Real-time Agent Assist: Driving the Future of Customer Engagement

The Contact Center (CCaaS) industry is evolving rapidly with new Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies driving the way customer engagement is handled. Real-time Agent Assist (RTA) uses AI, ML and NLP to provide suggested responses to agents during live customer interactions in real-time. RTA enables agents to respond faster, with higher quality, and more consistent responses tailored to each customer. With RTA, agents have AI-powered support directly within their workflow to improve first contact resolution, enhance the customer experience, and gain operational efficiencies.

RTA leverages AI and ML models that are developed using large datasets of conversational data, FAQs, policy and procedure data, as well as agent desktop analytics. As agents have conversations, the AI/ML models get smarter to provide suggestions tailored to each customer interaction in real-time. RTA uses NLP to analyze conversational content, understand customer intent, and suggest responses for the agent. The agent can then select a suggested response, modify it, or ignore it. Whenever an agent selects or modifies a suggestion, the AI learns to improve future suggestions.

With RTA, Contact Centers can achieve business and customer benefits like:

• Improved First Contact Resolution (FCR): RTA provides agents with real-time, customized suggestions to resolve customer inquiries faster and more accurately. Studies show RTA can improve FCR rates by up to 20%.
• Enhanced Customer Experience (CX): RTA enables faster, higher quality, and more consistent responses tailored to each customer. Customer satisfaction scores tend to increase due to the improved experience.  
• Increased Operational Efficiencies: RTA reduces handle times, after-call work, and coaching requirements which lowers operational costs. Studies show efficiency gains of 10-30% are possible.
• Reduced Agent Attrition: RTA makes the job easier by providing real-time support to agents. This help can reduce stress and improve job satisfaction which aids in retaining high performing agents.   
• Future-proof Operations: RTA allows Contact Centers to prepare for the AI-infused future by enabling gradual integration of AI into operations. This approach helps future-proof the contact center, so they are not left behind.

RTA is a powerful solution that is changing the way customer engagement is handled in Contact Centers. With RTA, agents and customers alike get the support they need to achieve better outcomes. As AI and its related technologies continue to advance, RTA will become an essential part of Contact Center operations. The time for RTA is NOW.