Welcome to our edition of “Spotlighting the Leaders.” Today, we spotlight Scott Deering from Direct Line. With over ten years in the contact center industry, Scott has become an expert in speech analytics.
Let’s explore his journey.
I. Transforming contact centers with speech analytics
Scott Deering, a seasoned contact center professional, has over ten years of experience in managing various contact centers. Currently, Scott is working with speech analytics at Direct Line.
His journey from a customer service advisor at British Gas to a data and insight analyst at Direct Line is both inspiring and insightful.
II. Early career & introduction to speech analytics
Scott’s career in the contact center industry began at British Gas, where he started as a customer service advisor.
During his tenure, British Gas introduced speech analytics in 2009-2010, and Scott played a pivotal role in testing and developing this new technology.
His involvement in building categories and helping with the initial setup laid the foundation for his expertise in speech analytics.
When asked about his early career, Scott replied,
III. Speech analytics for compliance & efficiency
At British Gas, speech analytics was used across both sales and service departments.
The primary goals were to ensure regulatory compliance and improve operational efficiencies.
Scott explains,
The technology’s early adoption allowed Scott to witness its transformative impact firsthand, shaping his approach to speech analytics in his subsequent roles.
IV. Current Role at Direct Line
Since joining Direct Line in 2016, Scott has been instrumental in developing their speech analytics capabilities.
His focus spans sales, service, and assurance, aiming to identify performance variances among agents and inform workforce planning.
One of the significant use cases is in compliance assurance, where speech analytics helps automate processes and reduce headcount requirements.
V. Challenges in Measuring ROI
A common challenge with speech analytics is demonstrating ROI. Scott acknowledges the difficulty in tracking direct ROI due to the behavioral changes it drives, which are not always immediately quantifiable.
However, metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and retention rates often reflect the benefits over time.
VI. Integration with Organizational Planning
At Direct Line, Scott’s role sits within the operational planning team, a fitting placement given the overlap in data and goals.
He explains,
This integration ensures that speech analytics data is used effectively, aligning with workforce management and other planning activities.
VII. The Future of Speech Analytics with AI and Large Language Models
With the advent of large language models and AI, Scott sees significant potential for enhancing speech analytics. Direct Line is exploring the use of APIs to integrate speech analytics data with other organizational data sources, creating a more comprehensive understanding of customer interactions.
VIII. A Day in the Life of a Data and Insight Analyst
A typical day for Scott includes:
- System Monitoring: Checking that speech analytics systems are functioning correctly.
- Call Review: Listening to calls to refine and update analytics categories.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Working with different departments to ensure the effective use of speech analytics data.
He stresses,
IX. Key Insights from Scott Deering’s Experience
- Top-Down Approach: Speech analytics programs need to be driven by senior management to ensure they are effectively used and deliver ROI.
- Behavioral Impact: While direct ROI measurement is challenging, the impact on customer experience and operational efficiencies is significant.
- Integration and Accessibility: APIs and large language models will play a crucial role in making speech analytics data more actionable.
- Constant Improvement: Continuous refinement of categories and staying updated with regulations and scripts is essential for maximizing the benefits of speech analytics.
Scott Deering’s journey highlights the transformative potential of speech analytics in contact centers. His experience and insights offer valuable lessons for organizations looking to implement or enhance their speech analytics programs.
X. Enthu.AI : The Future of Speech Analytics
In Scott’s professional journey, he has encountered numerous speech analytics tools.
If you’re also into a call center business and looking for powerful speech analytics software, you can count on Enthu.AI.
With its variety of AI-powered features, Enthu.AI enables you to capture 100% of your voice calls, transcribe them, and bring out meaningful analysis from those transcriptions.
With Enthu.AI, you can get valuable insights on important call moments, understand customers better, improve agent performance, automate agent coaching and training, and a lot more.Â
