The speech recognition system can also be used to remind the operator of any aspects of the product that they are legally required to warn the customer about- that not keeping up payments on a mortgage could lead to the loss of the customer's home, for example. If the system does not "hear" the keywords of that warning the operator will receive a sharp on-screen reminder before the call ends. The prototype version of the system can search for only a handful of phrases and works only on a PC. But the first commercial version, which will go on trial at a Dutch bank later this month, will be able to detect 1000 keywords and will operate on the centre's network server. However, the technology- if it proves itself in the Dutch trial- could also have a downside that consumers may find less welcome: faster access to sales information will give the call centres the ability to make a much harder sell.
In the same way that the system reminds the operator to warn the customer, it will also remind them to "upsell" on behalf of the client- convincing the caller that there are better deals to be had by paying a little more. "It will certainly give a better focus on upselling opportunities," agrees IBM. So watch out for the techno-assisted hard sell. This article appears in New Scientist issue: 25 September 2004
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