How Modern Call Centre Technology is Enhancing Company Communication with Callers

Article Written By: Kathryn Dawson

There is no doubt that the call centre is a modern customer services phenomenon, but it is also one that is commonly overlooked. Yet, the dependence that customers and companies alike have developed on call centres is quite strong, with centres around the country handling the millions of calls made every day is a huge undertaking. As a result, call centre technology is amongst the most sophisticated technologies available to the services and telecommunications industries today.

The technology needs to be complex because of the various factors involved. The main issue for any call centre is how to properly manage the flow of calls that come in, which normally need to be routed to different areas, in a time efficient and cost efficient way. If this cannot be accomplished, phone lines become jammed extra pressure is placed on call centre agents. The solution to the problem is ivr technology, otherwise known as interactive voice response, and speech recognition software.

Modern advances in telecommunication technologies has made a certain amount possible, with many calls being redirected to call centres situated on the other side of the world. If a caller has an enquiry about car insurance provided by a major insurer, for example, the agent that is spoken to is not necessarily locally based but could be based in New Dehli in India or in Manila in the Philippines. From there, any questions can be answered can be answered in detail by trained agents.

Such a system exists because of a need to make savings in costs more than any effort to more efficiently handle calls. But, while there are many reasons why a customer would call a company, in most cases, there is little or no need to actually speak to someone just to get some straightforward information. This is where interactive voice response and speech recognition technology can provide the ideal solution, slashing the time callers spend on the phone, and quickly dealing with calls that might otherwise clog up the telephone line system.

Interactive voice response allows callers to gain information directly from a computer database, without having to wait to speak to an agent. Obviously, this is a convenient system for callers and agents alike, with the latter seeing pressure lifted and the former being served more immediately.

However, there are two main technology generations through which this type of service works. The first uses directed language, which involves a computer generated voice prompting the caller to choose options from a list of specific services available. Usually, it is a simple matter of pressing the number quoted.

This form is very common amongst banks whose callers normally only wish to find out simple facts such as their bank balance, status of a loan application or transaction history. So, when a caller dials the customer service number, a voice will prompt him or her to press 1 to receive the account balance, or press 2 for transaction history etc. From there, each section can be divided into further options. Alternatively, the caller can simply say the number, or even the service, instead of using the number pad on his or her phone.

The second technology uses natural language dialogues, which involves a more open question and an ability to understand the naturally spoke responses of the caller. So, instead of a list of options, the voice answering might simply ask how it might help the caller. If the caller states that he would like to check his account balance, the computer recognises account balance, and duly directs the caller to the appropriate section.

While this method is clearly more advanced than the first, the result is the same. Effectively, these systems provide a self service for callers, empowering them to find answers themselves, removing pressure on call centre agents and shortening the backlog of calls waiting within the system.

It is clear that the use of ivr by call centres does much to improve the quality of the services that they provide. In fact, the speech recognition software that exists ensures that the demands on an industry so necessary in modern life are met with ease.

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson - Vicorp, where you can find call centre technology and ivr technology.

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