Why Intelligent Automation, And Not AI Drives Contact Center Efficiency

Intelligent Automation plays a critical role in helping organizations refine and modernize their customer-facing applications to meet the changing needs of customers. Victorio Duran III, Associate SEO Director at RingCentral, explains the differences between AI and Intelligent Automation and the benefits of using IA in contact centers.

When you think of a call center, you likely imagine a busy room full of people sitting at their desks, microphone headsets attached, taking calls left and right. But things have changed dramatically in the past few years. Call centers have adapted and evolved rapidly to meet the need to digitize and personalize the customer experience.

Technologies like Artificial IntelligenceOpens a new window (AI) and Intelligent Automation (IA) are now handling many customer queries. Although the two may seem interchangeable, they serve very different purposes.

The Difference Between AI and IA

Let’s begin with the definition of AI.

In general, AI is a technology that aims to replace people with machines, such as self-driving vehicles, digital assistants like Alexa, or a Roomba. Although it can help reduce mundane work and aid informed decisions, it cannot complete new tasks, make decisions on its own, or teach itself new things.

Intelligent Automation, on the other hand, aims to use technology and machine learning (e.g. AI) to assist, not replace, humans. It takes large data sets from various technologies and performs data analysisOpens a new window to improve efficiencies. IA can be in a physical form (e.g. robots and drones) or as software (e.g., RPA, programs like SlackOpens a new window , or email automation software). Its goal is not to make humans obsolete. Instead, it serves as a partner to help organizations run more smoothly.

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Why Intelligent Automation Is Better For Contact Centers 

An important aspect when considering whether to use automation tools is to examine their human impact. As mentioned before, IA and AI have overlapping features. However, the biggest difference is that AI focuses on overtaking human capability while IA focuses on complementing it.

In the customer service realm, human interaction will always be necessary. So, while AI might be a better choice in other situations, IA is the best in customer service. Nonetheless, it’s important to know when to use automation technology and when not to.

For example, let’s say a customer has an urgent problem that cannot be resolved easily. In this case, it’s best to use automation technology to route the issue to a live representative. The agent can use another automation tool like an all-in-one collaboration workspaceOpens a new window to communicate with their colleagues and resolve it. The customer will have a positive experience and will then be more likely to use the service again. 

Empathy is also very important, especially in the current climate. Using automation or bots in excess can be perceived as cold or unempathetic, thus reducing your retention rate. Although automation can be a great tool to identify customer issues, it should also be used to determine the best outcome for customers. If it is a simple, routine issue, then intelligent tools could be very beneficial. If the problem is more emotional or sophisticated, then it should be routed to a live agent as soon as possible.

Benefits of Using Intelligent Automation

Using Intelligent Automation in call centers helps cut IT costsOpens a new window as well as generally saving you money and time spent on simple, repetitive tasks.

For example, a retail company could use IA to help with fulfillment, supply chain, or the pick pack ship processOpens a new window . I a customer has an issue with an order, they can use this technology to refer to the order and get the problem resolved quickly. This frees up time for agents to handle more complex issues that require human-to-human interaction.

IA can be beneficial to businesses that don’t have the manpower to field customer service calls all day. Implementing IA reduces the risk of burnoutOpens a new window and leaves more room for productivity, innovation, and collaboration. Work productivity toolsOpens a new window and systems allow for all of these advantages, which will lead to more satisfied employees, as well. 

Automation also allows for a more proactive approach. It helps companies identify and predict issues before they arise. This can then uncover new channels and opportunities to expand the business. Doing this leads to long-term customer service improvements, as it helps employees make more informed decisions based on data.

Learn More: Beyond COVID-19: 4 Hot Trends Impacting Contact Centers

Types of IA Used In Contact Centers

There are various types of automation tools used in contact centers. Below are some of the most useful and suitable ones. 

Chatbots

Chatbots offer a great way to address simple issues with customers. According to research from InvespOpens a new window , chatbots can help businesses save on customer service costs with faster response times and by answering up to 80% of routine questions.  Some of the most common ways chatbots are used include getting a quick answer in an emergency, making a reservation, paying a bill, and resolving a problem.

RPA

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)Opens a new window is another useful IA technology. RPA bots are essentially digital assistants. They can do regular tasks such as copy-paste, analyze emails, and extract data. These bots help customer service agents by inputting the data, reducing call time, and improving customer experience.

Also, instead of training individual bots for each issue, RPA systems train a single intelligent agent to handle various issues. This means that each bot can handle many tasks, as opposed to only one.

Productivity Apps 

There are many great apps with built-in IA aimed to help teams improve productivity. These apps offer functionalities such as instant messaging, file sharing, onboarding, and video conferencing. 

One of the best productivity software tools is Glip, a comprehensive collaboration workspace with task management, team collaboration, and file-sharing capabilities. Other apps like ChatworkOpens a new window or Skype are similar, but their features and costs vary slightly. 

Productivity apps arm contact center agents with the ability to communicate and share information with colleagues quickly. In turn, issues with customers are resolved swiftly, even in a remote situation. 

Call Routing & Analysis

Intelligent call routing identifies the customer’s reason for calling and uses the information to route them to the appropriate agent. This could be the same agent the customer interacted with on a previous call or someone else who could assist their needs better.

Companies can also use automation technology to collect Sentiment Analysis. It shows what’s working on positive calls, captures trends, and determines the root causes of issues. It can also help the agent recommend the next steps, optimize retention rate, or offer another product to the customer. It can further help by taking notes on the call’s content so the agent can save some time and move on to their next task.

Takeaway

It’s clear that our lives have become increasingly interwoven with the digital world. As contact centers continue to improve and adapt, it’s critical that they also implement the best automation tools and practices.

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