AI call centers: transform your customer experience with AI

AI contact centers: Transform your customer experience with AI

Want to transform your customer experience? Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers personalized service and instant support 24/7/365 — plus easy scalability — with intelligent virtual agents, chatbots and more. Increase customer satisfaction with faster resolutions and lower your costs with contact center AI. 

What is an AI call center?

A modern customer service operation leveraging artificial intelligence to increase efficiency, boost customer experiences and improve overall operations. AI call centers are frequently multichannel or omnichannel operations. 

What are the benefits of using AI contact center technology?

Al contact center technology adds enormous value by elevating your business with modern, omnichannel contact center solutions 

How does an AI contact center differ from a traditional call center?

The terms are often used interchangeably but there are distinct differences in what they do and how they do it. Here are four areas that distinguish them from each other: 

1. Communication channels: Traditional call centers focus on voice telephone interactions, either incoming or outgoing (though sometimes both). AI contact centers embrace omnichannel technology and handle communications by voice, text, chatbots, email, social media and self-service tools. Customers interact on the platform they prefer. 

2. Customer experience: Traditional call centers’ main goal is resolving issues efficiently. AI contact centers are multi-purpose contact centers that strive to solve problems and provide other services across multiple channels, through the full customer journey. 

3. Technology: AI contact centers leverage multiple technology solutions to manage and implement communication between customers and the company through agents, chatbots and other platforms. Data and analysis of these interactions add value and inform decisions that impact sales, product development and other areas. In comparison, the linear nature of traditional call centers offers limited benefits beyond providing customer support. 

4. Agent experience: AI contact centers employ a broader and wider range of technology to support agents than traditional call centers do. As a result, agent experience (AX) is cultivated, elevated and consequently more valued because agents are highly trained and gain specialized expertise than those in call centers. 

What are the key components of an AI-based contact center? 

1. Workforce management: Allocating human resources to maximize efficiency, avoiding over-scheduling and anticipating peaks (and valleys) in volume and performance. 

2. Omnichannel coordination: Using text, voice, chat, email, self-service, social media and other communication platforms, AI contact centers direct inquiries to the best venue with minimal friction and delay. An Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system routes each query to the appropriate channel, reducing wait times and improving agent efficiency.  

3. Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Speech recognition, voice and tone prompts are understood by the system and appropriately routed to the correct channel or resource, reducing dependence upon live agents. 

4. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI): Leverages the AI contact center's telephone systems with customer relationship management (CRM) software so agents gain access to customer’s account information, data and history, facilitating personalized and appropriate support 

5. Data and analytics: By analyzing information derived from customer interactions across platforms, AI contact centers extract insights and generate reports from queries and the results of each contact. This includes agent responses and metrics related to products, services and interactions. 

6. Quality Assurance: Quality assurance (QA) procedures, including call monitoring, coaching and interventions, serve to address any anomalies and assure customer service excellence, compliance and continuous improvement. 

All these elements contribute to the efficient management of multiple customer support channels and improve agent engagement and efficiency. 

Industrial use cases of AI contact centers

AI e-commerce contact centers

Here are some key use cases for AI contact centers in the e-commerce industry: 

1. Tracking orders: Real-time order status updates, shipping details, delivery dates and times. 

2.  Product suggestions and upsells: Advice according to purchase history and preferences. 

3. Refunds and returns: Issue return authorizations, track progress, issue credits or refunds or exchanges and track their progress, including shipping, delivery and receipt. 

4. FAQs: Frequently asked questions and answers about the products and services are provided as a guide to customers, anticipating queries and reducing the need to address them with agents. 

5.  Inventory queries: Respond to questions from customers and other relevant stakeholders about quantities, varieties, sizes, etc. 

6. Appointments: In-store visits, service checks, virtual meetings and other instances that require specific dates and times are typical duties for AI e-commerce contact centers. 

7. Follow-up Support: Provide usage guides, troubleshoot, triage, give instructions, handle claims, administer warranties. Also, customer feedback, polls, surveys and other post-sales communication. 

8. Promotional messages: Offers, sales, discounts, affinity program invitations, participation and other communication and interactions to boost customer loyalty. 

