As a research analyst at CCC, one of my favorite areas to explore is the impact that technology has on the customer experience. It goes without saying that technology—everything from CRM to the latest IVR strategies—has played a major role in transforming how businesses serve their customers over the last decade. To help CCC members navigate this (nearly) limitless technology universe, we offer the Technology Decision Support Center—a one-stop shop for helpful resources on purchasing and implementing a variety of call center technologies.

One technology that is front of mind for many of our members is speech analytics. For those who may be unfamiliar, speech analytics is a software application that mines recorded customer interactions for specific words or phrases, call elements, or trends that can be used in a wide range of ways to improve operations and inform strategy decisions.

The real value of speech analytics lies in the technology’s ability to capture, organize, and analyze Voice of the Customer data more efficiently than the hit-or-miss approach that characterizes most manual VOC efforts. The downside, however, is one we see all too often: companies view technology as a quick fix, but without a strong plan and processes in place they fail to realize returns. This is especially true of speech analytics, as this versatile technology can sometimes lead companies to be overly ambitious.

To help members confront these challenges, CCC is offering two upcoming webinars featuring a panel of representatives from EarthLink, U.S. Cellular, and InterContinental Hotels Group that will discuss their experiences with speech analytics technology. We’ll cover key areas to consider, such as:

• Resources. Purchasing the technology itself is only the first step towards identifying cost- and time-saving solutions. A broader, coordinated effort including training, continual learning, and maintenance is necessary in order for your speech analytics program to be truly effective.
• Staffing. Hiring the right people to oversee your investment is a critical decision. While many hire solely for technical expertise, knowledge of your business is just as important. Internal company experience is essential to building queries that elicit relevant data and understanding business drivers unique to your organization.
• Projects. Speech analytics software offers an overwhelming amount of data that can forward a seemingly infinite number of contact center objectives. Whether you aim to optimize operations, direct strategy, or supplement your existing QA process, not every project has a positive ROI. Selecting the right projects—and the right number of projects—to pursue is not a decision to be taken lightly.

Speech analytics tools are a major investment to be sure, but the technology offers very real potential to uncover insights that would otherwise be lost in the shuffle of thousands of calls. Learning where others have succeeded and failed can be the key to maximizing the return on your speech analytics investment; click here to register for CCC’s upcoming webinars, February 15^th and 16^th.

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