Recently, there have been many opportunities to see the success of AI in the business scene.

Negative topics such as “Many jobs will be replaced by AI in 10 years” tend to take precedence, but AI is also a presence that can replace monotonous jobs and jobs that are physically and mentally taxing. .

One good example of how the introduction of AI has reduced the burden and stress of the workplace and has led to improved work efficiency is telephone support.

In this article, we will introduce the merits and utilization methods of the AI-based telephone answering system.

What is an AI phone auto answerer?

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is artificial intelligence .

It is a system that reproduces human intelligence on a computer and makes it possible to think and act like humans.

AI telephone automatic response is a service that uses AI voice recognition and language processing to respond to telephone calls.

AI accumulates knowledge through learning and can analyze huge amounts of past data to make predictions and decisions.

Until now, it has been thought that everything was handled by people, because telephone support consists of conversations with the other party.

However, if you cut out the primary receiving and relaying parts, you will notice that there are many stereotyped exchanges that are easy to manualize .

With the development of AI technology, the accuracy of speech recognition and language processing has improved, making it possible to respond to standard conversations, and today it has even been put into practical use for answering telephone calls.

What is the difference between AI support and IVR (Interactive Voice Response System)?

Systems that automate phone calls include IVR (Interactive Voice Response ) .

By playing voice guidance over the phone and having the other party enter the number, the IVR performs the set processing or transfers the call to the relevant department.

It is a system that has been introduced to call centers that handle a large number of calls, but the weak point is that it can only be answered by entering a number, so the scope of application is limited.

• Multiple-choice questions such as “1 for new applications, 2 for changes …”
• Questions that can be answered with numbers, such as phone number or date of birth

The AI ​​telephone automatic response system capable of language processing recognizes speech, so it can respond to non-selective questions.

If you don’t have to listen to all of the options before answering, the time it takes to get your phone connected can be greatly reduced.

Effect of telephone response automation

Even before the full-scale introduction of AI for telephone correspondence, telephone calls were automated by IVR.

Let’s see the effect of automating phone calls.

Business efficiency

Ideally, you should be able to connect with the person you want to talk to immediately on the phone, but if an employee picks up the landline phone and responds, there will be a one-cushion before connecting to the target person in charge.

Employees who pick up the phone will stop working on matters that have nothing to do with them, and customers will have to talk to completely unrelated people before being connected to the person in charge. yeah.

Simplify your phone conversations by eliminating unnecessary one-steps for each other .

You will no longer lose your concentration by answering the phone, which will lead to improved work efficiency.

Reduced call costs

Consider the cost of an employee answering the company’s phone and making a referral.

30 seconds after picking up the phone, even if the person in charge was able to connect immediately.

It takes about 5 minutes when I’m away and creating a message memo.

Considering the number of calls per day, you can see that it is a number that cannot be ignored.

Reducing routine phone calls as much as possible is an important point for cost reduction.

reduce stress

Stress from dealing with too many phone calls or dealing with nuisance calls can have a negative impact on your core business.

Automating phone calls that shouldn’t have to be answered can help improve mental health.

Advantages of AI support

Some of you may be worried that if a human does not respond, the other party may feel inconvenienced or may not be able to handle the call correctly.

However, AI technology is evolving day by day, and there are many successful cases of telephone support.

There is also the advantage of using AI instead of humans.

Customers can just speak normally

With IVR, you have to make a decision after listening to the guidance, so the more options you have, the more time it takes.

Furthermore, there were times when customers could not select the correct number because they missed the guidance or did not know which one to select even after listening to the end.

As a result, you may not be connected to the most suitable department, and you may end up passing around .

Since AI can analyze the content of answers in language, it is OK just to have them speak normally.

We do not impose an extra burden on our customers.

can transcribe audio

Have you ever felt that you couldn’t hear the other party’s voice when you listened to the message on the answering machine, or that it was annoying to take notes?

AI can transcribe from voice, so you can leave the message as it is .

If it is text, you can check it whenever you want without having to play the audio.

Able to respond in a fixed form

The language of AI is not yet at the level where it can be freely spoken, but it is possible to respond according to the scenario prepared in advance.

for example,

• Ask the department in charge
• Verify customer contact
• Listens to requests and responds accordingly

There are some things that can be completed by AI alone, such as answering “frequently asked questions” and inquiring about contract details.

For complicated matters, it is necessary for an operator to respond, but since we can start from the stage where the customer information interview is completed, we can take over after making appropriate preparations in advance.

don’t be busy

As long as humans are answering, there is a finite number of calls that can be answered at once.
If the number of calls exceeds the staff’s capacity, we may not be able to answer the phone for a long time.
It is not easy to adjust the number of people depending on how busy the phone is, but one of the merits of AI is that it can respond regardless of the number of people.

