Understanding call center artificial intelligence

By John Mangun, Businessmirror, Nov 21, 2017

Maybe it’s because the new high-tech sex robots have been in the news lately that we are hearing again about the death of call centers due to “artificial intelligence.” It might be well to point out that it is called “artificial” for a reason. Likewise, a “sexbot” is artificial intelligence that it stops talking when you push the “mute” button.

There is a great misconception about the role of new technologies —broadly lumped as artificial intelligence—in the customer-service industry. The hysterical articles you read that sooner or later all Filipino call-center agents are going to be replaced by armies of computers is simply false and with no basis in reality.

It is estimated that consumers make 265 billion customer service calls each year. While there currently are alternatives to speaking to a live agent, 73 percent of all interactions are made through a telephone. That is important to remember.

Let’s be honest. Having to talk to a call-center agent is the customer service equivalent of a prostate or Pap test examination. No one really wants to do it but it is a necessity. A survey found that 52 percent of customers have hung up on a customer-service call because they did not want to wait for an agent to have a conversation that may or may not help them.

Here is another fact. At least 52 percent of call-center agents have hung up on a customer because they did not want to have a conversation with a rude abusive or completely helpless customer. I had this actual conversation when working as an agent for a United State Internet provider. A customer called in who could not connect to the Internet. “Do you see the start button in the lower-left hand corner of your desktop?” “I’m sorry. The only thing on my desktop is my keyboard and mouse.” Let’s see a robot handle that answer.

When call-center companies talk about artificial intelligence, it is not about replacing live agents but making the total system more efficient. One great change in the last 10 years is that customers would prefer to “text” rather than “talk.” A live agent can talk to only one customer at a time. However he or she can “chat” with several customers at once. I do my personal business with a particular web site hosting company because of their efficient and effective “live chat” service. Another survey shows that 70 percent of consumers prefer any type of messaging instead of voice calls. But this still can require a human on the other end.

Companies are moving into the new technologies using some sort of bots that can answer simple and often asked questions online, without the need for the customer to pick up the phone. The bots answer the routine questions via an online chat or other channel; the live agents on the phone are the problem solvers. Try explaining to a bot “I lost my glasses and couldn’t read the bill.”

Further, the initial customer contact with a bot can gather information that allows a seamless transfer to a live agent who immediately has a better and clearer idea of a complicated problem without having to ask the customer a series of scripted questions.

The call-center business is changing as all businesses do. The historical high growth of the business cannot continue as it is becoming a more mature industry. But to say that in five years they will all be gone is a gross and silly exaggeration.