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How Agent Assist AI Reduces Call Handling Time and Upsells

Madhuri Gourav
November 8, 2024

Last modified on

Contact centers face the constant challenge of balancing high-quality service with operational efficiency. Issues like long average handling times (AHT), missed upsell opportunities, and compliance lapses hinder agents from delivering their best. Agent assist AI offers a powerful solution, providing real-time support that empowers agents to resolve these challenges seamlessly.

This blog explores how agent-assist AI reduces handling time, enhances upsell opportunities, and ensures SLA compliance. 

Real-time prompts, instant knowledge access, and live call analysis. Discover Convin’s agent assist AI!

What is Agent Assist AI?

Agent assist AI is an advanced technology solution designed to help support agents manage interactions with greater ease and effectiveness. Through real-time agent assist, it provides instant suggestions, prompts, and alerts that improve the quality of conversations and reduce the time agents spend on each call. 

It operates via agent assist software, available in different formats, such as the agent assist app and agent assist web, which enables agents to access real-time support directly within their workflow.

What is Agent Assistance, and What Are Its Core Functions?

Agent assistance refers to technology solutions that aid contact center agents by providing relevant information, suggestions, and scripts during customer interactions. This support ensures that agents can respond to queries accurately and efficiently, reducing stress and improving performance. 

Agent assist AI combines machine learning and natural language processing to understand conversations and provide timely guidance that aligns with the caller's needs.

Therefore, agent assist AI enhances agent performance and efficiency by providing intelligent support, ensuring smoother customer interactions, and allowing contact centers to scale effectively.

Working model of agent assist 

How Agent Assist Software Supports Agents in Real Time

Agent assist software is crucial in supporting agents by delivering guidance precisely when needed. 

For instance, agent-assist apps integrated with the CRM system can suggest relevant information about a product or service, providing real-time data to agents handling calls. 

Similarly, agent-assist web platforms allow agents to access guided checklists, dynamic prompts, and product recommendations in real-time, enabling more confident and efficient responses.

Using agent assist AI, agents can maintain high accuracy and efficiency during calls, which translates into improved customer experience and faster issue resolution.

Key Benefits of Implementing Agent Assist AI Software

Implementing agent-assisted AI in contact centers yields several significant benefits, from improved efficiency and reduced handling times to better upsell opportunities and enhanced SLA compliance. The added support enables agents to perform at their best, resulting in a seamless customer experience.

  1. Improved Agent Productivity and Customer Satisfaction: With the right support, agents work more efficiently, handling calls faster and more accurately. Agent-assisted AI enhances productivity and allows contact centers to improve customer satisfaction through faster resolution times and high-quality interactions. Contact centers can also see increased customer loyalty and repeat business as customer satisfaction rises.
  2. Cost Efficiency with Agent Assist Pricing Models: Many agent assist solutions offer flexible agent assist pricing models that are cost-effective for call centers of all sizes. Whether subscription-based or usage-based, these models make it easy for companies to scale the technology according to their needs. Flexible pricing helps contact centers integrate agent assist AI within budget, maximizing value while minimizing costs.

Reducing Average Handling Time with Agent Assist AI

Reducing average handling time is a key objective for contact centers, as lower AHT improves customer satisfaction and overall efficiency. Agent Assist AI helps minimize AHT by offering instant access to relevant information and providing dynamic prompts, which streamline the call process and reduce time spent searching for answers.

How Real-Time Agent Assist Minimizes Call Duration

Real-time agent assist is instrumental in shortening call duration by providing agents with immediate insights and suggested actions. Agents can respond faster by accessing necessary information on the spot, reducing the need for lengthy call handling. 

For example, agent assist software can instantly display relevant details when a caller has a question about an ongoing promotion, eliminating the need for prolonged holds or additional queries.

By integrating agent-assisted AI, companies have seen an average handling time reduction of up to 56 seconds per call, as noted by Harvard Business Review—a significant improvement in efficiency.

Benefits of using agent assist in real-time
Benefits of using agent assist in real-time

Proactive Prompts and Guided Scripts for Efficiency

Agent assist AI offers guided scripts and real-time prompts that prevent agents from missing important information. These prompts help agents stay on track and address critical information efficiently. With proactive guidance, agents can quickly resolve issues and move on to the next call without lengthy pauses or callbacks, further lowering AHT.

