In call and contact centres we’ve reached the so-called Terminator moment: the point where the rise of the machines is unstoppable.
Yes, we’re talking ChatBots, the computerised voice systems that shout ‘Bless you!’ when you sneeze and know ten different ways to say ‘Have a nice day!’
ChatBots just like these could soon be taking over much of the work of dealing with customers’ most basic queries.
Fear not human call handlers, you’re not about to be made redundant.
In fact, it looks set to elevate your status because no matter how good the software, there’s nothing yet that can match the human brain for processing that special mix of emotion and information that make up most customer calls.
Still in doubt? Just look what happened when the White House launched an Obama ChatBot.
Instead of coming over like a regular guy, who just happens to occupy the chair in the Oval Office, the President’s ChatBot turned out to be a chump, capable of only the most stilted responses on simple subjects.
Compare that with an experienced call handler who can tell in an instant if their customer is happy, anxious or on the point of throwing all of their toys out of the pram.
What gives their emotional state away? No one thing, but millions of micro-clues that no robot is sophisticated enough to pick up on.
That’s where your value as a call handler really comes into its own.
You can pick up on the cues and make a very accurate deduction about the satisfaction -or dissatisfaction- of every caller.
Add to that an encyclopaedic knowledge of your company and a willingness to see problems through to the end, and you have the capability to perform way above the level of any ChatBot.
That’s also why s1jobs has a wealth of vacancies for really good call handlers – people who can solve the tricky problems and refuse to give up on a query until it has been resolved.
Far from marking the end of your career, the arrival of ChatBots are just the beginning – and once freed from more mundane enquiries, your job will become both more challenging and rewarding.
Find out more with opportunities to build your Call Centre career on s1jobs