Understanding The Caller’s Needs: Machines vs Humans
The development of technology in business applications has brought significant breakthroughs in recent years, and one of the most talked about is the collection and analysis of “big data” – a herculean feat which machines excel at. Researchers at MIT have recently released information about a supposed breakthrough in the way that big data is analyzed by machines, and how they are essentially trying to take the human elements out of big data analysis.
Anyone who runs a call center knows how important caller data and analysis are, but what about the value of your human resources? Are machines going to replace humans altogether when it comes to identifying callers’ needs? Well, as it turns out, as machines become smarter and more powerful, the role of humans becomes even more important.
The human touch
What’s important about the research at MIT is that it is moving big data analysis forward, and with that we will be able to notice more patterns and further zoom in on the data that really matters. Call centers will be able to identify buying patterns, times of day, and geographical areas to call to with better precision, and make employees more efficient. But therein lies the key: employees. A human touch is still needed as machines have yet to mimic human intuition – quickly parsing data and adapting to a situation on the fly is still an area in which humans far outmatch computers.
Well-trained employees
Employees that are properly trained can easily distinguish between relevant and irrelevant data, much like a machine can. What your employees can do above and beyond that is respond to changes, mood, or other human emotions. On top of that, historical data, metrics, and bills can easily be analyzed by humans, especially with the aid of technology.
Personal connection
As much as data-crunching machines are valuable behind the scenes, they will never compare to human beings on the front lines. When people call, they want to know that there is someone on the other side that can empathize with them. They want to know that there is someone there that understands what they are going through, and can make the right adjustments without simply viewing them as a number.
Improvement in the ability of computers to examine data at MIT is definitely a step forward for machines in terms of business, but there is still a lot that they can’t do. This is especially true when it comes to human contact in call centers. Machines are great at collecting and sorting vast amounts of data, but well-trained employees are a crucial addition to the process of identifying callers’ needs quickly and efficiently – all with a personal touch that a computer can’t rival. At Image24, we fully understand the importance of this, and that’s why we apply this philosophy to our hiring and training practices as we shape our team.
