Today, there’s no guarantee customers will reach you via phone to process their request. How they choose to interact with brands is constantly changing – so it’s just as likely you could receive a WhatsApp message. This is all thanks to new channels emerging, driven by innovation in apps, mobile and the introduction of smart voice assistants to the home. As a result – companies are conscious to keep up.
Many are experimenting with AI and automation to try and meet the scale of demand. NatWest’s trial of voice banking in the UK is testament to this.
However, in this fast-moving new age of communication, what role does the call agent have? With the rise of channels that require no human intermediary, are agents in danger of being automated out of existence?
In the white-hot heat of change, companies can’t risk overlooking what their call agents have to offer.
An endangered species?
Automation is a controversial topic within contact centre environments, but it’s only going to become more relevant as the capabilities of AI grow. For now, AI-enabled chatbots aren’t suitable for answering complex customer queries, but the situation could well change in the next five to ten years.
It’s no accident that AI is predicted to automate 800 million jobs by 2030. However, believing you can replace your call agents gradually with AI solutions would be short-sighted in the extreme.
Organisations are sometimes too focused on cutting costs rather than deepening their customer relationships. The satisfaction of a customer still very much depends on a relationship – whether it’s between the customer and a company, or the customer and an individual agent. Brands forget this at their peril.
What does the call agent of the future look like?
There’s been immense focus on the jobs that automation will replace. What should be talked about more, however, are the jobs AI will create. The role of the call agent will inevitably change, but it will be a process of evolution rather than reduction.