9. Payments: Accept payments, manage credits, refunds and subscriptions through conversational AI. 

AI banking contact centers

AI contact centers serve as vital connection points for banks and financial institutions and their customers . These are the main ways they interact: 

1. Banking: Customer inquiries, retail banking support requests, account balances, maintenance and general questions on products and services. 

2. Loan and mortgage: Collect and verify customer information, direct them through applications and provide application status updates and answers to other questions. 

3. Credit cards: Account balance inquiries, credit limits, identification, travel use, activation, fraud prevention and payment information. 

4. Investment: Account management, investment information, withdrawals, trades, purchases and investment advice. 

5. Insurance: Claims, coverage inquiries, policy questions. Payments, renewals and other coverage-related questions. 
   
6. Fraud: Notify theft, check usage, confirm identity, report loss, respond to suspicious use notifications, password resets and more. 

AI healthcare contact centers

Healthcare offices are often hectic and communication can be a problem. AI contact centers provide remedies to this condition in several ways: 

1. Appointments: Schedule, confirm, cancel and change dates and times for tests, procedures, vaccinations and examinations. 

2. Medical advice: In emergencies or before setting an appointment for illness, patients receive a preliminary diagnosis and triage, if needed. Contact centers prioritize visits based on medical needs. After surgery, they facilitate post-discharge activities. 

3. Prescriptions: Patients request prescriptions, refills or changes in medication through contact centers, which can process and submit requests to medical providers, pharmacies and insurance companies. 

4. Billing: Contact centers connected to patients’ data and are well-positioned to handle inquiries, accept payment and issue credits, as needed. They can also provide information about fees, set up payment plans and resolve disputes. 

5. Records requests: Healthcare contact centers, with requisite permissions, provide records, test results, medical histories and other documents to patients, providers and insurance companies. 
   
6. Administrative support for professionals: Contact centers are communication hubs for doctors, nurses, administrators and other staff. Scheduling, compensation, employment confirmation, recruitment and other human resources functions can be managed and communicated through them. 

Retail AI contact centers

Retail contact centers that deliver exceptional customer service drive sales and customer loyalty by efficiently managing orders and returns. They support omnichannel customer experience in the highly competitive retail environment. Here are several common use cases for retail AI contact centers: 

1. Customer service and support: As a hub for customers seeking service and support, technical assistance and product information, AI contact centers are primary retail touchpoints. 

2. Order management: AI contact center agents accept orders, verify payment information, provide order status and tracking information, and issue return authorizations when needed. 

3. Inventory queries: Respond to questions from customers and other relevant stakeholders about quantities, varieties, sizes, etc. 

4. Affinity and rewards programs: AI contact center agents enable customers to enroll, check the point status, redeem rewards and handle other program-related issues. 

5. Sales: AI contact centers are fertile grounds for retail sales, upgrades and upsells. Agents, chatbots, GenAI and other platforms promote and recommend new products and services to customers. Product promotions, complementary products, special offers or discounts and cross-selling related items based on customer preferences and purchase history are typically offered in this context. 

6. Appointments: In-store visits, service appointments and other instances that require specific dates and times are typical duties for retail AI contact centers. 

7. Omnichannel services: Retail AI contact centers also support online commerce, assisting customers across multiple touchpoints, including websites, mobile apps and social media. 

AI Travel & Hospitality contact centers

With people around the globe constantly on the move, the Travel & Hospitality industry relies on contact centers for many tasks, including: 

1. Reservations: This is a fundamental job for AI-based Travel & Hospitality contact centers. It was traditionally handled by phone but now also encompasses online, chatbot, social media, SMS and any other new technology that enables customers to reserve rooms, plan events and make dining arrangements. AI contact centers also book airline and cruise tickets, select rental cars, arrange tours and plan vacations.  

2. Customer service: AI contact centers provide information about accommodations, locations, amenities, transportation options, policies, and procedures. AI contact centers also resolve complaints and assist with changes and cancellations to existing reservations or bookings. 

3. Affinity and rewards programs: AI contact centers enable customers to enroll, check their point status, redeem rewards and handle other loyalty program-related matters. 

