You can transform contact centres with AI

A Canadian insurance company faced significant operational challenges in its contact centres, including high attrition rates — as high as 55% during peak periods — and lengthy training processes.

Training new employees is a lengthy process, often taking up to six months for basic roles and up to two years for specialized positions. This complexity makes it challenging for contact centre employees to understand the products that customers need, or their previous claims, which can lead to longer call times and an increased number of follow-ups.

This inefficiency not only affected service delivery but also increased operational costs and reduced customer satisfaction. It became essential to find a solution that would streamline operations and improve the overall customer experience.

When the client engaged KPMG, it recognized AI’s potential but was uncertain about the best approach. KPMG conducted several ideation sessions to educate the client about AI and generative AI technologies while identifying its biggest pain points. The insurer focused on the contact centre after it became clear that substantial savings could be achieved by reducing call times by just five to ten minutes.

KPMG developed a generative AI tool specifically designed for contact centre operations. The goal was to create a system that could actively listen to customer interactions, provide real-time information to agents, and automate routine tasks. This initiative aimed to increase first call resolution, reduce call handling times, enhance the accuracy of information provided to customers, and ultimately improve the overall efficiency of the contact centre.

Here’s how it works:

• When a call is answered, the tool listens in on the conversation and displays the text on the agent’s screen in real-time, allowing the agent to better understand and address customer needs.
• When a client identifies themselves, the tool automatically pulls up their records, including all relevant information and any claims they have made. If something has changed — such as a particular drug no longer being covered — the agent is immediately notified.
  The tool analyzes customer data and suggests relevant products based on the conversation context. For example, if a customer mentions having children, the system prompts the agent to discuss family insurance options.
• After a call is completed, the agent no longer needs to spend five to ten minutes typing wrap-up notes. The system automatically generates a transcript of the conversation and emails it to the customer.
• KPMG and the organization also prioritized data security and privacy in the implementation of this AI solution. All customer data is encrypted and processed in compliance with Canadian regulations, and the servers facilitating the process are in Canada to ensure customer data does not leave the country.

The project resulted in the successful development of an AI-driven pilot that reduced average call time by 30%, making it possible for agents to serve more customers per day. Additionally, it contributed to a more personalized and efficient customer experience, allowing agents to focus on building relationships rather than administrative tasks.

This initiative has positioned the company to adopt AI more extensively across its contact centre operations. The organization is taking steps to enhance its data management practices, focusing on consolidating data from various sources into a single, accessible location. These efforts will support the efficient scaling of AI across the organization, driving better performance and customer engagement.

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