AI is making a big difference in every industry, and has been found to be of immense advantage to BPOs and call center players. Dr Rishi Bhatnagar, President, Aeris Communications, shares his perspective on the key challenges of the BPO and ITeS industry, and educates us on how AI is helping this industry address these issues
According to you, what are the major challenges for the BPO industry in the post-covid era?
For BPO businesses, COVID-19 has a complex and wide-ranging influence with several long-term effects and adjustments. The sector is extremely fortunate to operate digitally, which enables BPO firms to continue operations with little risk to employee health and safety. If BPO organizations react and adapt appropriately to these developments, they can continue to succeed. The following three main long-term implications will affect BPO companies:
• According to industry reports 70% of employees believe that excess noise hampers their productivity levels. Noise is present everywhere, whether you’re working in a high-tech call center, engaging in an open office setting, or even working remotely from a nearby coffee shop.
• Another crucial element for success in the “new normality” that is to come is digital competence. It establishes the best technological gearing while keeping data privacy rules into account to optimize process processes, data flow, and mutual communication. Diverse tools should therefore be employed more frequently while carrying out national and international projects to enable smooth communication between the client and the service provider. To maintain the highest level of compliance and openness toward the client, it is important to document and monitor stated processes.
After the pandemic, the focus on customer experience has dramatically increased, how can BPO enhance on this value proposition?
According to industry research, at the beginning of the pandemic many BPOs’ digital transformation plans speed up into a few weeks, or in some cases, days. In the post-pandemic world, the new normal will need a combination of technology, people, and employee experience improvements to resolve the problems, and consequently, to improve the customer experience.
In a professional setting, background noise can interrupt a phone conversation, making it challenging for clients to comprehend what agents are saying. A variety of advantages for the contemporary workplace can be derived from improved communication clarity. Noise cancellation not only makes workers more productive by allowing them to concentrate on the task at hand without being distracted, but it also enhances brand recognition and reputation. Customers perceive firms as more professional and trustworthy when they engage in interactions with them that are straightforward and unobtrusive.
How can AI-based software support the BPO industry?
The BPO sector has significantly advanced thanks to artificial intelligence, and it will do even more in the future. The BPO is correctly aware of how to effectively apply AI applications for the following reasons:
Excellent customer service
The call center is possibly the area where AI has had the greatest influence. Numerous clients have already successfully interacted with AI, from live chatbots to automated payment systems. As a component of AI, machine learning offers an alluring chance to identify security breaches and other client issues more quickly. In the end, this contributes to a successful customer-company connection that is free of obstacles and challenges.
Noise cancellation is Powered by AI
Clarity is the key to success when using AI engines to analyze voice input, interpret commands in an IVR situation, or convert audio into crucial text. Businesses can guarantee that artificial intelligence engines can analyze data more precisely than ever thanks to noise cancellation. The ability of agents and supervisors to respond swiftly to shifts in client emotion may even be improved by the ability to get more precise information about consumer sentiment during various discussions.
Interesting opportunities in the realm of interactive voice response are made possible by AI-based speech recognition. Recent advancements in AI are voice search on consumer electronics. Like how automated technologies powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence can speed up call center operations, BPO centers can reply to customer inquiries quickly and provide pertinent advice or solutions to clients without the need for a live call center worker.