Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

Krissy of BPO Tiger discusses virtual representatives being the biggest threat to the outsourcing industry.  Companies have started this a few years back and now one of the largest call centers, Convergys will be utilizing a mix of human interaction and virtual representatives.

Should we start worrying? NO.

The concept is sound but with the current trend of “delighting” customers (and believe me it’s not going to change anytime soon), this concept will not affect the industry nor will it be a popular choice.  Yes, it helps the businesses cut costs and it “avoids” outsourcing more work, but it will not help companies retain their clients.

A lot complain about not understanding agents because they don’t speak English very well.   What would happen then when you hear a computerized voice answer you instead?  This reminds me of Adobe’s Acrobat Reader that allows one to read the text.  I tried it once and never used it again.  I bet this will be the same level of customer experience a business can expect.

If you are thinking of implementing it, I urge you not to.  Create jobs, train and satisfy your customers.  Believe me, you’ll be satisfied with your bottom line without this option.