During a crisis, the call center is your first line of communication to customers seeking answers about their accounts, orders, and business with your company. Providing disclaimers stating, “During this time our phone and email response times may be longer than usual” does little to assuage the fears of customers who have trusted you to keep their money safe or to provide much-needed goods and services.

The current pandemic has magnified the ongoing challenges of current call center automation systems. Even before the crisis, customer satisfaction with call center interactions was low. According to a study by PWC , 54% of U.S. customers felt that the customer experience provided by most companies needed improvement.

Limitations of legacy IVR systems are further stretched when call volumes reach an elevated state for an extended amount of time, such as during the holidays or a sudden crisis.

Common roadblocks to great customer service requests at call centers include:

• The reason for the call is not in the “Main Menu” and customers are left with few options to navigate to a call center agent or automated response.
• Callers are met with too many menu options and have to listen several times to understand which button to press.
• The menu options are inaccurate and callers hang up due to confusion.
• Automated prompts are long and confusing, causing errors and incomplete requests.
• Not being able to easily get to a live agent causes frustration for people who don’t want to go through a series of prompts.
• Callers must repeat account or personal information more than once during the transfer process through menus and from the IVR to the representative.
• Customers are placed on hold for extended periods of time and either hang up or grow increasingly dissatisfied.

Voice assistants in call centers alleviate friction and frustration

In contrast to the difficulties of navigating an IVR , voice assistants can provide a frictionless flow from greeting to resolution by intelligently guiding your customers through a seamless experience. Voice AI is able to improve call center experiences by providing the following:

• Accurate identification of caller intention
• Greater personalization
• An effective method to address routine Tier 1 support calls
• Immediate access to customer history
• An effective method to improve agent performance rates and results
• Elimination of user frustration from repeating information
• Multi-language recognition and responses
• Environmental filters to eliminate background noise and distractions
• Improved speech recognition that allows for stutters and other imprecise speech

When integrated into a cloud-based solution, call center operations have the added benefit of being able to upgrade, innovate, and iterate through the cloud, while managing the system at the local level.

Read more about How Voice Assistants Help With Increased Call Volumes During a Crisis.

Improving the Call Center Experience During a Crisis was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Karen Scates

The Voice of the Car Summit brought together manufacturers, engineers, designers, industry executives, and thought leaders in voice AI to discuss the current trends and innovations in the automotive industry. The discussions centered around voice technology, content, and advances in voice technology that are leading automakers to realize the dream of the connected car.

For those who didn’t attend and even those who did but didn’t catch every session, we reviewed a few of the sessions, here is a quick summary of what we heard:

Innovation must put the customer first

When Robert Brucchardt, Senior Software Engineer, and Mihai Antonescu, Product Manager, both at Mercedes-Benz R&D North America, presented the ways in which Mercedes-Benz is embracing voice in cars, they spoke for their customers. Innovation, they asserted, is in place to create better customer experiences and improve convenience.

How we find each other and navigate the world is changing

One theme echoed from presenter to presenter: We must look at how people are using voice AI in-car now to determine how to improve the experience in the future. Navigation is consistently at the top of the list of in-car use cases. In response to this need, What3Words is focused on improving the experience for drivers by eliminating the confusion between streets which sound alike or share the same name (such as Church Street in England).

Content is still king

The adage, “Content is King,” may be old, but the sentiment has never been more relevant when we consider creating exceptional user experiences inside the car. Besides navigation, music is one of the top 5 use cases for voice user interfaces in-car. Content providers looking to stay relevant are seeking partnerships with independent voice AI platforms and large manufacturers to include their offerings in hybrid and cloud-enabled voice assistants in cars and other consumer products.

Innovate. Innovate. Innovate. But don’t forget the basics

Brands, engineers, designers, and thought leaders all know the promise and potential of a voice-first world. They understand the benefits of voice user interfaces and are already looking to the future of voice technology and how voice assistants will continue to influence how we interact with products and services. Innovation, they assert, must be based on an acute awareness of customers and their needs and desires.

Enhance brand loyalty with a customized voice assistant

Using the home living room as a model of what people do in living spaces, car manufacturers are adding the convenience of voice user interfaces to do everything from rolling down the windows to ordering a pizza or paying for gas before arriving at the pump. At the Voice of the Car Summit, voice-first expert and futurist Brian Roemmele had advice for car manufacturers, “Don’t give 100% of control of your in-car environment to Alexa and Google.”

