Q&A with TCN: On Platform 3.0 and its Latest Speech Analytics Feature Powered by CallMiner
Speech analytics is a relatively new frontier in the contact center technology market--but one that is quickly growing and gaining popularity. With speech analytics, contact centers get the ability to extract analytical data from customer conversations and turn them into practical information. This is crucial for organizations looking to take agent performance as well as the customer experience to the next level.
In order to give contact centers the competitive advantage they need, TCN, a trusted provider of cloud-based call center technology for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies, has recently enhanced their contact center platform, Platform 3.0, with a new speech analytics tool.
Developed in partnership with CallMiner, a provider of speech and customer engagement analytics, TCN Speech Analytics powered by CallMiner enable contact centers to transform every conversation into a fully searchable and taggable text transcript. Thus, opening the door to a whole new level of managing and monitoring customer engagement.
VoipReview recently spoke with Mckay Bird, Chief Marketing Officer at TCN, to discuss the provider’s latest partnership with CallMiner. Bird also offers some insights on the importance of speech analytics for today’s businesses and shares some advice on how companies can make the most out of this tool.
Q: Catch us up since we last spoke. What’s been going on at TCN, and what are you particularly excited about at present?
A: Since we last spoke, TCN has launched three new omnichannel features and one analytics tool to our all-in-one, cloud-based contact center platform, TCN’s Platform 3.0.
- VocalDirect - streamlined ringless voicemail technology that enables business and contact centers to instantly send a voicemail directly to the voicemail boxes of thousands of customers at once.
- Agent SMS – a short message service (SMS) texting feature that allows contact center agents and customer service professionals to instantly respond to customers’ needs, confirm appointments, send payment reminders and alert individuals of emergencies via text messages.
- TCN Email – Outbound communication feature on TCN’s Platform 3.0 that disseminates customized emails to thousands of customers in the matter of minutes.
- TCN Speech Analytics - an automated tool that converts 100 percent of call recordings into transcripts that can later be searched and analyzed for key indicators such as compliance, efficiency concerns, and quality control.
Q: Why did you choose to partner with CallMiner?
A: TCN made the decision to partner with CallMiner because they are the leading platform provider of speech and customer engagement analytics in the market today. CallMiner provides enterprise-grade speech recognition and transcription technology including instant call playback, payment card industry redaction, automated word flagging and reporting with live search and filtering capabilities. Like TCN, CallMiner is dedicated to customer and partner success and works to provide a seamless experience for every customer/user.
Q: What steps do customers/users need to take in order to use your new tool? Do they need to undergo training of some sort?
A: TCN prides itself on our 24/7 customer service, “pay-as-you-go” business model and our contact center solutions’ ease of use. If a customer/user wants to add the TCN Speech Analytics feature, all they need to do is contact a TCN account manager, who will then set up a demo and run the customer through a quick training.
Q: How can the TCN Speech Analytics tool cater to specific industries? Can you offer some sample use cases?
A: TCN’s Speech Analytics feature enables contact centers to improve call center and agent performance, while increasing efficiency and reducing compliance risk across multiple industries. A prime example of TCN Speech Analytics implementation can be found in the healthcare industry, which handles sensitive information (on a daily basis) that is often communicated over the phone to various agents. TCN Speech Analytics automatically redacts the sensitive information from call recordings and speech transcripts, which can serve as a vital contact center function for any organization seeking HIPAA and TCPA compliance.
Q: How does the TCN Speech Analytics tool compare to and/or complement other contact center tools (such as call recording and call coaching) for monitoring agent performance and ensuring customer satisfaction?
A: TCN Speech Analytics works in concert with call recording and call coaching. For example, during sentiment analysis, TCN’s Speech Analytics measures the amount of physical stress in the voice, the changes in the stress and the rate of speech to identify potential issues on calls.
Based on the specific content of the call, agent managers can take the necessary steps to correct the issues through targeted agent coaching and/or direct customer intervention.
Q: Speech analytics is turning the contact center into a gold mine of information for the entire enterprise. What is your advice for enterprises that have yet to get started with it? And what specific measures do they need to take in order to make the most out of your speech analytics tool?
A: In order to stay competitive in today’s market, contact centers should implement speech analytics into their call center operations. When starting off, it is often overwhelming to learn the dozens of different ways to search call recordings. Therefore, companies should decide what they want to monitor for and begin applying automated, rules-based tagging to identify interesting moments in the calls they receive. In an effort to build a stronger, more versatile agent workforce, companies should take the time to review all call recordings for quality control and to develop a robust training program.
Q: In our interview last year, we asked you about the most important features/tools that customers should have in a cloud contact center solution. Your answer included: built-in IVR functionality, automatic screen pop for agents, call coaching for agents and managers, live reporting and dashboards, and built-in API/Integrations. Would you like to update your list, given the various changes in the contact center market as well as the evolving customer behavior?
A: In addition to the above list, I believe the below features/tools to be extremely beneficial in today’s contact center market:
- Call recording and speech analytics
- Some form of business intelligence, coupled with live agent dashboards and automatic reporting
- Recruiting and staffing agile agents who are able to adapt and work across the ever-changing omnichannel environment
About TCN
TCN is a trusted provider of robust cloud communication technologies and solutions to contact centers, enterprises, BPOs, and collection agencies worldwide. Combining cutting-edge technology, expertise in contact center operations, and a competitive pricing structure, TCN effectively addresses the communication needs of organizations. Platform 3.0, TCN’s hosted contact center suite, is designed to create high-performing contact centers. TCN also offers a range of high-quality solutions, including Interactive Voice Messaging (IVM), Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), Call Distribution, and more.