Despite the hype, few businesses have utilized AI’s abilities in contact center operations. However, adoption rates are anticipated to rise quickly in the coming years due to the COVID-19 epidemic forcing many call centers to convert suddenly to a remote-work model. Many will not return to pre-pandemic conditions. According to Markets and Markets data, the market for call-center AI technology is anticipated to expand from $800 million in 2019 to more than $2.8 billion by 2024.

How does AI improve customer experience?

Call centers are one of the most demanding environments for artificial intelligence because they need to handle a high volume of requests while adhering to strict SLAs. Artificial intelligence call center technologies’ impact on customer service can help customer support agents work more productive, have engaging and personally gratifying conversations, and reduce time spent on simple interactions. AI can increase customer engagement, promote brand loyalty, and boost retention. Although it isn’t a substitute for humans, AI improves efficiency and takes over routine assignments such as responding to frequently asked questions – off the plates of your customer service teams.

AI can also combine other technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language comprehension to break down communication barriers and automate customer interactions. Conversational chatbots and product recommendations based on customer behavior data are two well-known applications of AI. But the application possibilities are endless.

Here’s a rundown of how AI is revolutionizing the call center—and redefining customer experience:

Predictive Routing

Skills-based routing took off at the call centers in the 1990s, a software that linked a basic customer profile with an agent possessing the appropriate talents, such as product knowledge or sort of help required. Nowadays, AI is extending on the same concept with predictive behavioral routing. Predictive behavioral routing uses artificial intelligence call center techniques and analytics to match callers to customer personality models, which are then used to route calls to agents who can best serve those personalities.

Chatbots

Chatbots are great solutions to answer customer client inquiries. AI-powered bots start conversations on websites and mobile apps, providing customers with answers to frequently asked questions or assisting them through the purchasing or application process. Customer support personnel can devote more time to more complex jobs since they don’t handle general queries. Even if chatbots cannot resolve a problem, they may still direct consumers to the most practical assistance, such as a human expert or a knowledge base article.

AI-Powered Agents

One of the most popular artificial intelligence call center tools, AI-enabled assistants aren’t only providing customers with the information they require; in the background, they’re also feeding human agents intelligent data and analysis to generate better, faster results without consumers being aware. Virtual assistants can analyze spoken or written comments from customers to determine what they’re attempting to accomplish. Then, instead of recommending solutions to the client, they suggest a few options for the agent, who may use her human abilities, such as sensing and responding to emotions, to choose the best option.

AI can help sales teams make more informed judgments to boost client loyalty and satisfaction. Companies increasingly apply machine-learning technologies to transform hundreds of data types, such as a person’s frequency of requesting assistance or uttering phrases like “I’m canceling my account” into overall consumer risk scores. When the scores reach certain levels, the system sends recommendations for custom deals like rebates, discounts, or other perks.

Emotional Intelligence AI

Emotional intelligence is another type of artificial intelligence call center technology that can analyze customer feelings during a conversation. When a customer is irritated, their voices may arise, and there might be a long silence in the conversation. This type of AI has been trained in various languages and cultural settings, allowing it to be used in countries with diverse linguistic and cultural traditions. It employs a tone of voice and language pace analysis to determine the caller’s mood.

The AI will also evaluate how often an agent interrupts a client and the tone of voice of both the customer and support representative. It will then provide live feedback (through pop-up messages) to the employee to have insight into how the consumer feels while the call is in progress.

Analytics

Artificial intelligence call center technologies are utilized to provide complete statistics on call times, first resolution, and other information. AI-powered tools can highlight trends and access consumer data that can help managers assess whether consumers have a positive or negative experience. AI can give more well-rounded analytics than a human customer support manager because it measures consumer sentiment, tone, and personality.