UK Consumers Warming to Automation Technology in Call Centres

Often people are not open to change but when change brings about improvement it is much more welcome. Automation technology in call centres is beginning to win over UK consumers as they realise the benefits offered by automation.

It goes without saying that customer interactions with call centres are still far from perfect but technologies are helping to bring about changes that have the overall aim of improving levels of customer satisfaction. For example, according to research from Harris Interactive, as many as 6 in 10 consumers are not satisfied with their contact centre interactions with one of the chief gripes being that they cannot understand the call centre employee. With this in mind, it becomes clear why UK consumers are increasingly warming to automation technology because it often provides a more satisfactory response for the consumer. According to the same Harris Interactive report, almost half of those they surveyed revealed that they would prefer to use automation technology when contacting a call centre than struggling to understand human agents who may not speak English as clearly or fluently as they would like.

Automation Technology Favoured over Touchtone Technology

It has emerged that consumers have a preference for speech automation technology over touchtone technology when it comes to call centre interactions. It is perhaps telling that as many as 84% of those surveyed would be prepared to try speech automation technology if they were informed of its availability by contact centres. There are obviously many common complaints when it comes to call centre interactions but it is hoped that automation technology will help to address some of these. According to the research from Harris Interactive, some of the most frequent contact centre complaints include:

·         Agents – Far and away the biggest complaint pertaining to call centres is concerning the agents and the fact they are often difficult to understand. It is thought that automation software, in its various forms, can help to alleviate this problem.

• Speed – Many consumers are also disenchanted with how long it takes to reach a resolution when calling contact centres. With automation software becoming increasingly commonplace, it is hoped that the waiting times will be reduced and customers will experience a more stress free and satisfying call.
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It is clearly important to make sure that consumers are satisfied with their contact centre interactions because the research from Harris Interactive reveals that around two-thirds of consumers who have a negative call centre experience will stop doing business with the company. With this in mind, many call centres will endeavour to incorporate automation technology which can help to increase customer satisfaction levels.