New Customer Interface for Call Center
1. Overview
This article describes how the new text to speech technology can be made into effective use to present a better interface to customer in the BPO industry.
2. Concept
7 months, 5 days a week, 1 hour typing practice à40 to 50 words per minute àtext to speech reading software with spell check àoutput to customer àNew way of interacting with customers.
Test the effect of speech engine
To get a full understanding of the this article, click on the below link and test the web based text to speech engine from AT&T labs.
http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php
This will build the confidence in understanding what I intend to say.
3. Introduction.
As the BPO industries are moved to India due to cost effect, providing a better customer service has always been a challenge. One of the area’s of concern is the accent. Most of my friends who joined the BPO industry had to under go the accent training, who would end up supporting British or American Customers.
I started wondering whether there is any other way of communication which can be used to communicate with customer, when the customer calls. That started me to think about the existing text to speech engines which are available. Different Text to Speech engines are currently available which read the text in different people accent according to the requirement.
I went to typing coaching classes to clear my junior typing exam. I worked for text and speech reorganization technologies. With this previous experience, I started thinking that integrating new technologies and trainings can provide an alternate interface for communication with the customer
With the text to speech technology products already available, which are can convert the text to speech in any accent. You don’t have to worry about the user accent at all. The only difference being, you type the text and the text to speech engine reads it out.
I went to typing in my 10th class. I used to go for 1 hour daily and 5 days a week. I went for 7 months and I cleared my junior typing exam. I can type 40 to 50 words per minute easily with spelling mistakes. I can type faster than I can write.
4. Building Typing Resource Pool
When I started learning typing, I went to typing institute, worked for 1 hour daily, 5 days a week, in 7 months I was able to type 40 to 50 words per minute. I followed a particular course track to attain that speed. Then I cleared my junior typing exam.
So what does it require to build a resource pool? It would require 4 to 6 months of 1 hour training on computer typing. Typing course track can be used for learning and certification exam will be added tool to certify their qualification.
5. Text to Speech Engines
There are many Text to Speech Engines available, which do the spell check and read the text as you keep writing or read after minimum words are typed on the screen. Some of the examples are listed below.
Sl.No Product Site
1. NaturalSoft http://www.naturalreaders.com/
2. NeoSpeech http://www.neospeech.com/
3. AT&T Labs http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php
6. Future Research.
Future research can be carried out in the following areas to increase the response time and customer satisfaction.
6.1 Standard Questions.
Technical support consists of some of the standard questions which will be asked in all the conversation. Preexistence of those questions on screen will solve the problems of typing the questions also.
6.2 Opposite gender
Generally, people are attracted by their opposite gender voice. It changes the intensity of anger the customer displays while describing his problem to the technical assistant.
