The use and popularity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is growing every day. AI has already begun to impact the industry substantially and is slowly being integrated into traditional forms of technology.
Another area where AI is having an impact is the VoIP industry. All over the world, VoIP is becoming more popular among businesses big and small. When VoIP is combined with AI, the potential for an easier, more efficient workflow increases dramatically.
Before we dive into the intersection of VoIP and AI, let's cover the basics of each and why they are important individually.
What Is AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) involves utilizing computers to do tasks that traditionally require human intelligence and interaction. AI solutions can imitate human capabilities like understanding, reasoning, planning, communication, and perception to perform tasks that may be difficult, tedious, or time-consuming, all while saving time and money.
What is VoIP?
VoIP stands for “Voice Over Internet Protocol.” VoIP is a modern phone service that delivers sounds (or voice) over the internet rather than through a telephone company. It is a technology that takes analog audio from a telephone and turns it into digital data. This digital data is then recorded and sent over the internet to a specific destination, where it is played back for the person on the other end of your phone call.
VoIP can be incredibly useful for companies of all sizes, especially those that receive many calls per day. Typically, VoIP solutions are much cheaper than traditional phone services. Unlike traditional phone services, however, VoIP can lag. This does not mean that voice quality is affected. However, there may be a delay in audio, making for an off conversation. This can be where AI is beneficial.
How Can AI Benefit VoIP?
AI can often help to reduce the lag or latency that can occur when using VoIP. AI can usually detect any problems in call quality while on a call and quickly fix them. Traditionally, if there were a problem with call quality, the solution would be to purchase new hardware or software, which can be expensive and unnecessary. With AI, the worry of processing speed should no longer be an issue as AI can handle data much faster than any existing technology.
AI is also able to assist with low-bandwidth and incorrect network configurations in real time. This allows for no need for a tech or maintenance person to be deployed to resolve issues. An AI solution will detect and disclose any problems and fix them immediately without any human interaction. Some AI solutions can also analyze voice data and provide insights into your business’s customer behaviors.
As previously mentioned, VoIP is an excellent solution for large or small businesses. While companies or call centers receive hundreds of calls per day, VoIP can help, but implementing AI can simplify tasks and make things convenient for your staff and customers alike. AI can help direct call traffic, routing it to extensions, auto attendants, call queues departments by utilizing machine learning techniques.
This adds incredible value to bustling businesses and increases unification, organization, and clear communication for all parties involved. This can help ease caller frustration, improve the user’s productivity, and ensure that all concerns are addressed successfully and in a timely manner.
AI can increase workflow by implementing virtual assistants within your business. Many websites use AI, such as chatbots, to help customers solve issues. AI-powered virtual assistants can improve interpretations of customers’ needs. This will help companies adjust workflows to save time and frustration. It will allow them to redirect customers to a particular destination as needed (especially if an inquiry requires someone with more experience handling more complex issues).
Examples of AI and VoIP Working Together
AI can improve your VoIP experience in multiple ways.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems
IVR systems automatically respond to customer questions or concerns with AI assistants. These assistants allow businesses to serve more customers at once without hiring more employees to take calls actively. IVR and AI implemented solutions have many features, but the following are some of the most popular:
- Text and speech recognition – AI and IVR systems can understand and respond to written and spoken messages from customers and direct them to the best source of assistance
- Intent recognition – the system can decipher what the customer is trying to communicate with anAI tool that can help them based on their content.
- Contextual guidance – the system keeps track of earlier statements and can reference them later as needed.
- Multilingualism – the system can understand and communicate in many languages.
During a live call, AI assistants can simultaneously collect and analyze all relevant information related to the customer and work to resolve a query as quickly as possible. It can efficiently and effectively access the necessary data faster than an agent who may have to put a caller on hold to access this.
In time, AI-powered IVR systems will improve and increase the customer service experience. It is important to note that these systems do not eliminate the need for human interaction but rather filter through the more complex inquiries that may overwhelm or occupy the time of human representatives who could better assist in other areas.
AI-Enabled Web Conferencing
Web conferencing has become increasingly popular over the past year. Before 2020, AI has been improving due to the increasing need for faster internet speeds and the ever-changing telecom technology. AI can advance it even further by offering live language translation and speech recognition technologies, both of which can significantly improve businesses.
This provides worldwide services, international office locations, clients, or stakeholders with diverse and geographical backgrounds. AI-enabled web conferencing can also help to guide conversations by offering intelligent prompts, ice-breakers, and relevant data to ensure a productive meeting.
AI-Powered Call Recording Analysis
AI technology can filter through call recordings and find specific calls that might lead to poor customer service or customer satisfaction as well as more. These AI tools can also identify recurring topics or trends that are occurring. Challenges that your agents or representatives often encounter can also be tracked as well. AI can also assist agents in training and help them provide excellent customer support and avoid losing clients.
Chatbots
Chatbots have been used for years because they are valuable tools that can help guide customers through text or audio messages. Companies use chatbots to automate some (often mundane) customer queries or interactions. AI-enabled chatbots can be configured to perform more complex tasks like setting appointment times, meetings, sending reminders, inviting members, managing schedules, and more.
AI-powered systems can improve business communication operations, which is why they are so eager to implement them. VoIP systems can positively impact your business goals in terms of communication needs and financial targets. Modern technology is here to help both the customers and the business make processes much easier and more efficient than ever before.