Design. Test. Collect data. Iterate. Repeat.

Understanding your users and what they expect from your product is a process. It begins with market data and collaborating with your marketing teams to understand your audience personas. But it shouldn’t end there. Knowing who is using your product, how they are using it, where they are hitting roadblocks and frustrations, and then iterating to address those needs and desires is key to implementing a successful voice-first strategy.

Voice isn’t a 5-year project. It’s happening now!

Pushing the voice agenda forward now, puts the customer’s needs and desires first by providing the best experiences with cars in all classes, not just at the high end. Acknowledging the importance of a hands-free driving experience for both convenience and safety is key for auto makers hoping to remain relevant as consumers begin interacting with products through voice assistants in all aspects of their lives.

To read more takeaways from the Voice of the Car Summit, read our blog: https://voices.soundhound.com/7-ways-the-auto-industry-is-continuing-to-innovate-with-voice-ai/

How the Automotive Industry is Innovating with Voice Technology was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By: Karen Scates

The convenience of touchscreens and buttons can be seen in nearly every aspect of our lives — but that’s changing fast. Physical interfaces, cash and even physical credit cards may soon be secondary means of interactions and transactions as users are increasingly choosing contactless and voice-enabled interfaces.

Following the start of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, hyper-awareness of our physical environment, the desire for greater convenience, and an increased attention on providing access to people with disabilities will likely create a demand for hands-free interactions with the environment at large.

Given the changes in consumer sensibilities, we’ve identified 5 industries that are now ripe for contactless interactivity to meet growing consumer demand. Here’s a quick recap of “How Voice AI Can Meet the Needs of a Post-Pandemic World.”

1. Voice-enabled smart devices in public areas

In addition to convenience, companies and government agencies will benefit from the increased productivity and profitability of workplaces and public spaces that are less affected every year by absenteeism as a result of the spread of germs.

2. Contactless-payments on the rise

According to Business Insider’s Voice Payments Report, 31% of U.S. adults will be using voice payments by 2022. Already, car manufacturers are developing in-car voice assistants in-car that can pay for gas by allowing customers to pull up to the specified pump and get gas without interacting with the payment system at all.

3. Hands-free ordering at quick-service restaurants

Contactless interfaces through advanced voice AI will provide restaurants, especially QSRs, a way to keep costs down, provide a convenient way for customers to submit complex orders with a wide range of modifications, and meet the need for exceptional cleanliness and food safety.

4. Voice shopping through apps and in-store kiosks

Early estimates have predicted that voice shopping will reach $40 Billion in the U.S. by 2022. These predictions are already being adjusted higher to keep up with the growing number of voice assistants in use and the accelerating rate of voice search activity.

5. Voice-enabled hotels and cruise ships

Providing each guest with an in-room voice assistant can lessen the burden on hotel staff while delivering faster responses to requests and instant answers to common questions. In addition to improving communications between guests, housekeeping, room service, and the front desk, voice-enabled systems can keep internal operations moving smoothly while freeing employees to spend valuable face-to-face time with guests who require it.

Read the blog in its entirety on the Speech-to-Meaning blog.

The Growth of Voice User Interfaces in a Post-pandemic World was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Karen Scates

International Women’s Day is a celebration of the women who have made contributions to society in a variety of ways. This year, we asked five accomplished women in the voice AI industry to talk about their experiences, frustrations, and hopes for a future centered around this year’s theme, “Equal for Each.”

Dr, Joan Palmiter Bajorek, Keri Roberts, Nithya Thadani, Claire Mitchell, and Heidi Culbertson added their voices to a discussion about women’s experiences and contributions to the voice-first world.

While every person’s experiences are different, we heard some common themes from these women including the importance of mentorship, support groups, and a core belief that every idea is worth expressing and being heard.

We also found that these women saw voice user interfaces as a way to democratize society and provide a level playing field for a diverse population.

Hear more about what these leaders in voice technology had to say here: http://bit.ly/2TNTVZC

International Women’s Day — 5 Women in Voice Talk About Achievements and Challenges was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Maarten Lens-FitzGerald

Project Zilver, a non-profit organization based in Holland, is focused solely on making people’s lives better. During Project Voice 2020, I spoke about the project, the research, and the future of voice AI for older adults.

