Complex Task Automation Rates

1. Leveraging Automation to Maximize Agent EfficienciesKari Bittner - VoltDeltaSpeechTek West February 22, 2007

2. Complex Task Automation Rates There have been significant advances in complex recognition tasks in recent years.

3. The Key Role of the Agent And yet, a large percentage of calls still require agent assistance.

4. Why Can’t We Fully Automate Every Inquiry Yet? • Many queries are more complex than they seem • Computing Power: Many searches require choosing from millions of options • Matching Logic: On-going speech recognition issues: synonyms, multiple listing names, initials, local/specific knowledge, changing content • VUI Design: Callers phrase requests in a variety of ways; only a subset of these can be anticipated & automated. Priority is placed on keeping questions to a minimum since extensive reprompting slows the caller's sense of forward progress • Integration of Multiple Data Sources: Numerous pieces of data inputs from caller and back-end databases required to complete caller’s transaction • Consistency of Source Data: Inconsistencies in source data • Automation gets fewer chances than agents • Automation requirement: do no harm Automation rates will continue to advance; in the meantime, we can leverage automation successes to benefit the agent.

5. Just One More Question… With existing automation technology, additional questions marginally increase automation rates.

6. Transfer to Lang Oper Prompt for Service Type Key in Service Type Ask for Language Key in Locality Ask for Locality Evaluate Results Release to Audio Clarify/Confirm Key in Listing Select Listing 2nd Search 1st Search What’s Left When a Call Cannot Be Fully Automated? Reconnect for 2nd Listing Release to Completion Announce Listing Release to Audio Evaluate Results Ask for Listing Key in Locality Clarify/Confirm Select Listing Key in Listing Greet/Brand Offer DACC 2nd Search 1st Search Typical Directory Assistance Call Flow Tasks Store and Forward Language and Service Choice Determination Locality Recognition for Display and Routing Listing Recognition for N-Best Display Listing Recognition for Full Automation Number Announcement and Call Completion Leverage speech recognition n-best to assist agents

7. Sample N-Best Display • Caller requested: Bill Smith in Rochester, NY • Synonyms for the requested listing name • Dual first names • Halo/nearby localities • Mixture of listing types • Display results similar to traditional DA search • Also, play Store and Forward whisper and display recognized locality • Operator can select an alpha key and press “release to audio” without keying listing name or traditional search keys

8. N-Best Display Dramatic Results • 50% savings on agent average work time with use of N-Best Display • With conservative Voice User Interfaces: • 25% of non-automated calls have N-Best Displays • Agents use the N-Best Display 55-65% of the time • Agents even save time on the remaining 35-45% where N-Best Display isn’t directly used N-Best Display provides significant operational savings by leveraging the work of your automation solution

9. Agent Efficiencies – Yesterday’s Focus • Automation Assists Agents • Caller interacts with automation first • If task cannot be fully automated, automation provides caller context up to point of transfer to agent • Agent uses context and interacts with one caller at a time to complete task for that caller in shortest possible time Transfer caller and context to agent

10. Agent Efficiencies – Today’s Focus • Agent-Guides Assist Automation! • Callers interact with automation • One Agent-Guide visually monitors multiple calls simultaneously • The Guide focuses attention on a call only when automation encounters an issue • The Guide provides the input to the automation system to keep the caller progressing through the VUI • The Guide dramatically increases full automation rates on self-service applications Agent-Guide monitors multiple calls and provides input to automation, when needed

11. Where Does Automation Encounter Issues? Understanding the Caller’s Actual Intent Recognizing the Caller’s Response Matching the Caller with the Right Content / Action Whatever the source of the issue, Agent-Guides can keep the caller progressing toward task-completion within automation

12. Guided Automation Benefits Higher Automation Rates; Agent Optimization; Cost Reduction Expand Business & Service Offerings - Cost-Effectively Fewer VUI Constraints; Caller Satisfaction More Variety; Agent-Guide Satisfaction Leverage human expertise to make automation work better for you!