Best Practices for Speech Analytics Technology in Call Centers

Any organization can greatly benefit from using speech analytics in the call center. However, simply purchasing and using this technology without a strategy will not provide the desired outcomes. Instead, the speech analytics solution needs to be thoughtfully implemented as part of a larger strategic initiative – one that has buy-in from leadership and employees and is backed with ongoing training and support from the solutions partner.

Before signing on with a speech analytics partner, consider the following questions to determine your priorities and business goals.

What are the strategic goals of the organization, and how can speech analytics help achieve them? If the business is focused on building a partnership with a key client, can the call center provide insights into that client’s customer base? These insights could include customer complaints, billing confusion, or interest in other products.

What are the organization’s biggest pain points? Is it more important to assess compliance risk or to learn how to retain high-performing employees? Determining these priorities will show the call center where to focus.

Based on those priorities, the call center will identify relevant transcription searches for collecting data and the appropriate metrics. That initial dataset provides a baseline against which you can measure progress once managers begin making changes. Starting small, perhaps with a few targeted searches or initial metrics, will make it easier to refine searches. Additionally, it achieves a few early wins and shows progress.

Call centers should choose metrics that business leaders will understand and value. These metrics will make the return on the investment clear. Regularly sharing results with leadership and employees will build trust and provide the context people need to support and participate in the program.

Setting up searches to highlight good agent performance is another way to build trust. When managers see their agents doing something well, they have an opportunity to get other agents on board in support of the tools.

Call centers must also dedicate the appropriate internal resources to the project. However, if the speech analytics software puts a strain on existing resources, it’s time to consider other providers. Ideally, the provider acts as an extension of your internal team and works closely with you to create a schedule for rolling out the implementation and the ongoing training schedule.

It’s also important to be realistic about the amount of time it could take to fine-tune and align the search categories and scorecards with the business goals. A good speech analytics provider will help spearhead communication with other departments and manage expectations.

Onboarding and training are key to ensuring best practices for speech analytics technology in call centers. Choose a provider that offers managed support – not only with implementation, but also with training managers on how to use the solution and interpret the results. Because business goals change, this support should be ongoing.

An MSaaS provider will continue to help refine transcription searches to get actionable data. This support includes creating new initiatives and troubleshooting problems. The ideal speech analytics provider becomes part of the client’s team as they work together to achieve business objectives.

More specifically, the one-on-one training and support from the provider will help the business derive actionable information from the speech analytics solution. In doing so, this technology will reveal opportunities for improving agent training and ultimately the customer experience.

Speech analytics technology often leads to positive change. It can highlight patterns and trends that may prompt the business to move in a new direction or even abandon traditional thinking. Sharing data regularly with senior leadership helps identify those trends and paves the way for addressing them. Bearing this in mind will keep the organization moving in the right direction, reaping the benefits along the way.

If you are interested in using speech analytics technology in your call center, ask to speak with a CallFinder expert today!