ChannelVision Magazine

Chatbots: Chatbots are automated programs that use AI to have real-time, text-based conversations with customers. Since AI is still somewhat primitive, and limited in its scope, most companies using it today have a system in place that allows agents to oversee multiple automated chats and jump in for seam- less live experience when it’s needed. This system allows the computer to do most of the heavy lifting, but also makes it possible to intervene at a moment’s notice. When properly orchestrated, a customer will never know whether he or she is speaking with a chatbot. With a chatbot program, an agent can do the job of five or more people at once — saving money, while improving productivity. Workforce optimization: In a tradi- tional contact center setting, managers have limited tools for interacting with agents. In this type of setting, agents are typically only spot-checked for quality, se- curity and productivity. This results in low agent engagement and high turnover. Workforce optimization software, such as the kind offered by Aspect, puts a contact center manager directly inside of the contact center platform for real- time coaching, feedback and analytics. Research shows workforce optimiza- tion is incredibly effective, too. According to one study, organizations with high em- ployee engagement outperformed their competitors by 202 percent. CRM integration: Some unified communications providers, such as Star2Star, offer services that can pull data from a customer relationship man- agement (CRM) system and integrate it with the organization’s phone system. With CRM integration, agents can have immediate access to a wealth of infor- mation that would otherwise go unused in a backend database. Self Service: A balancing act When speaking to administrators about investing in smart contact center services, agents are likely to receive questions about self-service — especially if they are pushing automated systems. Proceed with caution here. Many executives today are interested in using self service to lower telecommunica- tions and staffing costs, and to make service easier for customers. If abused, though, it can have a negative impact on a business’s overall reputation. Take Uber as an example; the company makes it very difficult, if not impos- sible, to contact customer service by phone and has received a considerable amount of backlash as a result. Radial found that 80 percent of con- sumers prefer to try and resolve their issues online first before contacting customer service. So there is noth- ing wrong with setting up a knowledge database or using chatbots to provide fast and efficient assistance. Just keep in mind that automated tools are limited in their capabilities. Only 32 percent of customers that have used IVR, for instance, say it was sufficient for their needs. Thirty-seven percent will bypass an IVR completely to reach a live agent. Remind sales prospects that there are certain processes that simply re- quire a human touch. For this reason, any business offering self-service should provide speedy access to a live agent. It’s okay to push customers to- ward self-service, as long as you throw them a life raft that they can grab if they cannot solve a problem on their own. If there’s one thing to remember above all else when advising customers about smart contact center services, it’s that there is no one magic solution that can streamline the entire process. The contact center services industry is com- pletely saturated, and there are many dif- ferent providers all claiming to offer one- stop-shops that can streamline support. Many of these technologies, how- ever, are expensive and unnecessary. So it’s important to be discerning when shopping for technologies, and to be wary of vendors offering the latest and greatest solutions. o at your service: Xaas How comfortable are consumers with Artificial Intelligence? Source: Radial Chann l Sales’ Core Fundamentals Source: CSO Insights; Miller Heiman Group Source: CSO Insights; Miller Heiman Group 66% - 70% 9.2% 71% - 75% 11.0% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2.5% 6.3% 3.8% 2.5% 7.5% 1.3% 7.5% 11.3% 13.8% 11.3% 22.5% 18.8% 25.0% 26.3% 33.8% 36.3% 18.8% 20.0% 15.0% 7.5% 8.8% Str ngly disagree Somewhat disagree Our channel sales professionals are able to calculate and justify number of partners required to cover a market segment Our channel sales professionals are able to calculate how partners rank and assess programs Our channel sales professionals are abl to cl arly arti late the rationale for their organization’s channel and route to market Disagree Neutral Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree Very comfortable Somewhat comfortable Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable Somewhat uncomfortable Very uncomfortable 33% 28% 20% 13% 6% Data Center server revenue forecast by form factor Source: IHS Markit Challenges of Using Chatbots According to US Internet Users, May 2018 Which of the following self-service channels have you used in the past 12 months? Source: Forrester; among U.S. online adults Blade Rack Tower Open Compute Help or FAQs on a company’s website Online forum or community with other customers Voice self-service An online virtual agent or chatbot from a website Self-service mobile phone application A virtual agent or chatbot on a smartphone 60% 38% 38% 37% 35% 32% $0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 CY18 CY22 Revenue (US$B) Keeps me from a live person % of respondents Too many unhelpful responses Redirects to self-serve FAQs Bad suggestions Pop-up chatbot prompts Unnecessary pleasantries Takes too long to respond They never have enough data about me 50.7% 47.5% 39.5% 28.2% 25.0% 24.9% 24.2% 19.7% Channel Vision | July - August, 2018 38