Why speech based services

Growing Extension

Speech based dialogue systems have been on their way for many years. Within the past few years many speech based applications have seen the dawn. Tele companies, financial institutions, entertainment and transport industries have found the speech interface very appropriate for their phone services. New uses are appearing all the time e.g.: Switch Board, Booking, Ordering, Frequently-Asked-Questions, Travel Planning, and Games.

Experience shows that the users' extent of self service increases dramatically when using speech based phone systems compared to traditional touch-tone services - in some cases from 20% self service up to 70-90%. Speech based services also have shown to be 50% faster than traditional touch-tone services. This gives many advantages in terms of phone connection time, load on phone system - not to forget user friendliness.

Advantages

The advantages of speech based phone services can in some ways be compared to the advantages of internet self-service - with an additional advantage that you use natural language on any telephone and therefore you are not depending on slow connections, different types of browsers, operating systems, hardware, keyboards or mouse clicks. Businesses usually implement speech based solutions for two reasons:

Improved Efficiency

Enterprises are able to save money by making their customer service or their internal working processes more efficient. The possibilities are e.g.:

• Automation A large number of telephone enquiries can be handled automatically, e.g. placing orders, information on balances, guidance on rules and information on opening hours, stock-in-trade and location.
• Peak Loads Large fluctuations in number of enquiries can be handled profitably. Enterprises avoid employee over-capacity or long waiting times for customers, and subsequently loss of business.

Better Customer Service

With speech based telephone services enterprises are able to enhance their customer services without increasing their expenses. The services are obtainable day and night and minimize waiting times. The use of speech based systems supplies quality service. The result is: more customers, more traffic and larger customer loyalty. The advantages of speech systems are characterized by being:

• Natural Speech is our natural way of communicating
• Flexible Spoken dialogue is more flexible than touch-tone systems – e.g. you can be informed about departure times just by saying the names of the starting and ending points of the journey.
• Simple Using the telephone is easier than using the Internet, and generally people are more familiar with telephone systems
 
• Ergonomics A touch-tone dialogue is almost impossible with a mobile phone or other telephones where the buttons are placed at the receiver. Also the handicapped prefer speech systems over both the Internet and touch-tone telephony.
   
• Safety Touch-tone services during driving constitute a large security risk, not to mention the fact that it is illegal in many countries.
 
• True mobile The mobile phone is far more prevalent that the Internet and can be used anywhere, in all situations and of all people regardless of their age.

Please also notice that speech based services can deal with a dictionary consisting of more than a million words and at the same time it becomes cheaper and cheaper to implement and run them.

Go to top  |  Privacy Policy    Sitemap

Copyright © 1983- Prolog Development Center A/S