Mastering Customer Conversations for Better CX and Beyond

The ever-growing need for a better customer experience pushes companies to understand what is really happening in their interactions with their customers across various channels such as voice, chat, email, or video. Hence, continuous visibility into not only customer sentiment but also customer representative sentiment provides invaluable insights. Both have become cornerstone metrics for a better CX (Customer Experience) and EX (Employee Experience).

Recently, tools that provide Advanced Sentiment Analysis as part of RCA (Root Cause Analysis) have become one of the hot topics in the CX industry. 

The conventional method to measure sentiment has been through surveys such as CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) or NPS (Net Promoter Score). Now with the help of Advanced Sentiment Analysis, it is possible to predict CSAT or NPS scores based on the sentiment of interactions and act proactively.

While many Advanced Conversational Analytics tools on the market provide a sentiment value after each interaction, it’s crucial to understand the dynamics of ongoing conversations. Viewing customer sentiment as a continuum rather than just a snapshot at specific points in time allows for a deeper analysis of the entire customer or user journey. This approach focuses on identifying inflection points where sentiment shifts from negative to positive or vice versa. Such comprehensive analysis not only reveals the root causes behind negative sentiments but also uncovers insights into positive experiences expressed by both customers and customer representatives. These insights can then be leveraged to develop actionable strategies.

Advanced Sentiment Analysis capabilities offer comprehensive visibility into the customer’s journey, making it possible to: 

• Track whether customer sentiment improves or worsens during the conversation.
• Assess whether there is resolution or agreement by the end of the interaction.
• Identify the presence of negative content, such as derogatory language.

Companies or brands have limited control over the puzzle of customer sentiment, where the approach and the skill of customer representatives can transform a potentially negative experience resulting from overall customer service processes or case outcomes into a positive one. Therefore, enhancing the capabilities of customer representatives becomes paramount.

Advanced Conversational Analytics tools shed light on the matter by incorporating advanced analysis of contextual data, sentiment, and acoustic parameters. These tools can enhance the capabilities of customer representatives by providing visibility into whether they: 

• Take the time to show empathy when needed rather than rushing to end the call. 
• Demonstrate knowledge and answer questions confidently instead of hesitating. 
• Actively listen to understand rather than turning the conversation into a monologue with excessive talking.
• Speak in an engaging tone rather than monotonously, too quickly, or too slowly.

Improving CX will continue to remain a high-priority strategic goal for all enterprises, where gaining insights using Advanced Sentiment Analysis capabilities can be pivotal for taking corrective actions to enhance not only CX but also EX.

If you’re interested in the topic of sentiment analysis, visit our podcast led by the Open Voice Network.

To learn more about the market position of SESTEK, visit whySESTEK. 

Author: Yalım Eriştiren, SESTEK Managing Director, North America