The conversational AI solutions helping the industry to deliver better, faster and safer customer service

By Gaia Lamperti

More than half of customer service agents say they botch how they record customer requests during service calls, with nearly 40% admitting they regularly fail to understand their customers’ needs, showed new research by American software company Pegasystems Inc.

The study found out that outdated technologies and lack of relevant training were causing customer-facing staff a number of headaches, leading to frustration for both agents and the customers they serve.

In response to these findings, Pegasystems recently launched Pega Voice AI and Messaging AI, two new complementing solutions that analyse customer service conversations in real-time to help agents quickly resolve service requests with reduced manual effort.

“There’s never been a more important time for businesses to arm their customer service operatives to operate as brand ambassadors,” said Sabrina Atienza, Director, Product Management, Pegasystems. “Over the last two years, customer expectations have skyrocketed to the point where exceptional service is now demanded as standard across every interaction.”

The development, completion and training of the AI-powered solutions took two solid years, explains Atienza, and focused on using these tools to help accelerate digital transformation in customer service across different verticals.

“They were designed to augment and assist agents rather than substitute them, addressing tedious manual tasks like filling out forms but also helping to detect customers’ needs to make them feel heard and valued,” she told IBS Intelligence.

To provide the most efficient, empathetic service possible, Voice AI and Messaging AI do not analyse previous interactions, such as call or chat transcripts, but are applied in real-time. Pegasystem is also already working on a sentiment analysis addition to detect when customers are experiencing distress or to measure their satisfaction with the service.

“As expectations continue to rise, organizations must prepare themselves by investing in the right solutions to deliver the outcomes their customers not only demand but also deserve, or risk being left behind,” Atienza added.

The tool also facilitates regulatory compliance, KYC processes and contributes to fraud prevention, making it a top choice for financial services institutions and insurance companies.

“Voice AI has a multitude of benefits for financial service organisations. It will be applied to the largest, most common and high-volume tasks such as payment or fee enquiries as well as to more complex and high-value lending and advisory services,” Steve Morgan, Global Industry Lead for Financial Services at Pegasystems told us.

For example, Morgan explained, Voice AI can support a banking customer service agent on the phone with customers wanting to apply for a mortgage, or clients requesting a commercial banking loan.

“The technology can hands-free auto-fill a form accurately and in real-time, making it easier and quicker for the employee to record important details, driving efficiency, reducing costs, improving compliance and increasing customer and employee satisfaction. You will be able to suggest different options direct to client or via a staff member linked to say product or service options for their business cash flow needs,” he added.

An area that has been largely unexplored until now, voice and messages analysis with AI represents a significant opportunity for the industry from fraud prevention and regulatory compliance to delivering personal, proactive, and pre-emptive service experiences.