Bringing AI-first automation to contact centre agents for peak productivity and efficiency

Customer service expectations are at an all-time high, demanding immediate and personalised experiences across channels like email, social media, and telephony. It's like trying to navigate a bustling city with an outdated map and a tired guide—contact centre agents are overburdened, and businesses are struggling to keep up. The solution? 

Think of AI-first automation as the GPS of modern customer service. It provides precise, real-time directions to efficiently handle customer needs at scale, transforming the journey into a smoother ride.

Shifting tides: the need for change

Legacy systems struggle to manage seamless omnichannel communication, forcing customers to navigate a frustrating maze of voice calls, emails, and social media interactions. The conventional contact centre grapples with high agent turnover, leading to increased training costs. 

According to Toister Performance Solutions, as many as 59% of contact centre agents are at risk of burnout, leading to lower productivity and a revolving door of new hires. Moreover, businesses are having an extraordinarily tough time filling support roles, with 63% of contact centre leaders facing staffing shortages, according to a recent Forrester survey. 

This staffing crunch, coupled with overwhelming workloads, creates a breeding ground for agent burnout. Add to this lack of expertise, limited access to customer data across different channels, and an obsession with chasing metrics over delivering genuine customer experience. 

It’s like trying to put together a puzzle with missing pieces—the whole process is disjointed, inefficient, and exasperating for both agents and customers. 

In today’s competitive landscape, businesses can't afford such glaring gaps. A study titled ‘The 2024 Global Customer Engagement Report’ revealed that a staggering 80% of Asia Pacific consumers will switch brands after a poor customer service experience. To prevent this downward spiral, proactive solutions are imperative before the brand image is tarnished, adversely affecting the bottom line. 

Enter AI-first automation, an answer to both elevating agent productivity and enhancing customer experience.

How AI-first customer service automation empowers agents

At the core of AI-first automation lies the concept of intelligent machines collaborating with human agents. 

Dynamic AI agents, powered by small and large-language models, serve as the first line of defence, handling simple inquiries and freeing up agents for more complex customer interactions. These omnichannel AI agents, available in both chat and voice modalities, operate 24/7 in multiple languages, offering instant support. With the advent of Gen AI, they can even handle more intricate queries, further alleviating the workload on human agents.

However, AI’s value extends far beyond deflection. AI agent-assist tools streamline workflows by automatically summarising tickets, eliminating the need for customers to repeat themselves or agents to sift through past conversations. This frees up valuable cognitive space for agents, empowering them to focus on building rapport and delivering personalized solutions. 

Moreover, AI can analyse customer sentiment in real-time, auto-suggesting contextually relevant responses and the most appropriate tone for each interaction whether apologetic, empathetic, or simply understanding.

AI alleviates the immense pressure on agents to have complete awareness of every business aspect and process. Gen AI tools enable agents to swiftly access a business’s knowledge base, expediting resolutions while also accelerating agent onboarding and trimming training costs. 

The benefits for agents are undeniable. Reduced stress levels and a transition to more engaging tasks result in higher job satisfaction and lower churn rates. For businesses, this translates to a more stable and motivated workforce, ultimately improved customer experiences.

Data-driven insights: optimising the customer journey

AI doesn’t just empower agents; it empowers contact centre managers as well. By feeding all customer interactions into a central repository, it facilitates a comprehensive analysis of every touchpoint. 

Managers gain valuable insights into agent performance, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and provide targeted coaching. AI’s self-learning capabilities further enhance this process, constantly evaluating past performance data and suggesting adjustments to optimide future interactions.

A virtuous cycle

The implementation of AI-first automation creates a virtuous cycle. By alleviating agent workload and ensuring consistent, personalised customer support, AI fosters higher customer satisfaction. Happier customers translate to increased brand loyalty and revenue growth. At the same time, happier agents lead to lower churn rates and a more stable workforce, further contributing to operational efficiency.

To ensure that Indian contact centres remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global market, embracing AI is essential. However, a fundamental shift in mindset is required for this transformation. 

AI should be viewed as a facilitator of human abilities. As the industry gradually embraces AI-first automation, contact centres must assess their own skills and capabilities. Investing in upskilling workers in generative AI and data analytics will enable contact centre businesses to effectively adapt to inevitable AI disruptions. 

Contact center leaders and workers should not view AI with apprehension, but rather see it as an opportunity to empower agents and enhance overall performance.

The author is Chief Product Officer & Co-founder, Yellow.ai,