Skift Take
Between permanent shifts into remote working, the Great Resignation, and spikes in flight cancellations, investing in advanced automation technology could be the only way call centers in the travel industry can show consistency long-term. Or just hire more humans.
Call centers have struggled to keep up with consumer complaints about the large number of delayed and canceled flights in recent weeks. So some are turning to automation — specifically, an artificial intelligence program centered on advanced natural language processing.
"(Call) centers are feeling the brunt of the pain, particularly those (that) have not invested in artificial intelligence technologies," said Rebecca Jones, general manager, senior vice president at Intrado, a company that provides an artificial intelligence program named Mosaicx to call centers in the airline and hospitality industries.
"All businesses are feeling the pressure of the recession and the economy. (They're trying) to figure out how to do more with less from a resource standpoint, but also drive increased customer satisfaction. If we don't find (that) balance, our businesses are doomed to fail."
Jones declined to disclose the names of clients, but she said Intrado services tens of thousands of them, which ra