The British insurance partnership provider, UKI Partnerships, announced the successful development of a speech recognition service designed by SpeechWorks International to provide customers with automated insurance policy information through telephone.
The utility uses SpeechWorks voice recognition technology allowing callers to dictate their requests and instantly receive back the relevant information.
Speech recognition technology creates a superior caller experience, allowing customers to access information quickly and easily. With speech, insurance companies can automate many of the routine tasks typically performed by human advisors such as provide insurance quotes, access policies, initiate enrolment and determine deductibles for insurance plans. In addition, speech saves companies money, allowing for further investments in customer care, explains Ali Shirnia, SpeechWorks general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
When the customer calls a dedicated telephone line to obtain information for travel insurance, the speech recognition service leads the caller through a series of questions such as the type of holiday, destination and the number of people travelling.
At the end of the process, the speech service provides the caller with a voice-report meeting his or her individual requirements. If the caller accepts the information, the speech service transfers the customer to an advisor who has the information on screen to complete the transaction and close the sale.
This speech recognition service enhances the caller experience for customers while improving efficiencies within the contact centre. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to exploring product and service developments that utilise cutting edge technology like speech recognition to benefit business partners and their customers.
Research on customer acceptance shows that callers find the system is simple to use and comparable to interaction with an advisor. Many said they felt more positive about the clients brand as a result of using the system, said John Eaton, commercial development executive at UKI Partnerships.
UKI Partnerships aims to use speech recognition technology for other call-routing applications. The system is currently in trials with motor insurance customers.
FS
2003-01-15
Em Foco – Pessoa