AI is here to stay
In recent times much has been said about the possibility that AI will replace jobs and that we are easily replaceable. The world of customer service and the contact center has been no exception, but… How much truth is there in this? Do we opt for Conversational Assistants or Agents?
Can AI really replace an agent? To reach a conclusion it is necessary to address some basic concepts.
Conversational Assistants or Agents? AI has arrived to become the great ally of agents and help them focus on much more complex and less repetitive tasks.
What is an AI-based Conversational Assistant?
An AI-based Conversational Assistant is primarily designed to interact with users through natural language conversations. They can answer questions, perform specific tasks and provide information by both text and voice. They can perform multiple tasks, from providing basic information to performing more complex actions, such as making reservations, providing recommendations or even performing transactions.
What is an Agent?
Agents are people who act on behalf of an organization in order to help other people in management and functions with different degrees of complexity. They are able to empathize, negotiate and understand more complex and unexpected human situations.
Conversational Assistants or Agents?
It’s a good question, do we opt for Conversational Assistants or Agents, which of the two strategies would be more successful?
To include only human agents or to include only AI in the contact center?
Only use agents
For years we have used only agents in Contact Centers and it has seemed to us the most logical and correct thing to do, but with the introduction of new technologies we have noticed that there are certain improvements that we cannot overlook.
For example, using only agents entails high operating costs, it is not very scalable if there are large volumes of calls, the response time may be higher, among others.
Use only AI
n this case we are faced with a real impossibility of using intrinsic human skills such as, for example, negotiation skills, management of unexpected situations, lack of empathy and context.
With Conversational Assistants we achieve greater scalability by allowing, among other things:
- Automation of repetitive tasks
- Fast and consistent responses
- 24/7 support
- Efficiency and scalability by handling large volumes of queries simultaneously
In addition, Conversational Assistants are able to personalize the answers they give to customers thanks to integrations with other systems such as CRMs.
The ideal scenario
Both options have pros and cons. However, the ideal scenario is the integration and synergy of both resources.
Agents should handle complex and less repetitive situations, without losing focus and customer orientation. While AI can handle repetitive tasks and provide information quickly and efficiently.
The key is to find a balance that leverages the best of both worlds to deliver a comprehensive and satisfying customer experience. This combination of the two will exponentially improve productivity rates and customer experience.
In conclusion, increased productivity, cost savings and improved customer experience is only possible with the effective combination of physical agents and AI, as it is the ideal formula to maximize the strengths of each and deliver the best of both worlds to the customer.
Are you ready to take the leap? Here’s how MAIA Cognitive can help you
