3 Ways Contact Center AI (CCAI) Provides a Competitive Edge for 2021

Across the globe, enterprises are increasing customer satisfaction with conversational AI. As organizations continue to face complex challenges, contact center transformation is no longer an option. In order to stay competitive, businesses must deploy the next-gen technology needed to meet rising customer expectations.

As we approach the new year and a digital-first future, businesses are looking for new ways to create better customer experiences across channels without increasing operational costs. With contact centers moving to the heart of the enterprise, cloud, and Google’s Contact Center AI (CCAI) will play a leading role in helping businesses transform. 

So how exactly can CCAI empower enterprises with the ability to stay ahead of the competition in 2021 and beyond? Keep reading for 3 ways CCAI can change your contact center game.

1. Increased Customer Satisfaction

It’s no longer acceptable to keep customers on hold or route them to multiple places within the organization. In some instances, whether basic or complex, customers never even get the answers to their questions when calling into outdated IVR systems. This lack of attentiveness diminishes customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) and affects customer retention and the potential for new business. 

When implementing CCAI, organizations are enabled with the power to increase CSAT scores by providing rapid customer service, ultimately strengthening customer loyalty and relationships. In addition, higher CSAT scores also open the door to lower agent attrition rates and operational costs, new clients, and increased profitability. With virtual agents responding across platforms, customers get the answers and information they deserve quickly, and contact center staff can concentrate on more prominent issues. 

Customers demand convenience and delightful experiences when interacting with brands, and they are actually willing to pay for it! According to a recent survey, 43% of all consumers would pay more for greater convenience, and 42% would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience. With that in mind, excelling at delivering stellar customer service eventually provides you with the opportunity to charge more.

2. Lower Operational Costs, Affordable Scalability

Traditional IVR systems weren’t built for the digital age and are costing businesses a substantial amount to upgrade and maintain. At the same time, these outdated systems are forcing organizations to employ more contact center agents to improve customer satisfaction and experience, further increasing operational costs.

Advancements in cloud-based contact center technologies such as AI and ML have empowered organizations to do more with less. As leaders invest in these cutting-edge solutions, they are reaping the benefits in more ways than imaginable. In particular, cloud-based, conversational AI for contact centers, such as CCAI, helps businesses scale while improving customer service without increasing costs. 

In a recent Forester study commissioned by Google, organizations that deployed Google Cloud CCAI saw reduced costs, improved productivity, and resources redeployed to higher-value roles. Moreover, the study revealed that CCAI eliminates the need to manage and update legacy IVR systems and reduces the amount of time and effort needed to roll out new capabilities or provide services to a new product, with management efficiencies totaling $1.1 to $2.3 million.

3. Personalized Customer Success Enabled by Emerging Technologies

With conversational AI as the driving force behind the next wave of call center innovation, enterprises are able to harness emerging technologies and take personalized customer experience to new heights. According to Gartner, by 2022, 70% of customer interactions will involve emerging technologies such as machine learning applications, chatbots, and mobile messaging, up from 15% in 2018. 

From facilitating smarter voice recognition with dedicated processing power to voice-enabled smartphones, smart home devices, TVs, and more, the environment has really blossomed into an intelligent, personalized conversational experience. Furthermore, AI and ML advancements to Dialogflow have made it possible to not just recognize language but to deduce context and build relationships, improving the quality of the overall conversational journey.

At Maven Wave, our team designs and delivers user-centered digital properties and strategies to the world’s leading brands. We understand that the level of customer support you deliver can make or break your business, and we know that time is of the essence. As you accelerate your transformation to a cloud-based contact center, CCAI can be deployed in a matter of weeks, so you can start automating interactions and transactions across platforms. 

To start your journey to CCAI, and for more information on how Maven Wave can navigate your 2021 contact center transformation, contact us to connect with our experts.