60 percent of leading customer service BPOs have deployed real-time accent translation technology.
Working with Sanas, each BPO is leveraging the technology to turn English spoken with a heavy accent into non-accented American English.
Last year, ABC7 cited critics of the tech who suggested it’s "playing into racism". However, the software is irrefutably having a positive, measurable impact on agent experiences and well-being.
Indeed, figures shared with CX Today show that the technology has helped BPOs - alongside other enterprises - cut agent turnover rates by as much as 50 percent.
"For me, that is the most powerful metric," said Sharath Keshava Narayana, Co-Founder & COO of Sanas. "Agents are telling us that they’re dealing with a lot less abuse and enjoying their jobs much more.
Before, these reps experienced an undercurrent of bias in every other call they handled, and we’ve taken that familiar, unpleasant feeling away.
Interestingly, the statistics also show how real-time accent translation technology offers benefits beyond the front-line agent experiences, with users reporting:
- 8-12 percent reductions in average handling time (AHT)
- 14-15 percent increases in first call resolution (FCR)
- Up to 20 percent gains in customer satisfaction (CSAT)
- A 17 percent uplift in sales conversion rates
That drop in AHT is perhaps most notable, as it highlights how customers are less frequently asking agents to repeat themselves. Instead, conversations seem much more seamless.
The prominent BPO Everise is one Sanas client that has embraced the tech, citing its desire to deliver those free-flowing agent-customer interactions.
Sharing his thoughts on the solution, Sudhir Agarwal, Founder & CEO of Everise, stated:
"It’s unlike anything I’ve ever encountered in the history of this industry.
"Sanas has become a vital ally for our champions, allowing them to concentrate fully on resolving customer issues rather than worrying about how they sound or whether they are being understood.
"In the coming months, we expect to deploy this transformative technology in over 15,000 champions’ workstations."
Through such partnerships, Sanas has found significant success. Indeed, it has seized the massive market opportunity for such technology in developing countries, and 60 percent of its revenue now stems from global BPOs.
Yet, it has also recognized a broader opportunity in these developing countries where English isn’t the first language. That opportunity is to leverage AI to not only modify agent accents but correct their speech in real-time, too.
According to Narayana, that’s the next frontier for Sanas. He said: