How to Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Your Inbound Call Center?

• December 19, 2023

Call centers adopt emerging technologies to empower their manpower. Moreover, this industry is keen to use the best tools that can deliver outstanding experiences to customers. Therefore, it is one of the most promising industry verticals in the world. There are so many inventions taking place to empower different types of call centers. Today, we are going to shed more light on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated with an inbound call center software solution. Moreover, we are going to uncover how AI powered inbound solutions improve the performance and ROI of inbound call centers.

As it sounds, this topic may arouse curiosity in anyone. So, without any further wait, let’s jump in and discuss all the necessary information. As a result, you can improve the performance of your inbound call center by enhancing operations and processes.

1 . Understanding Inbound Call Centers

Traditionally, call center solutions were available as a general purpose tool with diverse features. These solutions could manage both inbound and outbound campaigns. The most basic version is used to provide some fundamental features. As the package or version is upgraded, the provider adds more advanced features to the access range of the call center. These types of solutions were working well for call centers that offer all types of services to their clients. However, they were not good enough for businesses that focus on certain types of expertise and campaigns. Therefore, the need for stream specific solutions increased. This needs to invent different types of solutions that focus on only a single type of campaign.

An inbound call center solution is a tailored solution for call centers that empower inbound call centers with exclusive features. It will have a majority of features to enhance the functional capabilities of inbound campaigns. Moreover, it will also provide advanced features to manage inbound campaigns in a call center. Furthermore, it will have some features to make outgoing calls. However, it will have only basic features for outbound calling.

The fundamental thought behind the invention of an inbound solution is to provide a more advanced version of the software at pocket friendly rates. Moreover, a business can also take advantage of basic outgoing communication features. For example, it will have all advanced automated call distributor (ACD) strategies. However, it will not have all auto dialers. Ideally, it will have a manual dialer to let agents make an outbound call, as and when required.

2 . Defining AI powered Inbound Call Center Solutions

To develop any software, development companies use some technological platforms and frameworks. AI is also a technology that builds different tools, features, and even solutions. These solutions are easy to integrate with any third party solution, including your inbound contact center solution. Therefore, in simple words, an AI powered inbound solution is a call center solution custom developed for inbound call centers with some AI features.

Read also : Top Call Center Solutions for Running Inbound, Outbound, and Omnichannel Strategies

In a majority of cases, Artificial Intelligence is beneficial to add automation in the processes. As a result, you can save time and manpower. Moreover, you can add efficiency and accuracy. In addition to automation, AI is also popular for catching some nonverbal signs and indicating the emotions of agents and customers. This is one of the really advanced use cases of artificial intelligence for inbound call centers.

We will talk about some of the major used AI tools in inbound solutions in the upcoming section.

3 . Major AI Tools Used in Inbound Call Centers

The possibilities for improvement in inbound call centers with AI are endless. Certainly, there are many ways to optimize each process and workflow to augment returns. However, it would be difficult to try everything in one go. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the most useful and vital AI tools. Moreover, AI is still in the emerging phase. As a result, something new comes out every day. However, it is difficult to try everything. But you can definitely try mature tools that have proven their worth in this space. Sounds confusing? Then, don’t worry.

We have jotted down a list of some of the most interesting AI inventions for inbound call centers. These inventions are easy to implement by integrating them with your inbound call center software. Moreover, they have proven their worth in this industry.

Virtual Assistant

AI provides VA that can connect with the customer and help them with concern resolution. It is an advanced form of an IVR system. Moreover, it can also integrate Soundboard Avatars to make conversations more engaging for customers.

Flow Automation

In multiple ways, AI can automate flow in the call centers. This feature is customizable. As a result, you can automate any flow in your inbound call centers. For example, in the case of the soft sticky agent feature, the system will automatically optimize the process and select another skilled agent if the existing agent is unavailable for any reason.

Sentiment Analysis

This is the most powerful tool in the inbound call center industry. AI can analyze and detect different emotions in voice and face. Therefore, in both voice and video calls, agents can get indicators of a customer’s emotions. As a result, agents can use their skills to drive customers toward positive experiences.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Speech Synthesizer

These AI tools are important to enhance the effectiveness of features like Soundboard Avatars and IVR systems. It will create more realistic voice prompts. As a result, customers will get a feeling that they are talking to human agents and not to machines. Remember, still, customers prefer to talk to human agents.

Feedback Analysis

AI is too fast in analyzing collected feedback results. It can process thousands of results within a moment. Moreover, it can also identify patterns in the results to provide easy to understand results. Furthermore, AI will showcase these results of patterns as graphical charts to make them easy to comprehend and use to design strategies.

