Measuring ROI for your conversational AI

Artificial Intelligence is the buzzword of the contact centre industry, and it’s not going anywhere!

However, some organisations are still waiting for AI technology to develop to the point of being completely mature and widely adopted.

According to Gartner’s emerging technologies hype cycle – Conversational AI Platforms sit as an Innovation Trigger where the plateau will be reached in the next 5-10 years. Even though we’re still a few years away from the peak, all that AI promises to deliver is certainly worth the hype and is available right now!

While AI technologies are yet to reach their peak, this is a prime time for companies to be making preparations, so they can be prepared to implement AI fully when the time comes.

There are some common reasons why contact centres aren’t leveraging AI technologies just yet. These include the fear of adopting new technologies, difficulty in allocating budget and understanding where AI can fit in their operational and growth strategies.

Furthermore, with so many AI vendor options to choose from, it can be confusing and very difficult to see the forest through the trees.

When organisations are considering implementing AI in their contact centre it is imperative to be clear about its purpose. Purpose effects the choice of technology and how ROI can be measured.

Below are some examples of the Conversational AI’s implemented in the contact centre purpose and use:

• Transactional – with the primary intent is to sell, for example online sales
• Communicative – With the primary intent is to inform, for example transportation organisations, restaurant industry.
• Diagnostic – With the primary intent is to identify, for example solving medical issues or a customer diagnostic tool for utilities companies.
• Educative – With the primary intent is to learn, for example creating a knowledge base where new agents can ask the conversational AI questions and they receive responses.

To be a big player in the Conversational AI space, the technology needs to demonstrate consequential use and advantageous outcomes that are related directly to the systems overall purpose.

When you have identified the purpose of the Conversational AI in your contact centre, you then have the ability to measure its value.

For Example:

Once you have established what the purpose is and how you are going to track the outcomes of the Conversational AI, you are ready to build your business case to secure your budget.

Early adopters will benefit from continued evolution of the technology which will ultimately streamline call centre operations and the overall experiences for your customers and agents.

Don’t wait for AI to mature, be ahead of your competitors and implement today!