By 2021, there will be more digital assistants than people on earth. It is safe to say that voice technology is more than just a marketing or sales trend; automated voice services are the future of communication between people, devices, and companies.
One-third of people globally already use voice assistants regularly, meaning they are familiar with communicating through these technologies, especially for simple tasks like searching the weather or hearing the day’s headlines. And now that Amazon has launched Alexa in Mexico, Spanish-language voice assistants have become more common in Latin America, as well.
As these voice technologies become more sophisticated, they are becoming an essential tool not only for individuals but also for companies who can use AI voice bots to automate their calling services and streamline operations. While US corporations are already used to integrating voice technology into their customer service, Latin America’s traditional companies are just beginning to include voice services in their digital transformation processes.
As Latin American corporations begin to incorporate more modern technology to improve customer experience, voice should be a high priority. Here’s how voice technology is helping accelerate digital transformation across Latin America’s biggest industries.
Automated Voice Tech for the Banking Sector
Banks need to develop long-term loyalty with their customers to build profits over time. As Latin American banking becomes more competitive with more fintechs entering the market, banks have to work harder to keep their clients satisfied. AI-driven voice technology can help banks stay in closer contact with their clients without hiring a bigger customer service team.
For example, new voice technology can make outbound calls to customers to conduct surveys, offer promotional deals, and provide reminders for billing. These services are even helping renegotiate and collect debt, forwarding the call to an agent when needed.
Furthermore, today’s bank customers often wait for a long time to speak with an agent over the phone and most of their calls are for simple issues like bank hours, password changes, or product information. These queries clog up the phone lines for clients who have urgent issues that require human assistance. However, today’s voice assistants can answer and handle many of these questions and issues without ever involving a customer service agent, saving banks time and money – and helping clients get what they need faster.
Voice technology can enable Latin American banks to connect with their clients rapidly, and at any hour of the day to help manage their finances more smoothly and efficiently.
Voice Assistants in Latin American Insurance
Insurance companies often spend long hours on the phone with clients to discuss coverage and claims on their policies. While many of these calls require a human touch to solve complex problems, voice assistants can help resolve quick queries faster and more efficiently than a call center, clearing up space for difficult cases.
Some of these assistants are so powerful that they connect via APIs to the insurance policy’s administration system to calculate premiums based on customer information that they can glean through a phone call. Rather than looking up complicated quotes online, clients can simply call and receive a rapid answer from this assistant, who can also take financial information and process the purchase.
For more simple questions, these voice assistants are helping answer hundreds of frequently asked questions and even recognize clients’ voice patterns in ways that can help detect fraud.
Voice Technology for the Healthcare Sector
Almost 50% of patients miss their scheduled appointments. And in a region like Latin America, where people can wait upwards of 30 days for an appointment, these miscommunications can mean significant delays in treatment – and a jump in cost – for patients. It also means that doctors cannot work efficiently or prioritize patients effectively.
Voice assistants can not only help schedule, cancel, or change appointments, but can also call patients to remind them of upcoming appointments. Healthcare centers can also use voice assistants to send laboratory results and help remind patients to take their medication. These services ensure that hospitals run efficiently so that all patients can get access to care and results on time.
Latin America’s traditional corporations are implementing digital transformation processes across many verticals to provide improved services to their clients and compete in an increasingly tech-savvy market. Voice services are not only one of the fastest-growing technologies but also one of the most important that these companies can implement to ensure they are prepared to exceed customer service expectations.
Humberto Pertuz is the founder and CEO of Vozy, an AI voice communication platform that empowers businesses and customers to connect on any device, any time.
