Why Resolution is the Key to Unlocking CX Automation

By Harry Chang
February 21, 2024

For years, the term “automation” has been somewhat of a misnomer in the contact center.

Solutions like IVRs and first-generation virtual assistants were designed only to partially automate simple tasks, and as a result their success was measured by their ability to deflect, contain or route callers.

But the contact center of the future will look different. As AI has pushed the innovation curve higher, automation has evolved into a solution that can fully complete increasingly complex requests like payments, scheduling, even emergency roadside assistance.

As a result, outcomes like caller deflection are no longer the goal – resolution is.

“Resolution very clearly defines that the customer got what they needed and hung up and didn’t call back,” says Jessica Cloud, VP of Digital Transformation at HealthEquity.

By focusing on achieving a high resolution rate, contact centers move toward automation that completes calls just as an experienced agent would while unlocking higher net savings, higher customer satisfaction, and lower agent attrition.

Resolution improves CSAT for every call

In order to achieve a high resolution rate, automated conversations must be designed to interact with callers naturally, personalize conversations to each customer, and complete requests quickly to avoid agent escalations.

In other words, resolution is only achievable when automation is designed to be completely customer-centric.

While achieving these capabilities is no easy feat (just ask any contact center that has tried to build a solution in-house), the result is invaluable. Proven platforms are already lowering average handle times, delivering human-like interactions, and leveraging GenAI to resolve customer requests with the same, or better, CSAT than agents.

“Plugging in generative AI into the voice channel is a no-brainer,” says Cloud. “Customers say things one-off and it’s going to constantly learn what people are saying and what people are needing, their intent for calling versus what we thought that they intended to call for. I think it’s going to continuously give us more insight into the customer sentiment.”

Resolution drives unprecedented contact center savings

The contact center of the future is built on a simple formula: more automated conversations + happier customers = lower costs and more revenue. Let’s dig into why.

First, it’s no secret that labor represents the highest operating expense for contact centers. But when automation resolves high-volume, repetitive calls, businesses slash their cost per contact by up to 50% while agents see more engaging calls and turnover less frequently as a result, lowering hiring and training costs.

Second, when customers no longer have to wait to complete simple requests and can reach an agent faster for complex requests, they’re more likely to remain customers at a time where their loyalty is more fickle than ever. Meanwhile, agents can focus more on call types that generate revenue.

When compared to strategies like BPOs, resolution-focused automation can deliver millions of dollars in savings in a rapid timeline.

Resolution ushers in the agent of the future

Agents will always be the lifeblood of customer service. That’s why resolution is as much about agents as it is about customers.

“Automation is such a growing area and it’s so important to invest in it, but we’re always going to need a human in the loop because folks have complex problems that need solving.”

Already, contact centers that are leveraging automation to resolve high volume customer requests are seeing agents engage more, burnout less, and earn higher salaries as they grow into more developed roles.

“I think empowering agents to have more meaningful valuable conversations will result in a better customer experience,” says Cloud. “If you focus solely on the customer experience and never really truly dive deep into that agent experience I think you’re missing a lot of the whole point of contact center modernization.”

In the future, agents will be looked at to provide high-touch service and measured by their ability to be brand ambassadors, not their ability to serve as many simple requests as they can day in and day out.

Resolution accelerates business buy-in

Lurking beneath the numerous CX and bottom-line benefits of resolution is the reality that driving transformational change in the contact center is hard.

Contact centers have long been viewed as cost centers built on legacy systems and contingent on high OpEx spend. But more and more, these qualities are becoming reasons to invest in customer service innovation, not delay it.

“A lot of my most successful automation projects have been based on business buy-in,” says Cloud. “Which department is ready and willing to go on a journey? I’ve always started in the contact center. I think that’s a bigger operational expense for most folks.”

When contact center leaders focus on resolution, building a business case for automation becomes significantly easier. Savings become predictable. Common CX paint points like long hold times and clunky IVRs become low-hanging fruit. And de-risking a project becomes clear-cut.

“You want to make sure that you’ve delivered the value for one or two use cases and then you start creating that word of mouth,” recommends Cloud. “Find a partner that is all-in and then market it and communicate it till your face is blue. Create a road show and a demo and show everybody how cool it can be and then the work will come.”

Receive a customized Call Assessment to see how much you can save by partnering with Replicant to resolve your most common call types.