John P. Joseph, VP Corporate Marketing, Envox Worldwide You Asked What’s Next for Speech?

Speech has come a long way since its introduction. No longer are callers startled when asked a question by an automated system, nor are they unsure how to answer. They simply speak to the system as they would to a live representative. The technology has evolved to the point to enable precise recognition of extremely large grammars – making it possible for the system to understand the answer with the same level of comprehension as that of the agent. This makes it an ideal time to re-think how to use speech. Following are a few of the trends that we are seeing:

Outbound instructional and data collection solutions:

Proactively contacting customers is a great way to increase loyalty and offer additional value. For example, a customer that just purchased a DVD player might appreciate a call from the manufacturer asking if they need help with installation. If the customer is ready, a speech-enabled solution could walk that person through set-up, asking questions along the way to make sure everything is working properly. Or, a mobile phone company could call customers to explain how to use a new feature. Similar solutions could be designed to collect customer information for warranty registrations, rebates or frequent buyer offers.

Location-based services: The proliferation of speech and mobile devices goes hand in hand. Many organizations are leveraging location information to add more value to customer interactions. For example, a traditional store locator solution would ask the caller to enter a zip code. Terrific if the customer is sitting at home, but not really helpful when they are mobile. Instead, the solution could be designed to report the closest store to their current exact location or prompt for a different city or state. Even more valuable, the application could even be integrated with a GPS solution to provide turn by turn directions. All the while, the speech-enabled interface ensures convenient hands-free operation.

Speech enabled routing:

Every organization should have a speech attendant to direct callers to the employee or department that they need – it’s a great way to add value and save money at the same time. However, many organizations are opting for more sophisticated speech-driven solutions that ask a few questions and combine the spoken answers with caller identification information to pinpoint the person best suited to help.

Richer self-service and agent automation

Natural language, otherwise known as “say anything” solutions, have finally come of age. They can now be used to offload more complex activities including order processing, problem resolution, technical troubleshooting and more.

Unified communications:

The delays inherent in responding to voice mail, especially in the contact center, can have a negative impact on your company’s image. Instead, use speech recognition to convert those messages to text. The text can then be e-mailed either to the intended recipient or a group of “back-up” agents for immediate follow-up.

Multi-modal solutions:

The mobile phone is quickly becoming a powerful device that goes beyond simply enabling a conversation with your organization. Today, forward thinking organizations are incorporating SMS, rich text and video on demand into their customer facing solutions. Technical support organizations are able to offer access to videos to better demonstrate solutions. Financial services companies are sending text confirmations of requested account information. Directory assistance solutions are providing additional details and/or information to customers after understanding their request. Speech is an integral element in these solutions making them more convenient and easier to use.

Each organization is unique and will find different ways to utilize speech to achieve their specific goals. To understand how speech can make the most impact within your organization, take the time to carefully examine your business processes and gather input from employees and managers across all areas of the business. Listen to actual customer calls to better understand how your callers are interacting with your organization and what they really want. Find new ways to add value to every customer interaction. Then, create a speech strategy that will result in benefits for both you and your customers.

John Joseph is vice president of corporate marketing at Envox Worldwide, a voice solutions provider based in Westborough, Mass. Envox Worldwide