Contact center automation has come a long way over the past several years. Originally intended to reduce simple, repetitive manual tasks, today’s agent automation software is capable of much, much more. Powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI), modern automation can now locate and retrieve relevant call information, determine a customer’s intent and identify up-selling and cross-selling opportunities—all in real-time. By automating—and synchronizing—multiple, low-value tasks across multiple platforms, contact center agents can focus more intently on the high-value tasks that drive customer experience.
Call Center Automation and RPA
Contact center automation and robotic process automation (RPA) are often used interchangeably. RPA allows for tasks within a workflow to be performed automatically and repeatedly. For example, when a customer says or enters their name, an RPA “bot” can automatically retrieve their account information and auto-populate any necessary backend forms. Bots can quickly perform a number of time-consuming tasks, shaving valuable seconds—and even minutes—from calls. In fact, Forrester predicts that as much as 80 percent of agent desktop actions are ready for automation. However, in a 2021 webinar, Uniphore found that fewer than half of attendees used RPA in the contact center and only 9 percent used RPA to assist agents. Clearly, enterprises have only scratched the surface of what call center automation can do; and most are still a long way from realizing the full potential of agent automation in particular.
Attended RPA vs. Unattended RPA
Call center automation can either be attended or unattended. Attended RPA assists agents with tasks during and after a call. This assistance can range from automatically accessing relevant knowledge base materials to recording promises made on calls for agents to fulfill. By automating mundane tasks, attended RPA can increase agent efficiency and reduce average handling time (AHT)—a key metric shown to increase customer satisfaction (CSAT) and net promoter score (NPS). Unattended RPA, as its name implies, operates independent of a human agent. Unattended RPA can simplify and streamline backend tasks, like reading emails and analyzing post-call transcriptions for compliance. These tasks would take a human staff hours—or even days—to complete manually; unattended bots, however, can perform them accurately in seconds.
Supercharging Automation with Conversational AI
Today, the need for high-quality contact center automation is greater than ever. With more customers interacting remotely—and the number of complex, high-effort requests on the rise—contact centers are increasingly turning to agent automation to save their overwhelmed workforce. By adding conversational AI to call center automation, customer service providers are unlocking a host of next-level benefits that empower agents and drive business outcomes like never before. With conversational automation (conversational AI + RPA), call centers can now:
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Automate knowledge management, eliminating the need to memorize countless processes and protocols
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Reduce training and onboarding time by automating difficult or learning-intensive tasks
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Coach agents in real-time for better first call resolution (FCR) and customer satisfaction
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Analyze and respond to customer sentiment, emotion and intent for a more personalized and empathetic experience
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Identify up-selling and cross-selling opportunities based on live customer data
Putting AI-Powered Call Center Automation to Use
While the benefits of contact center automation are readily apparent, business leaders looking to invest such solutions should first follow some general guidelines before deploying them. Automation vendors are often quick to tout the latest automation technology. However, the hottest tech does little good if it doesn’t help businesses solve for their specific use cases. It’s also important to remember that each call center is different; and an agent automation solution that works for one might not work for another. Here are a few best practices for getting started with call center automation:
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1Start small - focus first on one or a few key capabilities and use early successes to achieve stakeholder buy-in.
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2Start with attended RPA – attended RPA requires lighter infrastructure, is easier to deploy and delivers faster ROI.
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3Stay agile – call center automation isn’t a “one-and-done” solution. You’ll need to make ongoing adjustments to refine outcomes.
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4Obtain buy-in – be sure to collaborate with IT and executive stakeholders on short- and long-term automation goals and strategies.
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5Set realistic goals – RPA isn’t a “silver bullet” for business metrics but rather a way to improve internal processes and overall efficiency.
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6Choose use cases wisely – properly prioritizing the use cases you’re trying to solve for will set your project up for success.
