Browsing around Google, you stumble upon its language-translating features. As a foreigner in, let’s say, Japan, you want to learn some simple and common words in Japanese or Nihongo. Google Translate can do that for you – English to Japanese translation and vice-versa. However, that is not all there is to it! Did you know that by pressing the microphone-shaped button, the typed word’s (or words’) proper pronunciation is/are uttered?

Quite fascinating, right? We have certainly come a long way thanks to technology. The technology mentioned above is called Text to speech, or simply TTS.

Text to speech is a speech synthesis technology that converts text typed from a keyboard to spoken words. To explain further, instead of relaying pre-recorded messages, Text to speech instead “synthesizes” the word/words typed. To understand TTS further, think about it this way: what words you type or write come out as spoken words.

For a while in the past, Text to speech was hard to understand. Furthermore, it was a little bit “off” – inaccurate enough to lessen call productivity. But as mentioned above, due to technological advancements, it now excels in its function.

Uses of Text to speech

Aside from the beneficial use of Text to speech (TTS) in contact centers, it is also used in other fields. People (students, for example) with reading issues can greatly lessen learning hassles through the use of Text to speech.

According to Understood, both hearing and reading words or texts through Text to speech can improve word recognition, increase attentiveness, strengthen comprehension, and help them right their wrongs in writing.

All in all, examples of Text to speech users are those who have disabilities and want to further their learning in education. They are for educational and disability purposes. Basically, it is in situations wherein listening instead of reading is the best option!

Its importance for Contact Centers

Now, why do you think is Text to speech (TTS) relevant in contact centers? It has many interesting features that, when applied, leaves a positive and innovative mark which will prompt its use to expand in the future.

In our past blog, we have talked about IVR (interactive voice response) systems. IVR can utilize TTS to provide customers vital information such as account balances. Additionally, it can inform you of how much your bill is and confirm information you entered. 

To further inform you of its uses, the benefits of Text to speech in contact centers will be stated:

5 TTS benefits for Contact Centers

Outbound calling appreciates TTS. Who wouldn’t want things to be done faster and more efficient, right? Text to speech immensely helps contact centers’ outbound calls achieve those two mentioned. It makes it faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective to operate outbound calls. Any repetitive process can be automated through the use of TTS phone calls. As a result, thousands (even millions) of unnecessary phone calls are averted! But outbound calling is not the only one benefitting from TTS, inbound calling is greatly enhanced with it through the proper IVR system.

It strengthens IVR systems. As already mentioned above, it greatly improves IVR systems. It is a powerful plugin option that allows the configuration of routed calls using DTMF (dual tone multi frequency) options. The usual responses are recorded then.

TTS widens your customer reach. Businesses have a different types of customers. Difference in gender, weight, age, hobbies, and preferred services are a given. Many are also different in regards to health – others in perfect condition while some having disabilities or impairments. For example, some of the customers have poorer eyesight than those of the others. With the use of Text to speech in contact centers, brands can reach all kinds of customers within their range. Visually impaired will have an easier time navigating through your given options, all the while feeling included in your brand.

Contact centers lessen their costs. Another important benefit of having Text to speech in contact centers is it lessening your operational costs. The main reason for that is because it lessens the need for extra agents to manage certain calls. Manual intervention is greatly reduced with TTS. 

Lastly, contact center also lessen their errors. Adding to the statements above, contact centers utilizing Text to speech reduces their errors – mainly human errors. TTS greatly increases accuracy, which is especially needed in contact centers.

Knowing Tegsoft

Tegsoft is a communication platform with a good design that provides the best customer experience. It offers contact centers many services (such as IVR systems and TTS) common for the contact center industry. Many other businesses in the industries of healthcare, education, finance, energy, and others use our platform and put it to great use – for the benefit of their respective businesses.

Reference/s:

https://www.niceincontact.com/call-center-software-company/glossary/what-is-contact-center-tts-text-to-speech#:~:text=TTS%2C%20an%20acronym%20for%20Text,playing%20back%20pre%2Drecorded%20messages.

https://www.babelforce.com/blog/cloud-contact-center/whats-tts-doing-for-contact-centers-why-we-love-text-to-speech/

https://livevox.com/the-power-of-text-to-speech-powered-by-voice-recognition/

https://indiantts.com/blog/text-to-speech-to-text-solutions-software-call-centers-bangla-tamil-telugu/