How AI and VoIP Can Improve Business
VoIP systems help companies communicate more effectively, by providing a versatile, scalable and cost-effective means of connection, wherever team members are based. Using Voice over Internet Protocol already brings a host of advantages to a company, but when AI technology is introduced, companies can gain a real competitive edge.
Despite huge advances in AI in recent years, many of us still feel wary of handing over control to computers, which can feel especially daunting to companies that pride themselves on excellent customer relations. There are however some simple ways AI can be integrated into VoIP systems to improve service, without losing the approachable ethos of your business. AI can be used to improve VoIP communications both in-house, in the way colleagues and teams communicate with each other, and within customer service relations.
Finding the Cheapest Network Routes
Developments in AI allow technology to find the most efficient, cost-effective routes for calls, ensuring that companies never pay more than they need to for their VoIP connections.
Improving Productivity Within Teams
You probably already know how VoIP makes it easier for teams to keep in touch and up to date with each other, even when colleagues are working remotely or based in other towns or even countries. AI can enhance this improved networking set-up by stepping into the realm of scheduling and internal diaries.
Most employees and team managers spend an unnecessary amount of time trying to set up meetings and conference calls. AI cuts down on this wasted time by automatically scheduling meetings and appointments. AI can access diaries to determine availability and add events to staff calendars, thereby saving the amount of scheduling time needed for employees.
Better Conferencing Facilities
Not only can AI be used to help schedule conferences and calls, but it can also improve the content of VoIP meetings by providing instant translations. Furthermore, it can add conversation prompts to keep discussions on track. AI can steer your meetings in a more effective direction, keeping things moving and avoiding irrelevant discussions.
Strengthened Customer Service
One common way to strengthen customer service using VoIP is by speeding up initial interactions thereby avoiding long delays and potential resentment on the part of clients. On a website, for example, many organizations now opt to use an AI chat facility to deal with common questions from website visitors. With improved voice recognition technology similar moves are possible on calls, using an interactive voice response.
AI can be used at the start of a customer interaction to check what the customer is calling about, answer any simple initial enquiries, and route them through to the correct team. Many of the common problems can be easily dealt with using AI, allowing customers to be served more quickly. For companies working in tele-sales, AI can make basic sales and follow up calls. Staff are freed up to deal with the more complicated issues that need a human approach. If it is too complicated for AI, the call can be easily routed through to a human who can step in quickly to sort out any problems.
Sophisticated Approach to Meeting Customer Needs
As well as interacting with customers to answer questions and provide information, AI can offer a sophisticated means of recognizing the emotional state of the customer. By analysing speech patterns, it is possible to determine what kind of mood the customer is in, and pass them on to the appropriate person. If there is clear irritation or anger, for example, the customer could be put straight through to a supervisor or someone with the authority and experience to improve the situation. Customers who seem to be pleased could be routed to new members of staff with less experience. Such customer service enhancements, possible with AI, help tailor the interactions to each customer with the end result that customer satisfaction is higher.
Benefits both Employees and Customers
While it can take a bit of getting used to, the reality is that many of our individual and business interactions already rely on AI. VoIP systems have the aim of connecting and improving communication, adding AI into the mix enhances the service to the benefit of businesses, both for employees and customers, allowing enhanced productivity and satisfaction.
- How AI and VoIP Can Improve Business - January 8, 2021
