The future has arrived already and even where you are not aware, there are computer systems that are dedicated to answering telephone calls from your customers, allowing the customer to say what they want, by offering a speech self-service facility, so the call can be put through to the correct individual.
How Does Self-Service Benefit a Business?
You may already have experienced self-service in a variety of locations. In several fast food operations, you can order your meal via a touchscreen, pay with your card and then move to the collection point, to gather your food and drinks. In grocery superstores, you can bypass the queues and scan your own food and other purchases by completing the scanning operation yourself, paying and leaving the premises. In both experiences, you have avoided any interaction with employees and where the process worked well, you will be sure to return and tell all your friends and family.
Speech self-service is very similar in many aspects. When the customer calls your organization, a computer will tell them that they can say whatever they want and to explain their needs and the computer will digest this information quickly and immediately put the customer through to the person that can deal with their query.
In this way, callers avoid speaking to a human on a switchboard and often waiting in a queue to even take part in that conversation. Where the human has been replaced by a button touch and menu operation system, there is an endless frustration on behalf of the caller who must listen to all the directions and hope they make the correct decision.
Who Uses Self-Service Speech Facilities?
Forward thinking and visionary organizations from a wide range of commercial, education and government departments use speech self-service to dramatically improve their call handling. This also reduces many operational costs and most importantly, increases the rate of customer satisfaction.
