What is Agent Assist?

Agent assist typically refers to AI technology that helps agents deliver better customer experiences. Cutting-edge agent assist offers relevant information in real time so employees can confidently navigate conversations with customers. Real-time notifications with relevant talking points are triggered by what is said and not said during the conversations.

Agent assist technology is a powerful tool for revenue teams, particularly when it comes to scaling coaching and training efforts. Tailored real-time recommendations allow managers to quickly ramp new reps, increase productivity among existing sales reps and ensure consistent communication across teams.

The History of Agent Assist

The roots of agent assist can be traced back to the early days of computer science and artificial intelligence. The goal was to create computer programs that could provide assistance to users in a manner similar to a human assistant.

The first generation of virtual assistants had limited capabilities, mainly being used as automated customer service systems. However, as technology and machine learning advanced, the second generation emerged, bringing with them improved language understanding and the ability to perform complex tasks.

With the rise of smart devices and mobile technology, virtual assistants have become a part of everyday life for millions of people. Today’s most popular virtual assistants can perform a wide range of tasks, from setting reminders and answering questions to controlling smart home devices and playing music.

In recent years, there’s been a growing trend of companies incorporating virtual assistants into their customer service operations (often called agent assist). This allows businesses to boost productivity, which is the top priority for customer service leaders.

Examples of Agent Assist in Action

Agent assist is revolutionizing the world of customer service. Here are a few examples of ways this technology is being used to streamline the customer experience:

1. Chatbots: Chatbots are one of the most commonly used forms of virtual assistance in customer service. These AI-powered virtual assistants can handle a wide range of customer inquiries, from answering FAQs to resolving basic issues. Chatbots are efficient, cost-effective, and provide quick responses to customers, leading to a better overall customer experience.
2. Voice Assistance: Voice-activated virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are also being used in customer service. Companies can use these virtual assistants to provide customers with information and support or to direct them to the right human representative.
3. Automated Workflows: Virtual assistance can also streamline the workflow of customer service teams. Automated workflows can be set up to route customer inquiries to the appropriate team member, ensuring that each inquiry is handled quickly and efficiently.
4. Real-Time Guidance: Voice-triggered notifications offer reps the answers to technical questions during live calls. Instead of wasting time researching this information or asking their manager, reps are able to quickly deliver the right answers because of this critical technology.

See how RSC Health reps use Revenue.io agent assist technology to answer tough questions during live calls.

How to Deliver Better Customer Experiences

When talking to buyers or customers, agents are often faced with questions that they don’t know the answer to. In the past, this required agents to place customers on hold while they search for the answer or even transfer the call. However, with agent assist technology agents can automatically receive the answers to tough questions in real time.

As an example, if a customer asks a tough technical question about the product, an agent assist could use AI-powered voice recognition technology to recognize that a common technical question is being asked and provide an answer in real time. So an agent could automatically receive an answer to a tough question like, “How many custom fields does your managed package create in Salesforce?”

Another example is the scenario where a prospect mentions a competitor on a call, and a new rep is unsure how to move the conversation forward. With agent assist technology, a competitor’s name will instantly trigger a notification with competitive talking points so the rep can respond confidently and steer the conversation back on course.

How to Guide Reps to Have More Successful Conversations

With the drop we’ve seen in conversations recently (an 11.7% decrease YoY), every single interaction with customers is all the more important. Here are some ways agent assist can make conversations more successful:

• Guides reps with critical information at the exact moment they need it
• Arms reps with responses to any objection right at their fingertips
• Dramatically cuts rep ramp time so new reps start generating revenue faster
• Helps reps through any sales situation as if their coach is on the call with them
• Presents reps with technical answers to improve their product knowledge
• Makes great customer experiences the norm

Agent assist solutions also provide real-time transcription of conversations, which can then be analyzed. By integrating agent assist technology with conversation intelligence, managers can receive alerts when calls require coaching. Calls and meetings can also be sorted into call libraries that can help new reps ramp faster.