Siri, How Can Voice Technology Transform My Company?
Text searches. That’s so 2016. The pace of change means that voice-activated personal assistants, including Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, are becoming the early 21st century equivalent to what typing pools and secretaries were to the mid-twentieth century.
According to research by Mintel, sixty-two per cent of Britons are now using or are happy to use voice-operated devices to listen to music, search, check the news and of course, to shop.
Before last Christmas, one-in-three UK consumers who owned an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled home assistant planned to use it for their Christmas shopping, research has found. And by 2020, 50 per cent of all searches will be done by voice, according to ComScore
Yet despite its growing popularity, there are worries about voice technology and AI, including data privacy. Many consumers remain uneasy talking to a computer that sounds human. Research published earlier in 2018 found that more than half of UK consumers (55 per cent) think AI is “creepy”.
Overcoming customer resistance to chatbots
How then, can businesses ease these concerns, improve customer service and increase sales? They could start by making it clear when a customer is talking to a chatbot, by including messages such as: “Hello, you’re talking to Sarah, our automated assistant.”
The answer may also lie in better technology. Take Google’s “Duplex”, a bot/artificial personal assistant that can call people to schedule a hairdressing appointment or restaurant reservation without, it is claimed, anyone receiving the call realising that they were talking to a robot.
The bot sounds startlingly human. Google says that the technology can handle complex conversations without the need for intervention by a human in a call centre or a manager. Similar technology from the company, Google Contact Centre AI, was announced in July. The solution integrates Google’s technology with that of select leading customer experience solutions providers like Genesys to turn ordinary customer experiences into extraordinary ones for better business outcomes.
Google Contact Centre AI isn’t widely available just yet, but it won’t be long before call centres of all sizes leverage it to quickly and predictively match inquiries to the most appropriate contact, be it a human, robot or a combination thereof. The technology enables contact centres to resolve an issue, deliver a new level of customer experience and create the optimum business results. If it means quicker service for shoppers, AI-powered voice technology will trump unease about it. After all, who wants to spend half of their lunch hour on-hold to a call centre?
As the technology improves in other ways – by, for example, reducing the delay between asking a bot a question and obtaining the answer – we will learn to trust these applications, and eventually take them for granted. Some bot agents now start conversations with customers with the words: “Tell me, in a few words, what you want to do.” That can save time for customers and companies.
AI will improve satisfaction among employees but must respect privacy
As chatbots improve, more calls from customers will be handled by machines − and with a higher “satisfaction” rating, says Gartner, the research company. Bots will do the mundane jobs (handling complaints and answering questions about product warranties), leaving employees to do more fulfilling stuff, such as coming up with ideas for products or plans for improving a warehouse’s efficiency.
Machines that truly understand language, including context, are still some way off (as an article in MIT Technology Review noted). There is also the important question of privacy regulation, which personalisation must not infringe. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (which came into force on 25 May), has given consumers more control over their personal data, which technology companies building bots will have to accommodate. Businesses will have to be compliant in how they store and use data from these conversations.
AI and humane marketing
The advent of AI and bots is such a significant development that it could well transform retail and company structures. By 2019, 10 per cent of new recruits in companies’ service departments will mostly write “scripts” for bot interaction, Gartner, has predicted.
Ultimately though, AI, bots and voice technology could be good news for businesses across multiple industries. In the not-so-distant past, a corner shop owner would know each of their customers and interact with them as individuals, without seeming over-familiar. Bots can already do the same – remembering customers’ likes and dislikes so they can make recommendations – and the capabilities will only grow.
Businesses will still need humans in call centres and customer service departments. That’s because bots cannot yet show the same degree of empathy or understand irony the way a human can. Yet AI’s power to deliver a personalised experience and its rapid use of customer insights are enabling us to deliver exceptional experiences born from both technological convenience and human understanding.