Even during times when phone calls are concentrated, you can receive messages and return information, so you don’t have to make repeated calls to customers.

Standardization of response quality is possible

There are individual differences in telephone response skills, and there will always be variations in response .

Even talented people may not be able to perform at their best if they are sick or busy with work.

Furthermore, as long as humans are responding, human errors such as “I got the wrong message” or “I forgot to send a message because I was busy” are unavoidable.

When AI responds, call quality can be maintained at a consistent level, leading to an increase in overall customer satisfaction.

Utilization scene of AI response

A lot of resources are allocated for corporate phone calls to call someone other than yourself.

This part can be handled in a standardized manner, making it easy to introduce AI, and it also has the advantage of being able to handle a large number of calls at the same time.

Let’s take a look at how to use the AI ​​telephone answering service that can be expected to be effective.

Intermediation of representative telephone

A representative telephone that concentrates all types of calls addressed to the company.

We receive a lot of calls, and if we don’t manage the traffic properly, we can’t do our job.

With the introduction of AI, it is possible to listen to “requests from departments in charge and persons in charge” and “tasks” and automatically distribute them to the appropriate department according to the conditions .

Acceptance of reservations, orders, and document requests

Reservations, orders, and requests for information materials are areas where it is easy to automate operations with AI, as hearing items such as names and contact information are fixed.

Even if there is a high volume of calls during peak hours, you will not miss any sales opportunities.

Since the content of the interview can be converted into text, the record of the reception by phone will also be kept.

Call center primary reception

At call centers, complaints often arise during peak hours, such as the days when charges are debited, that the calls are too busy to connect.

Many people must have had the experience of being irritated by the busy line even after making a phone call.

With the AI ​​phone-compatible service, you can receive calls at the same time even if the calls are concentrated .

AI will also guide you back and answer messages when it is busy, so even if you can’t connect to an operator immediately, you can follow up on the calls you receive.

Make phone calls more efficient with “Canario”!

NEC Networks & System Integration is developing a service that uses AI to facilitate business communication.

Currently, we have a lineup of four services, including the AI-powered phone support service ” Canario” .

Canary

This is a service that uses AI to perform primary phone calls, recognizes the name of the person in charge by voice, and forwards the call .

No need for office phone call.

You can answer calls addressed to yourself even when you are away from home, so you will never miss a business opportunity.

Telephone number, telephone transfer, message

AI is in charge of all phone calls in the company, and handles and messages.

It also helps promote telework because it eliminates the need for an office phone number.

Name transfer to contact person

AI recognizes the speech of the other party.

If there is a designated person in charge, we will determine the forwarding destination by name and connect the call.

Message text

When you can’t answer the phone, you can convert it into text and send it to your email or business chat.

You can check it at any time from your computer or smartphone, so you can work on the go or telework.

Night/overtime support

Because it is AI, it is possible to respond 24 hours a day.

Out of hours support is available, or you can schedule a response during business hours.

Canario AI Voicemail

This is a service that allows you to check messages recorded on your mobile phone’s answering machine in both voice data and text .

The text of the message is notified to e-mail, smartphone application, LINE, Slack, etc. You can check it with the app you always use, so you won’t miss it.

Messages are stored for one year after they are received and can be searched, so they can be used as correspondence history.

If you link the phone book data, you can rest assured that the caller’s name can be displayed even if it is not registered on your smartphone.

Canario Reception desk

This is a service that automatically accepts callbacks for missed calls and creates a list.

Since it also has an IVR function, it is suitable for processing a large amount of incoming calls such as call centers .

Even if the customer does not answer the phone, all they have to do is wait for a call back.

You can also output reports such as response time, number pushed by IVR, responder, etc., which is useful for business improvement.

Canario SMS delivery reservation

This is a service that allows you to send SMS all at once at a scheduled date and time .

By using SMS, which has a high opening rate, instead of calling for campaign guidance and reminders, you can provide more efficient and convenient guidance.

The text can be made into a template, and customization such as including the customer’s name is also supported.

Article Summary

By utilizing the AI-based telephone answering service,

• A large number of calls can be handled without missing anything
• Reduce access time from customers to representatives
• You don’t need a phone number, so you can concentrate on your work
• Maintain a consistent level of phone support

It is possible to solve problems related to telephone correspondence collectively.

There is no need to worry about “But AI seems to be difficult …”.

“Canario” can be installed regardless of industry or scale, and is easy to set up.

Please feel free to contact us for details.