Average Handle Time (AHT) is a key customer service metric that tracks the total time needed to resolve an inquiry, including call duration, hold time, and after-call work. Lower Customer Support AHT signifies faster service, which boosts customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. In banking, managing AHT is crucial as it directly impacts customer experience and resource management.

Why AHT Increases: Common Challenges in Traditional Customer Service

AHT can increase for several reasons. In traditional setups, agents often spend significant time verifying customer identity, navigating systems, or handling repetitive inquiries. This can lead to long hold times and increased overall call durations, putting strain on agents and potentially leading to lower customer satisfaction. As interactions become more complex, with increased compliance and verification needs, finding ways to efficiently manage and reduce AHT becomes essential.

Reducing Average Handle Time (AHT) with AI automation is a highly effective strategy for improving both efficiency and customer satisfaction. AI-driven automation helps reduce AHT in various ways:

  1. Instant Identity Verification: AI-powered voice authentication quickly verifies customers, bypassing traditional security questions to expedite issue resolution.
  2. Automated Customer Info Pop-ups: AI displays customer data instantly, helping agents resolve issues without searching through multiple systems.
  3. Self-service Options: AI-driven chatbots handle routine inquiries, reducing call volume to agents and allowing focus on complex tasks.
  4. Predictive Assistance: Real-time AI offers agents quick, context-based suggestions, enabling faster, more accurate responses.
  5. Automatic Summarization: AI generates post-call summaries, minimizing after-call work and lowering AHT.

Voice Authentication: A Secure and Efficient Identity Verification Technology

Voice authentication is a biometric technology that verifies a person’s identity using their unique vocal characteristics. Unlike traditional methods that rely on passwords, PINs, or security questions, voice authentication provides a secure, convenient, and efficient way to confirm identities. This technology analyses various vocal attributes, such as tone, pitch, and rhythm, which are unique to each individual and difficult to replicate.

With AI-powered solutions like Gnani.ai’s Armour365, businesses have seen significant improvements in Average Handling Time (AHT), with some achieving reductions of up to 20%. By adopting such advanced technologies, companies can enhance operational efficiency and deliver a more seamless, satisfying customer experience. Your business can also expect similar improvements by leveraging these solutions.

AI Assist Tools: Empowering Human Agents for Better Service

AI assist tools enhance agent performance by providing real-time assistance during customer interactions. Virtual assistants offer quick access to customer data, while sentiment analysis helps detect customer emotions, guiding agents to respond empathetically. Knowledge base integration ensures agents can quickly retrieve accurate information, improving response accuracy. By reducing search time, enabling personalized responses, and providing automated replies through Assist365, these tools streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.

Clients using Gnani.ai’s Assist365 have seen AHT reductions of up to 60%, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction. Your business can expect similar results by leveraging these powerful AI tools.

Generative AI: Solving L1 and L2 Queries with Ease

Generative AI efficiently handles both L1 and L2 queries by automating responses to simple inquiries. AI-powered assistants quickly resolve basic queries, while advanced AI tools analyse customer data and route queries to the most appropriate agent based on their expertise and the nature of the problem. This reduces agent workload, improves response times, and boosts efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Solutions like Gnani.ai’s Automate365 enhance this process by automating customer interactions and seamlessly handing over complex queries to a human agent. With the ability to handle routine inquiries and provide real-time support, businesses can improve operational efficiency, reduce the time agents spend on low-level queries, and achieve a First Call Resolution (FCR) rate of over 80%. By leveraging such AI-powered solutions, your business can expect similar improvements in response times, customer satisfaction, and FCR rates.

Conclusion
Reducing Average Handling Time (AHT) is key to improving efficiency and customer satisfaction, especially in banking. AI-powered solutions like voice authentication and generative AI streamline processes, automate routine tasks, and enhance Customer Support AHT by improving agent performance. With tools such as Gnani.ai’s Armour365 and Automate365, businesses can achieve significant operational improvements and deliver a more seamless customer experience.