By Ravi Saraogi, Co-founder and President of Uniphore APAC

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have played a big part in accelerating digital transformation since COVID-19, with companies moving business processes toward a smarter and data-driven future. AI and ML allow organizations to streamline and automate essential functions and improve efficiency.

According to an estimation by McKinsey, AI could potentially deliver an additional economic output of around $13 trillion by 2030, boosting global GDP by about 1.2 percent yearly. The Middle East is expected to accrue US$320 billion in benefits from AI by 2030, and the annual growth in the contribution of AI is expec

ted to range between 20-34% per year, according to PwC’s report The potential impact of AI in the Middle East.

Customer experience (CX) is one area that can benefit from AI-powered tools.

Improving CX With Better Technologies

Organizations can leverage technologies such as omnichannel, AI-driven intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) to free up time for human agents and allow them to focus on higher-level tasks starting at the front office. This form of automation removes a layer of repetitive, lower-level tasks and provides a quick and efficient way for customers to find the correct department or be led towards the information they require to complete their inquiry.

Conversational AI

Conversational AI solution provides contact center employees with increased information flow during a call. The platform can present them with real-time information relevant to the conversation they are having with their customer. This empowers better customer service and enriches the overall service experience.

An AI-driven platform can co-pilot the call, and assist contact center employees with advanced capabilities such as real-time insights and guidance, suggestions for added value, and real-time automation of repetitive tasks. AI-driven tools can also pick up on the tone of a customer’s voice and ascertain their mood – alerting supervisors if the call needs escalation. Such features can help build detailed customer personas, thus playing a pivotal role in improving customer experience.

Data Analysis and Capture

The organization can capture much data for every call that comes into a contact center. Instead of siphoning that information into storage and potentially reducing its potential and risk it becoming siloed, organizations can apply it directly to their customer experience platform, further enriching the knowledge it holds. This allows AI-led technology to analyze and detect behavior patterns, make sense of a customer’s preferences, uncover previously hidden relations between the customer and products or services, and systematize the data on that customer. This data and knowledge can make every customer journey more comprehensible for contact center agents and empower them to perform the best possible job for every customer interaction.

The Course to Success

Unlocking business value by deploying these technologies requires strategic thinking and a clear roadmap. The process involves an evaluation of how best to integrate smarter technologies into contact centers.

With the transition to a more digital economy, traditional enterprises —financial services, telecommunications, insurance, or e-commerce — will need to change their business models accordingly. Business success is built on customers and providing better outcomes. Smarter customer experience tools will go a long way towards supporting that success