Speech Recognition Technology

As an extension of our Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solutions, speech recognition technology is increasingly becoming a preferred option in realizing greater cost efficiencies and delivering a more enjoyable customer service experience. West Interactive's automated speech recognition technology allows callers to use their voice to navigate through menus and options to receive the information they need. This not only helps to improve the level of care provided to your customers, but it helps to dramatically reduce costs and improve call completion rates.

To learn how implementing an automated speech recognition technology solution can benefit your organization:

• Contact West Interactive or
• Speak to a sales representative at 1-800-841-9000 (or 1-402-963-1300 for callers outside of the United States).

A Closer Look at Speech Recognition Technology

With the proliferation of wireless calling technology, IVR systems that use touch-tone navigation processes exclusively are losing favor with customers who prefer automated customer service options that employ automated speech recognition technology. If your organization has automated customer service flows already in place, the integration of automated speech recognition technology from West Interactive can be just what your organization needs to begin seeing meaningful and quantifiable improvement in customer service satisfaction.

From a technological perspective, speech recognition utilizes natural speech, and all its nuances, as the point of contact between your customer and your computer-driven customer service model. Continuous breakthroughs in speech recognition technology and its ability to be integrated into IVR call center applications are creating a speech-based evolution in automated call centers across a variety of different markets. Fundamental to this proliferation are two key concepts: Advanced Speech Recognition (ASR) and Natural Language (NL) understanding.

Speech Recognition Technology: Advanced Speech Recognition (ASR)

Advanced Speech Recognition (ASR) is what allows your customers to move beyond touch-tone responding and basic verbal yes/no commands. While the idea of ASR seems like a fairly straightforward concept, making that idea a reality is a very involved dynamic process. At West Interactive, we employ a team of accomplished and dedicated speech scientists as well as experienced research and development specialists to continually enhance our IVR applications and exceed our clients' expectations. Additionally, our grammar and tuning professionals work tirelessly to make sure our clients' automated speech recognition technology applications are functioning optimally.

Speech Recognition Technology: Natural Language (NL) Applications

Traditionally speech recognition technology was designed to instruct IVR applications to "listen" for an answer from a predetermined list of possible answers. Natural Language is a truer speech recognition technology as its speech-based approach interprets a collection of words that are formed into answers. This allows for a much more natural interaction process with customers as "um's" and "ah's" are collected and recognized within answers. By their very nature, NL applications provide four distinct benefits:

• Callers can Express Themselves Naturally - By speaking like a person rather than mimicking computer-generated speech patterns, callers gain a more natural interaction. While the process is still a component of an automated system, NL as a speech recognition technology reduces the "automated call center" feeling.




• Quick and Efficient Call Routing - After destination "buckets" have been established, NL applications can be tailored to guide your customers to very specific buckets. This degree of specificity is one of the greatest advances of NL as an automated speech recognition technology, as it gets your organization's customers to the correct destination more quickly.




• Enhanced Call Experiences With Shorter Menus - Advances in speech recognition technology are directly related to enabling shorter IVR navigation menus. As your customers can specifically ask for the service they need, the need to sit through lengthy option menus can be dramatically decreased. Just as consumers enjoy the amount of individual control the internet offers in searchability, NL speech recognition technology offers your customers similar control in navigating your automated call center.




• Higher Customer Satisfaction - The above mentioned points lead directly to higher customer satisfaction rates. Some of this increase, as can be expected, comes from shorter call times. The ability to converse, however, and even dictate the nature of the customer service calls, also becomes a factor.

Listen to demonstrations of West Interactive's automated speech recognition technology.

Speech Recognition Technology and Your Bottom Lines

Automated speech recognition technology, specifically (ASR) and (NL) applications, are helping companies reduce costs, improve customer service results and even generate new business. As speech recognition technology advances, the gains associated with the technology should also increase proportionately. If you measure your bottom line by improved customer service and better ROI, then automated speech recognition technology from West Interactive is definitely worth a closer look.

Learn More About Speech Recognition Technology

Contact West Interactive today to learn how speech recognition technology could be the next step in advancing your automated call center solution.

More about West Interactive: