New programme expected to revolutionise telesales

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Business process outsourcing (BPO) service provider, ACCESS Group is introducing to its Jamaican operations a new conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technology programme called digital intelligence sales agent (DISA).

DISA is being introduced to Jamaica by ACCESS Sales Division, one of the leading providers of financial and sales programme management and technology to organisations in the United States, Canada and the Latin America and Caribbean region for over 25 years.

DISA supports live agents at call centers by interacting with their clients according to a script, which brings several benefits and enhances efficiency in their operations.

With Jamaica boasting the leading outsourcing location in the English-speaking Caribbean for call centers and BPOs, local businesses will now boost their capabilities for sales and customer service even further with DISA. With the world embracing new AI technology across several industries, many Jamaican businesses are integrating AI as well.

ACCESS Group is a multi-national organisation with operations in the United States, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

Why Jamaica?

Larry Hunt, ACCESS Group CEO, explained why the company chose Jamaica to first roll out DISA, stating that it is because Jamaica is a major player in the regional outsourcing industry.

According to Hunt, “Jamaica has several advantages as an outsourcing destination, including a highly educated workforce, a favourable business environment and a strong cultural affinity with North America. Jamaica, like other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, can benefit greatly from incorporating AI in their operations as a powerful business tool.”

ACCESS has teamed up with VOCODIA, an AI software company based in Florida and the developer of DISA to automate telesales and customer service processes with AI. VOCODIA’s partnership with ACCESS in Jamaica and the LAC region was the next step for the two CEOs of these companies after 15 years of successful programs together.

“Pairing VOCODIA’s technology with ACCESS’ established business relationships is a strategic win for both companies,” declared Hunt. The solution is being rolled out in the Caribbean and Latin America, where several countries, including Jamaica, are major players in the regional outsourcing industry.

Details about DISA

According to information shared by ACCESS, DISA is natural-sounding as it uses actual live agents to record scripts and responses, unlike the old bionic-sounding technology, and DISA never goes off-script. It provides a level of consistency where agents may have physical limitations, as it can handle up to 400 outbound calls per day and up to 20,000 simultaneous calls, while a high-quality agent can only handle an average of 150 calls per day.

Its capabilities result in increased sales and improved customer experience (CX) as the program is customized to meet the company’s specific goals, budget, and unique requirements.

“It is important to note that while this revolutionary conversational AI program is not impacted by human limitations, such as speed and efficiency, accuracy or memory, the human element is still important. Live agents are crucial for the closing stage and instances in which AI cannot provide an answer to a distinct question. So, DISA by no means is meant to eliminate the need for sales agents or CX but rather to enhance their capabilities, turning them into elite closers or problem solvers,” Hunt explained.

DISA in action

The VOCODIA team leverages the scripts, rebuttals, and recordings of a particular company to build a custom DISA. A call-flow chart is created to ensure DISA is asking the right questions or providing appropriate responses.

The Conversational AI can pre-qualify and live transfer calls to closers, facilitate repetitive customer service questions, bear the brunt of unanswered calls, and eradicate the need to place callers on hold. DISA campaigns are created using a human voice.

Companies can choose between a male or female voice and calls are made or received 24/7 or according to the customers’ schedule. Furthermore, a live test of the agreed script is conducted for 3-4 days to gather intelligence and tweak scripting based on customer response.

For increased efficiency, with the guidance and approval of the company, the VOCODIA team will continuously monitor and update campaigns. With DISA targeting call centers and BPOs, this means that its benefits will trickle down to businesses in the industries of banking and finance, health care, hospitality, insurance, real estate and more.

In concluding the ACCESS Group CEO posited, “in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive business environment, it is not enough for companies to operate in the same way they did five or 10 years ago. Artificial intelligence is the new means through which businesses are staying ahead of the curve and we can’t wait to see how Jamaica & LAC will tap into the benefits of DISA and improve their footing in the outsourcing industry.”