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Call Center Outsourcer Ascensos Partners with IRIS Audio to Eliminate Background Noise
Background noise is a significant problem in contact centers. In many large centers, workers are seated close to one another, often necessitating the need to speak louder to the customer on the other end of the call. The end result is a confusing call, a need to repeat information, customer irritation and frustration on the part of the agent. Many call centers have discovered the benefits of using noise suppression technology to help contain the problem.
Ascensos, a UK-based customer service outsourcing partner specializing in consumer retail, recently announced a partnership with IRIS Audio Technologies, the team behind the artificial intelligence-powered voice isolation app, IRIS Clarity (News - Alert). With IRIS Clarity’s technology, Ascensos will be able to largely eliminate distracting background noise on customer service calls to improve the overall customer experience, employee wellbeing, productivity and performance.
IRIS Clarity is an AI-powered software that removes distracting background noise from calls, integrating with existing call center-as-a-service (CCaaS) and unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) platforms. Its bi-directional functionality benefits both agents and customers by eliminating noise on both sides of a call, bringing better control to often uncontrollable auditory environments.
After a successful proof of concept in July 2022 for Ascensos employees that work both onsite and at home, the company plans to deploy IRIS Clarity to an initial 1,500 call center workers in the UK, South Africa and Romania, with plans to expand further. Agents that took part in the proof of concept trial gave overwhelmingly positive feedback about the software and reported smoother call interactions, with less repetition from both customers and agents.
“Background noise has always been a frustration for both advisors and customers on customer service calls, as they rarely take place in a controlled environment,” noted John Devlin, cofounder and CEO of Ascensos. “Providing our colleagues with the right tools to be effective in their role has always been a critical consideration for us. Clear communication between a customer and an advisor means everything in our line of work, and what could be better than a solution with proven ability to achieve that.”Edited by Erik Linask