Automation has gotten a bad rap for decades. Just the word brings to mind fears of robots replacing humans and a rise in unemployment. But today, more and more people are beginning to understand (and expect) the benefits of automation. Simply put, it makes their lives easier. This is especially true when it comes to collections and
contact centre automation.
Collections agencies and contact centres that choose to automate their customer engagement efforts with chatbots and conversational AI-enhanced messaging are consistently experiencing higher levels of customer engagement, increased customer satisfaction scores, and happier employees.
Here are three reasons that automated customer engagement works and why contact centres should get on board.
Reason #1: Automating engagement results in a better overall experience and higher levels of customer engagement
Consumers prefer automated chatbots over live agents. In fact, 56% would rather use a chatbot than speak to a customer service agent on the telephone. Chatbots save time. They’re non-judgmental and non-confrontational. These are important factors for people experiencing financial hardships.
Automated engagement takes the frustration out of a customer constantly having to repeat account numbers, payment amounts, and information from previous conversations. A chatbot can instantly produce all of that data and simply have the person verify.
Also, conversational AI and machine learning technology empower chatbots with the ability to personalise each and every customer experience. Advances in AI technologies, like Webio’s
Propensity Studio, mean that it is now possible to predict the outcomes of every customer conversation, as it builds, and designs personalised journeys for each customer type, delivering the right message and level of agent resource at the right time. AI lets you better manage all customer conversations, even the vulnerable ones.
Reason #2: Automating customer engagement reduces stress levels while increasing the productivity of contact centre agents.
Not only does automated engagement save customers time and improve their overall satisfaction, but it also has the same effect on contact centre agents.
Automation has been especially important since the pandemic, with companies struggling to hire, train and retain new employees. Chatbots free up time for existing agents by automating low-level conversations and only escalating the chat to a live customer service representative when absolutely necessary. This means that collection companies can still function at a high level with fewer agents, and those agents can do their jobs in a more productive and less stressful environment.
In those cases where a conversation is escalated, conversational AI technology can provide agents with all the details they need to handle and respond to the customer in a manner that will produce the best outcome. This data-driven advice gives the call centre agents the exact knowledge they need at the very moment they need it, reducing stress for both parties while increasing efficiency and productivity.
Reason #3: Automating customer engagement leads to better collection outcomes.
Every collections agent knows how hard it is to get a customer to answer the phone, especially with mobile device apps that block or silence unknown numbers. But did you know that reaching a customer with a perfectly timed automated chat message
results in a 209% higher response rate?
Automated engagement means that businesses can be more proactive in their approach to debt collection. It helps them build trust and communication over the entire customer journey. This leads to increased engagement and more payments.
AI-enhanced automation helps you to truly know your customer and deal with them in the manner that ultimately leads to the best outcome.
Conclusion
Automated customer engagement works for contact centres because it uses artificial intelligence to deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. An automated experience can provide a deeper connection to a customer while eliminating a lot of the embarrassment, frustration, and time it takes to deal with a sensitive subject like debt collection.
Webio, The Conversational AI Specialists, brings true AI driven customer conversations to the enterprise. Webio's channel agnostic conversational AI platform uses the power of AI driven chatbots, machine learning and NLP to introduce a 'blended AI' approach to customer engagement that lets AI agents work alongside human agents to seamlessly engage with customers.
