The healthcare industry is witnessing a significant transformation in customer service, thanks to the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in call center operations. Among the pioneers is a leading global healthcare technology company, which has leveraged Conversational AI to optimize its operations and customer service. The company, which serves over 70 health conditions through its innovative medical technologies, has implemented an AI-driven IVR solution called OpenQuestion, powered by Teneo.
Previously, the company’s contact centers were grappling with operational inefficiencies.
Each call was costing the organization nearly $26, and 9% of calls were misrouted. The average wait time was over two minutes, and the customer satisfaction score was merely acceptable. The old keypad IVR system was overwhelmed, failing to provide an adequate level of care to customers and patients. The agents were also negatively affected, burdened with basic troubleshooting and the effects of misrouting calls.
In 2022, the company embarked on a journey to transform its contact centers. The IVR was designed to manage 10 business units and 63 call centers, employing over 2,000 call agents. The primary objective was to enhance the customer experience by ensuring that callers were efficiently connected to the right agent, thereby reducing call handling time and improving customer satisfaction.
As a result of this transformation, the company’s operations underwent a significant improvement by 2023. The OpenQuestion IVR led to a decrease in misrouted calls, reduced wait times, and increased customer satisfaction. It also enhanced the service level and deflection rate, and a remarkable 42% increase in calls routed to the correct agents was noted. The company successfully handled over 1 million Voice IVA sessions, saving $6M annually and increasing customer satisfaction by 6%.
One of the key aspects of this transformation was the impact on the call agents. The AI-powered system provided the agents with context about the customer’s issue, ensuring they didn’t need to ask the customer to re-explain their problem. This was made possible by predictive analytics that determined potential problems based on patterns and usage, providing a more personalized and efficient customer service experience1.
The company’s commitment to putting customers and patients at the heart of its focus, coupled with its innovative approach using Teneo and OpenQuestion, has truly transformed the performance of its operations. This success has not only led to an increase in the level of service for people looking for urgent help and support but also inspired other contact centers to implement the same solution for their needs.
Looking forward, the company has ambitious plans for 2024. It aims to add even greater troubleshooting capabilities to both voice and text and plans to implement a custom Large Language Model (LLM) to assist with analytics and reviews of patient transcripts. There is also the potential to use an LLM system to monitor patient data and analyze trends, offering innovative ways to further enhance customer service and patient care.
This case study illustrates the disruptive potential of AI in the customer service space, particularly within the healthcare industry. By fostering deeper connections between customers and agents, AI-driven solutions like OpenQuestion are redefining the future of customer service, making it more personalized, efficient, and customer-centric. The experience of this global healthcare company serves as an inspiration for other organizations, demonstrating how leveraging AI can lead to long-term digital transformation and significant improvements in customer service.
