May 14, 2015
With the use of call centers on the rise and more people seeking help with a variety of problems, it’s no wonder that contact center workers are feeling the stress. Who wants to go to a job where they’re berated and belittled all day long?
In an effort to tackle the problem head-on, savvy call center managers are taking a closer look at the emerging field of speech analytics, where what people say and what they might actually mean are carefully analyzed and parsed, to better help staff handle calls before they become a problem.
To that end, Gerald Sinclair—Practice Manager at Uptivity, an inContact company— posted a blog Taking a closer look at speech analytics and explaining how they can identify a caller’s needs so that help is immediately available for future calls regarding the same issue.
“In call centers, there are many moving parts that must work together to provide a great customer experience while also meeting company metrics and goals,” Sinclair noted. “When this doesn’t happen, or there’s a breakdown in processes, it’s often difficult to pinpoint the root cause of the problem. Speech analytics can often provide this insight and act as a ‘psychiatrist for your business.’ Speech analytics is the process of analyzing recorded calls to extract insights and provide a better understanding of what happens during call interactions.”
How your agents perform in the call center can have a long-lasting and far-reaching impact on your business. Think about it: One bad interaction with an agent can cause a caller to leave, and then keep retelling the story and badmouthing your efforts. Studies have shown that people trust what their friends tell them, and there’s no way to stop that “bad press” once it takes on a life of its own.
Conversely, a positive experience not only improves the customer's impression, but they are also more likely than not to share that story with friends.
Citing industry analyst Donna Fluss, Sinclair describes a “rapid three- to 12-month payback, high net present value, and high internal rate of return’ for companies that adopt speech analytics. He goes on to note that ’by reducing operational expenses, improving the customer experience—which leads to increased revenue—and lowering customer attrition rates, speech analytics is clearly a worthwhile investment.”
Then there’s the legal aspect as well. “With speech analytics, we are able to confirm, validate, and, in some cases, prove that agents are complying with industry regulations,” Sinclair says. “We can also identify problem areas and training opportunities before a situation escalates or leads to litigation. This technology can help companies avoid fines and/or lawsuits when used as a risk assessment and management tool.”
In short, the careful use of speech analytics can provide countless benefits not only to your customers, but also to your employees who interact with them. With competition as fierce as it is, what are you waiting for?