In the ever-evolving landscape of customer service, there is increased pressure on contact centers to adapt and innovate to meet growing expectations. Traditional quality management (QM) methods, once deemed sufficient, are being reevaluated as businesses seek more dynamic and efficient approaches to enhance the customer experience. We’ll explore what automated quality management is, and why it plays an essential role in transforming contact center operations.
What is automated quality management?
Automated quality management is a transformative approach to evaluating and improving the performance of contact center agents. This in turn enhances the overall customer experience, providing more seamless and positive interactions. Traditional quality management processes often involve time-consuming and tedious manual processes and sampling. Automated QM leverages advanced technologies – such as generative AI – to streamline and optimize the quality management process.
By implementing AI for automated QM, companies have the opportunity to turn this from a resource drain and an opaque view of the business to 100% visibility and a true driver of performance.
A paradigm shift
Contact centers have faced significant challenges with traditional QM approaches. These processes require substantial resources and rely largely on a sampling approach, which inevitably leads to inefficiencies and crucially, missed opportunities for improvement. Many companies also have an abundance of data full of actionable insights, but an inability to adequately put this data to work due to limitations in resources and technology.
Adoption of automated quality management requires a shift from these reactive, manual QM processes to a more dynamic and agent-centric coaching model. Companies like Oportun have truly seized the opportunity in this transformation, reimagining the role of AI in guiding agents, augmenting their capabilities, and fostering deeper connections with customers.
Empowering agents and enhancing customer experience
The implementation of automated QM has profound implications for the business, not least of which is the ability to refocus the time and resources previously spent on QM on more strategic work. For Oportun, this has looked like a 50% reduction in workload within the QM team and a smooth transition from a sampling approach to 100% quality assurance.
Features like high-accuracy automated scoring grant incredible transparency across what’s happening in the business, giving leaders a far more holistic view of agent performance. Leaders get a data-rich picture of how each agent is performing – freeing them to spend less time meticulously evaluating individual conversations and more time on customized agent coaching. Leaders can apply these insights to ensure that agents are adhering to scripts, behavioral best practices, compliance requirements, and more. Equipped with real-time, tailored coaching, agents in turn are empowered to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Deploying AI in the contact center for automated QM also means that companies can democratize access to these insights; both agents and leadership are able to see insights in real time and apply them for continuous improvement.
Driving change and embracing innovation
The success of automated quality management lies not only in the technology itself but also in the change management. It requires an internal mindset shift and a commitment to ongoing improvement. Companies like Oportun have embraced this growth mindset, challenging assumptions, and reimagining processes to drive meaningful change.
Automated quality management is not just a technological advancement but a fundamental shift in the way contact centers strategically operate. By leveraging AI to extract customer sentiment and insights, contact centers can transition from reactive to proactive strategies, delivering personalized experiences that meet customer needs and expectations.
Learn more about Cresta’s approach to QM here, and to see it in action, request a custom demo with us today.
