What Contact Center Managers Need to Know About the Benefits of Real-time Speech Analytics for Coaching

To drive the right results, contact center managers must make sure that their agents receive the right coaching and guidance. However studies show that supervisors typically spend only 10 percent of their time coaching. There are various ways that contact center managers can improve coaching standards, but technology can also play an important role. Learn more about the key coaching benefits you can derive from real-time speech analytics, and find out how this technology could transform your contact center.

Speed

With real-time speech analytics, software immediately detects 'problem' calls by using a variety of complex algorithms and searches. For example, you can use keyword speeches to detect customers showing signs of irritation or frustration. In turn, the analytics system can then prompt the agent to do something in real-time.

This approach is instantaneous. Where a coach would normally have to listen to the call and offer feedback later, real-time analytics can steer the agent immediately. This increases the possibility that the agent can deal with the customer's frustration and can also help the agent adapt his or her style immediately. Traditional coaching methods sometimes fail because a conversation doesn't happen until days or even weeks after the call, by which point, the agent has often forgotten the details, and it's too late to help the customer.

Improved efficiency

Real-time analytics can ease the burden on coaches because some of their work is largely automated. The software can:

  • Remind agents to use key phrases.
  • Suggest that agents should slow down or speed up.
  • Prompt agents to up-sell.
  • Respond directly to specific comments, such as competitor comparisons.

By showing on-screen prompts and guidance, your agents no longer need to rely on a coach's intervention. In turn, this means your coaches can focus on a broader program of training and support. Real-time speech analytics are the perfect addition to 'human' coaching, but the system can take away some of the pressure for your people, so they can concentrate on more detailed behavioral training and guidance.

Regulatory compliance

Many businesses rely on specific statements, particularly in the financial services industry, where agents may need to read out certain passages of text. Real-time speech analytics help you adhere to the rules and regulations by reminding agents about things they need to say where the software detects that the agent has gone off-script.

Real-time analytics are particularly useful with new agents, who are more likely to forget or fail to understand their responsibilities on each call. Instead of listening to calls and feeding it back to the agent when it's too late to do anything, real-time analytics can help you achieve 100 percent compliance. You can even flag non-compliance to a supervisor in real-time, who can take immediate action if required.

Less reliance on a script and improve personalization

Studies show that 69 percent of customers think they get better service when an agent doesn't sound like he or she is reading from a script. Personalization allows agents to empathize with issues and problems and develop a rapport with customers. What's more, contact center work is generally more fun when you can inject your personality into a call.

Real-time speech analytics give you the assurance that you can take immediate action if an agent isn't managing a call effectively. You can make sure agents are aware of the things they must say, without scripting every line of the call because real-time analytics will prompt agents to say certain things in certain situations. If necessary, analytics can prompt a coach or supervisor to interrupt a call, whereas they could currently only take action after the call.

Real-time speech analytics can transform the way you coach your contact center agents. Talk to a GP online resource for more information and advice.


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