Speech Analytics as a Call Center Solution

Written by KOVA Corp

We’ve written about how speech analytics are being used to help law enforcement see trends, identify underlying issues, and connect the dots between cases more efficiently. But while speech analytics software just recently became common in the public safety industry, it’s been used for some time in business settings—specifically call centers, or contact centers.

Of course, in a contact center, speech analytics aren’t used to help solve crimes. Instead, they’re used in a wide variety of ways, with the ultimate goal being to create a better customer experience. Isn’t that always the goal, after all?

Here are a few of the most effective ways you can put your speech analytics software to use.

Employee Training

One of the most valuable use of speech analytics software is for contact center employee training. Because this software can record both agents and customers simultaneously, it can be used to track things like agents’ adherence to a script, or to make sure they’re sticking to company policy.

But there are more sophisticated uses for speech analytics, too. Speech analytics can be used not only to identify actual words, but tone of voice, unusual pauses, variations in pitch, and other nuanced indicators that a customer isn’t happy or that the agent is having trouble with a certain aspect of the customer experience.

When used this way, the software can make it easier for managers to offer targeted training to individual agents, rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach.

Finally, managers can use speech analytics to identify what their highest performers are doing right. By being able to identify certain phrases used at certain points in a call, for example, managers can see what’s working best and use that to help their other agents achieve the same level of success.

Improving Customer Satisfaction

Improving customer satisfaction goes hand-in-hand with agent training. When your agents are performing their job duties better, your customers will naturally be happier. But there are other ways that speech analytics can be used specifically to give your customers a better experience.

Just like the software can spot trends in the use of words and phrases, it can also spot trends across the calls of the entire contact center—like which customers are more likely to take an up-selling or cross-selling offer. It’s also able to pick up on any hints of stress or emotion in a customer’s voice, as well as to decipher potential motivating factors for the customer’s call.

Another way speech analytics can be especially helpful is by reducing customer attrition. Managers can look for the specific moments when customers tend to leave, and then react accordingly. Maybe the call agent’s script needs some tweaking, or an option needs to be presented at a different point.

Boost Revenue

This is naturally an important goal for most companies, and speech analytics software can help achieve it. Just like the software can help identify when customers are leaving the call, it can help sales managers when those up-selling or cross-selling opportunities seem to be the most successful. Then they can employ targeted training to help agents make the most of those opportunities.

Reduce Costs

According to several sources, speech analytics software can pay for itself in cost savings in as little as three months, with most organizations reporting significant cost savings within nine months. This can be great news for companies that are trying hard to keep their contact center operations domestic, rather than outsourcing them to other countries.

Regulatory Compliance

For industries where regulatory compliance is a major issue, like banking or government contracting, speech analytics can be used to ensure that agents are adhering to any and all regulations. Agents can even be given real-time prompts via a desktop client if they need help remembering to use the correct language.

This means that problems can be addressed much more quickly—really, before they even become problems.

If your organization is looking for a contact center software solution, take a look at KOVA’s Workforce Optimization Solutions. From speech analytics, part of our Enterprise Feedback Management software, to total workforce management solutions like our software package Verint Media Recorder, KOVA has something to help you achieve your organizational goals. Contact us today!

Sources:

http://blog.zoomint.com/blog/using-speech-analytics-in-call-center-agent-training

http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/1259565/Speech-analytics-converts-call-centers-to-profit-centers

http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/report/Top-five-benefits-of-speech-analytics-for-the-call-center

http://www.customerzone360.com/topics/customer/articles/408094-why-every-contact-center-should-use-speech-analytics.htm

 

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