4. Sales: AI contact centers are fertile grounds for sales and upsells. Agents, chatbots, GenAI and other platforms are able to promote and recommend new products and services to customers. Product promotions, complementary products, special offers or discounts and cross-selling related items based on customer preferences and purchase history are typically offered in this context. 
   
5. Emergency aid: During emergencies and other unforeseen circumstances. AI contact centers give customers support and assistance, working with local authorities and other service providers. 

AI telecom contact center

Common use cases for AI contact centers in the telecommunications industry include: 

1. Technical support and customer service: AI contact centers handle customer service requests, including billing inquiries, activation and cancellation, troubleshooting for service problems, product and service information and other questions about service, equipment and billing. 

2. Sales and retention: AI contact centers selli new services and equipment and a range of upgrades to products and services, including handsets, internet plans, TV bundles and other offerings. They are also tasked with trying to retain dissatisfied customers who express dissatisfaction and request service termination.  

3. Repairs and installation: Scheduling new service installations, repairs and maintenance issues. Customers reach out to AI contact centers to set appointment times, for installation instructions, to report service outages, network issues and disruptions. 

4. Equipment and device support: AI contact centers support devices, including troubleshooting, configuring and changing settings, and assisting with replacements and upgrades. 

5. Billing and Account Management: AI contact centers assist customers with billing inquiries, accept payments, make payment arrangements, resolve billing disputes and resolve discrepancies. They also provide payment options and discuss promotions. 

Boost agent efficiency, enhance customer interactions: Learn how Startek conversational AI chatbots will help. 

What are the best practices for AI contact centers?

1. Start simple: Begin with frequent and high-impact use cases— orders, shipping, returns status — and build out along the customer journey. 

2. Identify escalation points: Assume customers will opt for humans so build those into your processes. 

3. Monitor conversations and gather feedback as early on as possible:: Use the best data possible with historical interactions, logs, documentation and transcripts to train AI models 

4. Assume diversity: Train on multiple languages, accents and situations. 

5. Create workflows: Build expected dialogs with clarity and include projected pain points with off-ramps to ensure escalations when needed. 

6. Manage expectations: Let customers know when they are dealing with AI. Be clear about its advantages and limitations. 

7. Iterate: Gather feedback, identify escalations, course correct, add new use cases, test different flows and assume things will always change. It is an ongoing process. 

8. Security and Compliance: It’s a must that AI contact centers comply with all applicable legal and industry-specific security rules and regulations, such as PCI-DSS for financial transactions and HIPAA for healthcare-related processes, to protect sensitive customer data and ensure trust. 

9. Quality Assurance: Quality assurance (QA) procedures include contact monitoring, coaching and interventions, to address anomalies and ensure customer service excellence, compliance and improvement. 
   
10. Measure: Assess containment rate, customer satisfaction, call times and other relevant metrics tied to business objectives such as cost reductions 

What should you look for in AI contact center software and solutions?

In addition to typical contact center equipment, well-equipped AI contact centers may include any or all of the following technologies:  

• Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) 

• Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) 

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems 

• Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 

• Workforce management software 

• Quality monitoring tools, analytics and reporting platforms 

• AI-powered chatbots 

• Omnichannel routing 
  
• Self-service tools 

How to implement AI-based contact centers

Here are the things to consider: 

1. Define your customer service goals and how they align with your overall business goals. 

2. Determine your budget. 

3. Decide upon the best AI-based contact center model: in-house, outsourced, cloud-based or a combination.  

4. Perform a competitive analysis; what are other companies in your space doing and assess their success. 

5. Define use cases for your business based on your products and services and other relevant factors. 

6. Identify likely technology partners and match them with your use case 

7. Perform the necessary due diligence before selecting the type of AI-based contact center and your technology partner. 

8. Assess the use of technologies such as ACD, IVR, CTI and CRM integration.  

9. Engage and train agents with the proper skill sets.  

10. Establish processes: call routing, quality assurance, sales and performance management.  

11. Iterate, optimize and scale the contact center as your business needs change. 

Empower your agents, enhance customer interactions. Get a Startek AI contact center demo