Source: contactcentres
Industry: unified communcation news

Latest Jobs
-
- IAM Product/ Project Manager
- Belgium
- Upto €80,000 plus benefits
-
IAM product/project manager is need for this expanding service provider to help develop their IAM (CIAM) strategy roadmap. This role will have two main functions, to work between the front end digital team and the backend IAM development team to ensure that the current deployment of the solution runs smoothly and is fit for purpose, the Second function is to look at the business’ future digital offerings and to understand how the IAM/CIAM solution will develop with the new digital strategy, you will be looking at the future technology and the ensuring the IAM solution is fit for purpose. The business is an agile environment and you will require agile experience. This is a great opportunity to help shape a key product within the future digital strategy of this expanding service provider. We are looking for someone with both IAM and strong product management experience Project management experience would be beneficial. If you are interested speak to Robert Anderton on 0044 (0) 7957 493501 and he will be able to discuss the role in more details IAM product/project manager is needed for this expanding service provider to help develop their IAM (CIAM) strategy roadmap. This role will have two main functions, to work between the front end digital team and the backend IAM development team to ensure that the current deployment of the solution runs smoothly and is fit for purpose, the second function is to look at the business’ future digital offerings and to understand how the IAM/CIAM solution will develop with the new digital strategy, you will be looking at the future technology and the ensuring the IAM solution is fit for purpose. The business is an agile environment and you will require agile experience. This is a great opportunity to help shape a key product within the future digital strategy of this expanding service provider. We are looking for someone with both IAM and strong product management experience Project management experience would be beneficial. If you are interested then speak to Robert Anderton on 0044 (0) 7957 493501 and he will be able to discuss the role in more details
-
- Cyber Incident Manager, Proactive planning and management. SC
- London
- N/A
-
Cyber Incident Manager, Proactive planning and management. Cyber incident Manager needed to join a large and complex business to help them prepare for a cyber related incidents. SC clearance will be required. Current or the ability to achieve. This role does not require specific current hands on technical Incident response experience, but this background would give a distinct advantage. The role has two key functions: to help the business prepare for an event and to steer them through when / if that happens. The Cyber Incident response managers role will include, but not be limited to; working with internal stakeholders to develop a security incident management plan along with its and supporting policies. Developing plans and implementing strategies on how incidents are detected, reported, assessed and responded to. Engaging with leadership teams both internal and external, proactively mapping out this large business to identify and engage the various other stakeholders and their teams. Build out and document incident scenarios and their processes, ensure incident management procedures are updated, playbooks and key training etc. You should have experience working with both internal teams and external suppliers. The role will also focus on liaising with the various teams to ensure the security incident response plan is delivered effectively. CCIM, GCIH, CIPR (NCSC-Certified Cyber Incident Planning & Response) Looking to interview immediately.
-
- SOC Manager. SC Clearance. Immediate opportunity.
- Unknown
- N/A
-
Permanent SOC Manager. SC cleared / clearable, London / Birmingham. SOC Manager needed to replace a SOC contractor I placed into a client who is due to complete their assignment at the end of March. The ability to achieve SC clearance is essential. Looking for someone that is a blend of strategic stakeholder engagement with strong technical skills. The role will sit in a relatively new SOC environment. The position is to setup, implementation and management of resources to help with the initial and on-going stages of a new SOC. Experience engaging with and managing client stakeholder relationships as well as 3rd party relationships is critical. The role will involve; setting up, implementing and fine tuning the various initial stages of a SOC environment. Experience establishing and building out technical process / operational capability, managing of technical teams (analysts, engineers and architects, creation of policy / playbooks, fine turning is key. SPLUNK is the tooling of choice… Interviewing immediately. Set up a call with me today on https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-soc-manager-role Direct contact details Chris.Holt@dclsearch.com or 07884666351
-
- Security engineer. Financial Services. UK. Permanent
- Unknown
- N/A
-
CH7863 Security engineer. End User . Financial Services Security Engineer needed to monitor and manage a security suite of tools within an End User environment. The Security Engiener will be responsible monitoring, configuring, fine tuning, incident management and generally improving the security tool capability. Specific experience with CyberArk, Tripwire Log Center and Tripwire Enterprise is highly desirable). Current experience with Vulnerability management and penetration testing is highly desirable. Specifically the ability to effectively manage 3rd party pen tests. You will be working within a specialist security team reporting to the CISO. Experience working within an end user environment within financial services is highly desirable. Flexible location. This is an exclusive role to DCL Search & Selection. To book a call please use my Calendy link https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-soc-role-