Last year, HubSpot published an article on the benefits of using AI for call center management. More businesses are taking advantage of this opportunity.
Automated outbound calls can save you a lot of time and money as an organization, by automating the frequently repeated calling processes. For instance, having your phone system automatically ask a user for their basic information can be much more efficient than having your agents do the same. And that’s especially when you have hundreds or thousands of users to get data from. This is why a growing number of businesses are leveraging AI technology to automate their outbound calls.
Though automated outbound calling holds a lot of benefits like low time expenditure and low costs, is it really effective? Are there more valuable ways to use AI to grow your business that offer a higher ROI? These are some lessons that we learn today in this guide. For instance, we’ll dive deep into what automated outbound calls are, how AI helps them work, as well as their top benefits and drawbacks. With that said, let’s dive in.
What Are Automated Outbound Calls?
The calls your phone system program makes to get certain information from a user are termed automated outbound calls. These calls are mostly pre-recorded and the program only runs the right recording at the right time. This helps save the calling agents from repeating themselves over and over.
This is one of the ways that companies can use AI to save money. AI helps them use their human resources more efficiently, which increases productivity at the same expense.
An example of automated outbound calls is when a provider lets you know the package you ordered has been shipped through a pre-recorded message. Similarly, when a company walks you through its setup process through a pre-recorded call, it’s using the automated outbound call feature that is managed through an AI interface.
How Do Automated Outbound Calls Work?
The automated outbound calls are directed by an AI program that automatically dials a list of given phone numbers as instructed and runs the given pre-recorded message. The AI takes a variety of variables into account before processing the call.
This way, automated calling allows businesses to deliver a certain message to as many users as they want, within the click of a button. Imagine sending a product update of a brand to thousands of customers manually. Automated calling can save several hours of your employees’ time and do the same with much less hassle.
Benefits of Using AI to Handle Automated Calling
Here are the main advantages of using AI to handle automated outbound calls.
Increased Productivity
Automated calling can take the productivity of your support staff to the next level, by letting them avoid repeating themselves over and over. Instead, this feature lets them focus on solving problems that require human support, like guiding a user through a complicated procedure. This way, your calling department will be able to handle lots of users efficiently, without requiring a lot of staff. This is one of the many ways that AI increases productivity.
Low Call Center Costs
Having an automated outbound calling feature for your company can bring your call center costs down to nothing. It’s because it only takes a pre-recorded message and an AI application to make automated outbound calls. Instead of paying a lot of callers for running a phone advertising campaign, you can set up automated outbound calls and have a program do the same.
Effective for Marketing
Last summer, VentureBeat wrote an article about AI executives taking advantage of the call center boom. One of the reasons they are investing in it is to scale their marketing strategies.
The automated outbound calling feature is widely used for marketing purposes. If you’re a business, calling your potential customers and introducing them to your services or products can be effective. Similarly, phone calls can also help you introduce a new service or product you just launched or an upcoming event to your existing customers. Either way, automated outbound calls can help you market your business a lot more effectively.
Drawbacks of Using AI to Manage Automated Calling
AI has its limitations like anything else. Below are the main cons of automated outbound calls:
May Irritate Customers
Humans love talking to humans, and not to pre-programmed machines – especially when they need some serious help. This is one way automated outbound calls can irritate your customers. When a customer picks up an automated call, they may find it annoying to not get the chance to ask a question or two, as in a regular call.
Low Conversion Rate
Another key disadvantage of automated calls is their low conversion rate. First and foremost, automated calls and robocalls often end up blocked by the user’s phone system. It’s because many users use phone systems that block callers who don’t dial a given digit, to validate if it’s a human being on the other end.
Apart from that, automated calls won’t give you the choice to target the unique pain points of each customer, which helps tremendously improve your conversion rate.
May Affect Overall Brand Image
Though automated calls are cost-effective and efficient, their user experience is nothing close to a professional humanoid call. For instance, the users will get the chance to interact and ask questions from a support agent but they can’t do the same when they receive an automated call. So, solely relying on automated calls can damage your brand image in the long run.
AI Technology Helps Companies Boost Productivity by Automating Outbound Calls
AI technology has provided a number of opportunities for companies to boost productivity. One of the benefits is by making outbound calls possible. This guide thoroughly explains what automated outbound calls are and how they work. We also looked into the top advantages and disadvantages of automated calls to help you determine if they’re a good option for your business.
To conclude, automated calls are definitely a productive feature but they shouldn’t come in the way of providing your customers with a good calling experience. Until next time, cheers!