Using guided scripts, agents are more efficient and consistent in their responses, leading to improved customer satisfaction.

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Boosting Upsell Opportunities with Agent Assist AI

Agent-assist AI has a decisive role in enhancing upsell opportunities during customer interactions. By providing real-time data, agent-assist software identifies potential cross-selling and upselling cues, allowing agents to make timely recommendations. This feature enhances revenue and customer experience by presenting relevant offers that meet customer needs.

Contact center technology to identify competitors
Contact center technology to identify competitors

Leveraging Dynamic Battlecards and Contextual Prompts

One key way agents assist AI boosts upselling is by using dynamic battlecards—context-sensitive prompts that appear based on conversation cues. These battlecards guide agents through upselling scenarios, enabling them to make accurate recommendations. 

For instance, if a customer expresses interest in an upgraded service, the agent assist AI may prompt the agent with a detailed list of benefits tailored to that customer’s profile.

By leveraging battlecards, agents can feel more confident in offering additional services, which translates into higher upsell conversion rates.

Real-Time Analysis of Customer Needs and Preferences

Real-time agent assist enables agents to identify customer needs quickly and accurately. The AI analyzes conversations as they happen, using cues such as customer sentiment, past purchases, and queries to suggest relevant upsell options. This proactive approach enables agents to deliver targeted offers more likely to result in sales.

A report by McKinsey found that businesses using AI-driven upselling techniques increased sales by 15% within the first quarter, thanks to data-driven recommendations.

Ensuring SLA Compliance with Agent Assist AI

SLA compliance is essential in contact centers, where meeting service-level agreements directly impacts customer satisfaction and brand reputation. Agent assist AI helps ensure SLA compliance by monitoring agent performance and providing alerts and suggestions that align agents with organizational standards.

How Real-Time Monitoring Supports SLA Adherence

Real-time monitoring ensures agents adhere to SLAs by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and notifying them if they deviate from compliance standards. 

For instance, support agent AI might alert an agent to escalating wait times or an unresolved issue, prompting them to take immediate action to meet SLA targets.

With real-time guidance, agents can proactively address compliance issues before they impact customer satisfaction.

Proactive Alerts and Notifications for Compliance Management

Agent assist AI provides notifications that keep agents informed about their compliance status. If an agent risks missing an SLA metric, the AI can deliver an instant prompt with corrective actions. These proactive alerts make it easier for agents to meet their targets and maintain SLA compliance.

Using automated alerts, agents are empowered to meet SLAs consistently, reducing the need for post-call reviews or corrective interventions.

100% Compliance Monitoring with Convin

Convin’s agent assist platform ensures 100% compliance monitoring using real-time tracking and AI-powered alerts. This approach helps agents stay on track and ensures that quality standards are upheld across all interactions​.

In conclusion, agent assist AI is instrumental in upholding SLA standards, making compliance easier to manage while keeping customers satisfied.

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Conclusion

Agent assist AI is a transformative tool for contact centers, helping reduce handling time, boost upsell success, and ensure SLA compliance. By offering real-time support through tools like the agent assist app and agent assist web, it empowers agents to handle calls more effectively. Solutions like Convin’s agent assist AI in demonstrating the impact of these tools on improving agent productivity, enhancing customer experience, and driving revenue growth.

Transform your contact center’s performance with Convin’s agent-assisted AI. Discover how real-time support can drive faster resolutions, boost upsell conversions, and ensure compliance easily. Schedule your demo today and experience the Convin advantage!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between agent assist AI and traditional CRM tools?
Agent assist AI provides real-time guidance and contextual prompts during customer interactions, while traditional CRM tools mainly store customer data and history without offering dynamic, in-call support.

2. How does agent assist AI integrate with existing contact center software?
Most agent assist AI solutions integrate seamlessly with popular CRM and contact center platforms, enabling real-time guidance without disrupting current workflows.

3. What industries benefit the most from agent assist AI?
Industries like e-commerce, financial services, healthcare, and telecommunications benefit significantly from agent assist AI due to high call volumes and the need for quick, accurate responses.

4. Is agent assist AI customizable for specific business needs?
Yes, agent assist AI can be customized to match specific business workflows, compliance standards, and sales goals, making it adaptable across various industries.

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