Having a remote workforce gives contact centers the flexibility and scalability that other options cannot provide. A remote workforce gives you the opportunity to recruit talent from around the globe, reach customers internationally, and maintain truly 24/7 support across all time zones for its customers.
While a remote workforce has amazing capabilities and benefits, there are many ways you can make a remote workforce even better. Implementing various systems and technologies within the remote contact center can further streamline CX operations and boost productivity, allowing your remote contact center to be as productive, if not more productive, than a traditional on-premise workforce.
One technology that can further streamline your remote workforce is automated self-service.
Global Self-Service with Conversational IVRs
Self-service lets customers get right to where they want to by giving them the tools and channels to resolve issues quickly. Self-service channels can also help call centers reduce call volume and streamline virtual call center operations.
One way self-service can assist call center processes is through Conversational IVRs. Conversational IVRs are interactive voice response systems that allow customers to speak naturally when navigating through an IVR menu in order to be routed to the proper agent quickly (no need to memorize a list of numbered options or say an exact response to be properly routed). Due to advanced AI technology from companies like IBM and Google, many conversational IVRs can now support multiple languages, allowing your self-service options to be truly global in reach.
A Conversational IVR can also assist remote workforces by triaging common customer inquiries. Especially during times of high call volume and call spikes, a Conversational IVR system can help handle easier issues, assist with logging customer data like account number, social security and other necessary fields of information, and route callers appropriately making the entire process more efficient.
Learn more about advanced Conversational IVRs here
Self-Service with FAQs
Self-service can come in the form of simple FAQ pages or FAQ menus that the customer can use for simple questions that they have. FAQ pages can keep customers from entering the call queue by letting them reach the resource they need quickly, allowing agents to handle more pressing issues and lowering the call volume for a remote workforce. By having an operational website and FAQ page, customers can take matters into their own hands 24/7, 365 days a year.
Integrate Powerful AI with Self-Service
In a remote workforce, efficiency and productivity are key to a great agent and customer experience. Simplified processes and seamless customer journeys are king. Combine AI with self-service for even greater productivity and an even better customer experience.
Best-of-breed AI are capable of powering self-service options for a more streamlined experience for both the remote agent and the customer. Integrate AI with chatbots, Conversational IVRs, and more for a more personalized, richer self-service experience. With intelligent routing and natural language processing capabilities, AI can power self-service, and optimize workflow and call queue management.
For example, AI can be integrated with chatbots for a dynamic, rich experience for the user. The AI, utilizing text and speech analysis, can see what the customer is looking for and lead them to the right resource. When a customer wants to speak to a live agent, the chatbot can route the customer to the right agents on the customer’s channel of choice. This gets the customer to the agent faster while providing a personalized customer experience.
