Call center jobs don’t have the best reputation. A quick scroll through a Reddit thread (like this one) reveals quotes like:

• “Working in a call center was a mix of getting cussed out all day and having to be 100% focused and on my game all day. That made me so anxious and depressed.”
• “It’s mentally exhausting to be constantly communicating with as little as 3 seconds between your next task.”
• “Over time, the micromanaging, extremely high pressure, and unrealistic expectations begin to take a toll on you.”

Yikes.

These quotes shed light on why the average turnover rate in call centers remains between 30% and 40%. It’s evident that agents’ tasks hinder them from focusing on what’s most important — their well-being and your customers.

How do you begin to combat these challenges and halt excessive turnover? There’s a ton that goes into transforming your agent experience. While technology is definitely not the only answer, it can make a huge difference.

This year alone, 68% of decision-makers have shifted towards adopting call center AI to reform their customer and agent experience. When you add the right tools to your agents’ toolkits, you do more than lighten their load. AI can revolutionize their daily grind.

Essential Call Center AI Tools to Add to Your Agent Toolkit

With a myriad of AI solutions out there, which tools are worth your time?

• Chatbots and virtual assistants (IVAs). Chatbots and IVAs use AI to mimic human language and handle basic customer inquiries. The best part? They work 24/7.

• Advanced analytics. Advanced analytics, like sentiment analysis and speech analytics, analyze customer interactions in real time to track trends in language and emotion. Then, they generate insights and offer suggestions to agents. With this extra intel, agents can improve the interaction and add personalized details.

• AI-driven workforce management (WFM). AI-powered WFM tools use predictive analytics and forecasting tools to help managers optimize scheduling and allocate resources. With WFM, managers can predict scheduling needs, improve routing, and track performance.

• Intelligent routing. AI uses advanced algorithms to route calls to the most suitable agent. After evaluating the nature of the inquiry, agent expertise, and customer history, routing tools send each call to the best department and agent.

• Knowledge management systems. AI-powered knowledge systems provide agents with search tools. With AI integrations, agents gain instant access to information and resources to help customers.

• Automated quality assurance. AI can monitor and evaluate calls and live chat recordings for compliance and quality. Then, these tools offer feedback and tips to help agents improve their performance and service quality over time.

• Workflow automation (WFA). WFA streamlines and automates various operational workflows. You can automate call routing, follow-up processes, data entry, and more with WFA.

Learn more about how AI can boost agent productivity in our blog.

5 Signs You’re Adding the Right AI Tools to Help Your Agents

Finding the right mix of call center AI tools should lead to tangible results and improvements. Here are five signs you’re adding the right tools to help improve your agent experience (and your operations).

1. Increased CSAT Scores

Your primary job is to keep customers satisfied. CSAT scores are a good temperature check to see whether your AI tools are effective. Tools like intelligent routing, IVAs, chatbots, and automation help agents resolve customer issues more quickly and accurately. This lowers wait times and improves FCR, which leads to happier customers and a nice bump in your CSAT.

2. Improved Quality and Service Levels

AI helps ensure better consistency in responses and service quality. Advanced analytics and automated QA help teams maintain high standards across all interactions. AI acts as a partner for agents, giving them better access to information through your knowledge management system. This means they can provide customers with accurate information. If your AI tools are working in your favor, your service level will go through the roof.

3. Faster Resolutions

Call center AI should improve your resolution rate and speed, boosting your FCR and lowering your average handle time (AHT). With tools like intelligent call routing, AI funnels customers to the best agent and department for faster help and fewer transfers. AI-powered analytics can quickly analyze customer data and provide agents with information and tips to resolve issues. Chatbots and IVAs expand your self-service, getting customers help anytime.

4. Optimized Operations

By adding call center AI tools, key operational metrics will improve daily. WFA tools streamline processes, eliminating the tedious and time-consuming tasks that slow down your agents and interrupt your team’s flow. As a result, your average speed of answer (ASA) will improve, your customer effort score will decrease, and your agent utilization rate will get a nice boost. With AI-powered WFM tools, you’ll be properly staffed every day and prepped to handle any call volume that comes your way. From scheduling to resource allocation, AI ensures your operations run smoothly.

5. Decreased Stress Levels

If you have the right AI tools, your agents should be less stressed and report higher satisfaction. You can measure this by regularly sending out employee engagement and agent satisfaction surveys to see the impact call center AI has on your agents. Ideally, tools like virtual assistants give them space in their day to breathe and eliminate some of the basic customer inquiries that require less brain power and become repetitive. This reduces the number of frustrating tasks that burden agents, freeing them to focus on more meaningful interactions with customers. With a reduction in mundane tasks, you should see lower stress levels and a happier workforce. And, with time, hopefully, less turnover too.

Turn Efficiency into ROI with Go.AI

With Go.AI from Broadvoice, empower customers with robust self-service options to improve your customer and agent experience. Broadvoice’s IVA enhances your current IVR setup. Using natural language processing (NLP), voice synthesis (TTS), and automated speech recognition (ASR), Broadvoice’s AI can intelligently respond to customers, complete tasks, and trigger actions — all without relying on a human agent. Strengthen your existing IVR with intelligent routing that funnels customers to the help they need, right when they need it.

This makes your service faster, more efficient, and more accessible to customers. It also alleviates pressure on your agents, lightening their workload and giving them time to focus on more complex, high-value work. With Broadvoice, watch your customer satisfaction scores rise, costs decrease, and your agents (and customers) thrive in a more supportive and efficient environment.