4 . Guide to Using AI to Improve Inbound Call Center

You must have realized by now that the role of AI in inbound call centers is crucial. Moreover, it is very effective in improving results and returns. You can have one or more artificial intelligence related tools in your inbound call center software depending on your requirements, preferences, and budget. You can use these tools effectively in your inbound call center if you follow the best practices to use them.

Let us share a quick guide that can help you improve your inbound call center and its Key Performance Metrics (KPIs) with the presence of AI in your software for inbound call centers.

Select the Right AI Tools

As described earlier, artificial intelligence is an emerging technology. Therefore, there are several tools already available. Moreover, more tools are being introduced in this space. However, it is not necessary to use all tools in your business.

You must analyze routine operations to identify areas that can give maximum returns on your investment. Moreover, you can ask your key personnel to advise you to select the right tools. Furthermore, you can also get the help of the software provider company that implements AI tools in an inbound contact center solution.

This exercise is absolutely necessary to make the right investment in technology. As a result, you will reap better benefits.

Integrate AI within the Inbound Contact Center Software

There are two ways to use these AI tools. Firstly, you can use them as a standalone solution. Secondly, you can replace your existing solution with an AI powered solution. This solution will have integrated AI features. Thirdly, you can integrate AI tools within your software.

Definitely, the third option is more convenient and cost effective. Therefore, you must look for that option while ready to integrate AI into your inbound call center.

Understand Different use Cases of AI Tool

You must have some use cases of the AI tools in your mind. However, don’t limit your business to your knowledge. As discussed earlier, the role of AI in the inbound call center industry is limitless. You must discuss with your software provider about its use cases. As a result, you will learn more ways to use this tool in favor of your business.

Train Agents to Use AI Tools

AI tools are intuitive. Therefore, they are quite easy to use. Moreover, in many cases, once a provider configures it technically, there is not much to do. Everything works automatically. Still, learning the best practices and best ways to use your new AI tools is helpful. Therefore, invest time to learn these tools. Moreover, train your agents to use this tool at their best. In addition to that, keep an open window to let agents discuss their experiences and queries.

Try A/B Testing

You must have a strong desire to implement AI in your inbound call center and automate the whole process. Moreover, you want to start spiking results with this software. However, it is necessary to make a smooth switch from a human to a machine-human system.

The best way to make a switch to an AI tool is to run both systems in parallel: Traditional and one with AI. This will help you make the required changes in the processes. Moreover, it will avoid catastrophe as you will always have a backup team to manage failures.

Monitor Results to Optimize

Once you adopt AI powered inbound contact center software, this is the time to constantly monitor performance. Firstly, you should define major KPIs. Secondly, your software must show the values of these KPIs. Therefore, if required, you can invest in developing custom reports. Once you have automated reports, you must monitor performance on an ongoing basis. Additionally, you must take the required steps to constantly evolve and improve with your results.

5 . Tips to Select the Right Powered Inbound Solutions

You must be excited to make a move and get the best AI tools for your inbound call centers, so you can improve the performance of your business. However, you must make the right decisions. There are several choices of tools, providers, and more. Therefore, being conscious of decisions is necessary. To help you with this process, we have defined the best tips that you can follow. 

Define Requirements

Getting what you need must be your power mantra. Define your requirements and based on that choose AI tools.

Choose the Right Provider

AI tools may need an upgrade. Moreover, you may need customization or even technical support. Therefore, you must choose the right provider. They have to be experts in this industry. Furthermore, they need to be professional and timely. In addition to that, they should have cost effective offerings for your business.

Opt for Support

You must use technical and customer care support from the AI tool provider. This will make your journey pretty seamless.

Invest in Customization

If you have enough funds, then make the required customizations in your AI tools. It will help you get completely tailored AI software for inbound call centers. As a result, you will yield much better results.

Decide Privacy Rules in Advance

AI tools use data for self learning. There are also other utilities of data in AI. Moreover, this data may be transmitted to providers. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the privacy of data to keep it confidential to your business.

Concluding Notes

The journey from a legacy system to an AI powered inbound call center is interesting. Moreover, there are many advantages of using AI to improve the results of an inbound call center business. However, making the right choices and strategy is necessary. Therefore, you must follow the expert tips shared in this blog post. This guide will help you in improving the value of your business.

We are one of the leading providers of tailored solutions for call centers. We provide technology solutions to call centers that level up their performance and boost returns. We have expertise in building AI powered inbound call center software solutions to help inbound call centers improve their performance. To learn more about our offerings, get in touch with us.