As part of that presentation, I presented the results of a research project where we found that 69% of the 3,450 respondents of our survey already use smart tech in their homes and 22% of those same people already control some devices by voice.

In addition, this population is looking for a way to stay connected, remain independent for as long as possible, reduce some boredom and loneliness, and have access to entertainment.

Find out more about Project Zilver, the results of our research, and the advances that are made in voice AI that will help democratize technology for older adults here: http://bit.ly/2vCzs1y

Enabling Greater Independence for Older Adults with Voice AI — Project Zilver was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By: Mike Zagorsek

If your organization is tethered to one platform for voice AI, you’re susceptible to the business consequences of not maintaining brand sovereignty. Not long ago, Blockbuster Video felt the sting of platform dependency and lost to competitor Netflix.

The lesson for companies today is that truly independent brands are untethered to any single technology or business platform, allowing for better adaptation to changing circumstances and for more control over the customer relationship.

Conversely, organizations that are dependent on third-party platforms are made vulnerable when a key environmental condition change causes investment in business and knowledge to become irrelevant.

For content providers and manufacturers of the IoT, voice interfaces will be the great equalizer and differentiator between those brands that continue to show growth and those that will become stagnant and ultimately disappear. In that environment, maintaining a multi-assistant strategy is key.

Find out what you need to know about succeeding as an independent voice assistant here: http://bit.ly/2VGecTo

The Business Case for Voice Assistant Independence was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Written by David Ngo

Stanford’s annual TreeHacks hackathon brought together over 1000 students from 73 top universities to solve challenges in areas ranging from medical access to education, and more.

With a desire to foster positive change in the world through technology, students from across the world arrived at Stanford University’s campus to develop 3-day projects with potential to significantly impact the lives of people.

To support their endeavors, we provided students with Houndify Voice AI platform developer kits and the mentorship of some of our top voice AI engineers. Talented student hackers went on to use Houndify to design voice-enabled projects to enhance learning opportunities, combat loneliness and depression, and improve health care. Following the event, we’re excited to see what else these bright minds might create in the next few years. http://bit.ly/2wvzRTw

Students Develop New Voice Projects at Stanford TreeHacks 2020 was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In celebration of the 66th anniversary of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) EWeek and “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day,” we put the spotlight on senior software developer, Rowena Zuniga.

Traditionally, Engineers Week is a time set aside to shine a light on the importance of a technical education and to motivate youth to pursue engineering careers. This year, the events include “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” reflecting the important focus on women in engineering.

An alumni of the University of Waterloo, Rowena has merged her love of music and engineering into a role as a software developer on the music recognition team at SoundHound Inc.

We sat down to talk to her about how she was introduced to engineering and what has continued to inspire her to pursue a career in software development.

Find out what Rowena had to say here: http://bit.ly/3aySAg1

Engineers Week 2020 Celebration at SoundHound Inc.: Spotlight on Rowena Zuniga was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Meet Brad Cammon, a senior technical program manager at SoundHound Inc. Recently, we joined the National Society of Engineers (NSPE) in their Engineers Week celebration by throwing a spotlight on five of the many talented engineers here. Brad is one of the many SoundHound Inc team members working to voice-enable our world and improve lives.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Brad is excited to be transitioning from a purely technical program manager role to one that includes more hands-on coding projects. His background as an entrepreneur and self-starter has kept his career varied and interesting. We talked to him about his journey.

Find out what inspires Brad here: http://bit.ly/2Ilhjbm

Engineers Week 2020 Celebration Spotlight: Brad Cammon was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In celebration of Engineers Week 2020, we showcased a few of the talented engineers at SoundHound Inc. During the week we share their stories and acknowledge their contributions to our mission — to create a world where people interact naturally with the things around them through voice AI.

As a member of the data engineering team, Olivia Bettaglio uses her engineering prowess to leverage large amounts of data to help inform responses to voice queries. One of the questions she often asks to help guide her work is “What would a user of a voice assistant ask next?”

We asked Olivia about her unique path to an engineering role and what drives her. In addition to dedicating her time to the logging and usage of data, Olivia is passionate about mentoring other women in tech. And she’ll always choose dogs over cats and books over TV.

Read Olivia’s story in her own words here. http://bit.ly/2VR8Ncl

Celebrating Engineers Week with SoundHound Inc. Data Engineer, Olivia Bettaglio was originally published in SoundHound Inc. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.