The ROI of Happy Agents: How Speech AI Technology Improves Contact Center Efficiency

I've seen firsthand how happy agents lead to happy customers in the CX industry. They get more done, stick with the company longer, and it all feels worthwhile. Investing in AI to make their jobs better seems like a no-brainer. When the contact center team thrives, the whole center thrives.

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So, how can you make your contact center team happier? Using speech AI technology in your contact center can impact your agents’ experience, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. In this article, we’ll explore how leveraging speech AI technology can help you create a more satisfying and productive environment for your contact center reps, positively affecting your contact center’s efficiency and ROI.

How agent happiness impacts your contact center’s bottom line

As you all know, agent attrition is a key factor for customer service and financial performance for call centers. Although contact centers understand the enormous cost of attrition and the millions of dollars spent in retraining and rehiring representatives, most struggle to find solutions to solve it. Through employee exit interviews, we know that agent happiness will prevent a large portion of attrition. Elevating agent experience and overall happiness in the workplace will improve your contact center's bottom line in several ways. Let’s explore them in more detail:

Happier agents experience less job-related stress. 

Contact center jobs are known to be stressful by nature. Agents must often handle large call volumes while chasing their performance targets and delivering outstanding customer experiences.

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In addition, dealing with frustrated customers and working in noisy environments can increase their stress levels. In fact, a Cornell University study found that 87% of employees experience “high or very high stress” levels at their contact centers. Investing in AI-powered technologies can help reduce stress levels and create a more satisfying workplace environment for your team. Not surprisingly, the AI market within the contact center segment is projected to surpass $4 billion globally by 2027.

Happier agents are more efficient and productive.

Reports indicate that employers across verticals who enhance their employees' engagement by 10% can increase annual profits by $2,400 per employee. Happy employees are 13% more productive. 

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When contact center reps experience less stress in the workplace, they are less likely to experience burnout, which means reduced absenteeism and higher levels of efficiency and productivity. In the contact center environment, that translates to improved metrics and KPIs, such as the average handle time (AHT), first call resolution rates (FCR), and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT). 

Happier agents deliver better customer experiences.

Numerous studies have proven that agent experience is directly linked to customer experience and satisfaction. According to Harvard Business Review, a happier workforce is clearly associated with companies' ability to deliver better customer satisfaction. There is a strong statistical link between them. Happier agents are more engaged, motivated, and likely to go above and beyond to meet customer needs, exceed their expectations, and deliver memorable experiences, helping you improve CSAT scores and increase customer loyalty.

Happier agents are more committed and less likely to churn.

It’s no secret that contact centers typically have high employee turnover rates. While the industry sees turnover rates around 30-40%, some contact centers have agent turnover as high as over 200%. When turnover happens, it results in lower team morale among the remaining staff, disruptions in your contact center operations, and decreased customer satisfaction. Happier agents are more satisfied with their jobs, more committed to the organization they are working for, and less likely to churn, reducing their turnover rate. 

Happier agents bring more significant cost savings.

Replacing an average-performing contact center agent may cost tens of thousands of dollars. That includes hiring, training, and onboarding expenses, productivity costs (e.g., longer average handle times), and CX impact (e.g., lower first-call resolution rates). Improving employee experience and increasing agent happiness can help reduce operational costs associated with employee turnover, bringing greater cost savings.

How AI affects agent happiness

While many factors contribute to agent happiness in contact centers, leveraging speech AI technologies is one of the most impactful ways to improve your agents' experience. We’re talking about accent-translation software, in particular. This innovative AI technology is revolutionizing how contact centers operate today. Here’s how:

Accent translation software

Accent translation software is designed to help contact center agents be better understood by customers. This is especially critical in international contact centers where agents and customers may come from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. 

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AI-led speech-to-speech accent translation helps reduce misunderstandings and improve the clarity of communication between your reps and customers. It removes obstacles in communication so agents can resolve issues faster, leading to an 18% reduction in AHT. This, in turn, boosts agent confidence and enhances CSAT and NPS scores. 

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Agent satisfaction scores (ASAT) climb as high as 25% by using accent translation software. The primary reason is that agents feel more confident knowing customers can clearly understand them. This confidence allows them to perform at a much higher level giving them the satisfaction of a job well done.

Agents are happier with Sanas

Creating a positive, supportive, stress-free environment for your contact center reps requires a holistic approach. Technology is only one piece of the puzzle, but its impact on agent happiness and customer experience can be significant. Implementing Sanas’s real-time Accent Translation technology within your contact center can make a true difference for your reps and customers, helping you improve the average CSAT score by up to 22%. 

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Here’s what Pankaj Dhanuka, CEO of Fusion CX, has to say about Sanas adoption:

Our partnership with Sanas has been a game changer, enabling us to achieve double-digit improvements in key performance indicators.
-Pankaj Dhanuka, CEO of Fusion CX

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Sanas’s patented accent translation technology employs speech-to-speech AI processing and advanced neural networks to translate accents in real time. It also uses an advanced generative AI model and sophisticated audio processing to enhance voice quality and eliminate background noise. Keen to learn more? Book a demo today!