Call centers have to meet rising customer service expectations while managing costs, which is easier said than done.
The caller experience is still a major challenge for most companies, and 92% of consumers agree or strongly agree with that statement according to Forrester Research.
The Customer Experience Index 2013 shows that companies struggle with the perfect balance between cost and service.
Here are two emerging technologies that have a big impact on the customer experience in the call center and are quickly growing in popularity each year.
Voice Biometrics
Voice biometrics verifies a caller’s identity using their voice and is more accurate than a fingerprint. It can do this in the background during a natural conversation with the agent to avoid disrupting the flow of the call.
It provides customers with a faster call by reducing the identity verification process by an average of 20 seconds according to Gartner. It also eliminates the interrogation process of PINs and security questions to make the call more convenient. Most consumers prefer voice biometrics over existing authentication methods because of its convenience and call centers are adopting it as a result.
Call centers spend $12 billion in North America alone in identity verification. A more convenient customer experience and cost savings from faster calls and fraud prevention are the key drivers behind the adoption of voice biometrics.
Call-Back
A call-back provides consumers with an automated phone call from the first available agent. This saves them valuable minutes on their phone plan and frees them up to do something else with their time while they wait.
Customers appreciate a company that values their time, which is the main value proposition behind this technology. In fact, 75% of consumers find the option of a call-back highly appealing according to a report commissioned by Avaya.
It is surprising this technology is not in all call centers because of its immediate impact and low cost, however adoption is quickly growing and in a few years we expect it to become mainstream.
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