* Post updated March 2024
What is agent assist software?
If you’re in the customer service world, you’ve probably heard of agent assist software.
But what most people don’t realize is how advanced this type of technology has become. Agent assist is synonymous with real-time call guidance.
Your agents always know the right thing to say and when to say it.
Plus with more companies utilizing virtual agents (aka chatbots), the seamless handoff to live agents becomes even more important.
That’s why we decided to roll up our sleeves and analyze the best agent assist software on the market to help you make the right decision for your company.
Background on Agent Assist Software
For those who may be unfamiliar with agent assist software, it utilizes AI, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning to provide agents with real-time call guidance and support.
Agent assist helps your agents in the moment with real-time assistance to provide better results which in turn improves customer satisfaction.
Not every customer service team is trying to automate their service with chatbots. But with agent attrition and budget freezes, companies have to do more with less. This is where agent assist software comes in.
8 Best Agent Assist Software
Observe AI
One of the key features of Observe AI is its speech analytics capability.
The software can analyze the tone, sentiment, and context of customer conversations to provide agents with feedback on how to handle the call more effectively.
Just recently, Observe announced that their agent assist software now comes with real-time guidance. While other companies, like Abstrakt, have been focused on real-time for years.
That is the golden nugget when evaluating software. If the solution doesn’t come with real-time capabilities, you should continue your search.
Abstrakt
If you’re talking about real-time guidance, you must include Abstrakt in the conversation.
With the fastest real-time capabilities on the market (0.2 seconds – yes we can prove it), Abstrakt utilizes its proprietary code to ensure agents aren’t seeing a delay during live conversations.
Always knowing exactly what to say in real-time is how Abstrakt has separated itself as a leader in the agent assist software industry. Plus being configurable means you can be up and running in days, not months.
The software can easily be integrated into your current tech stack and there is no coding or training needed.
Plus with the addition of many more capabilities, like automated QA, Abstrakt has proven results for teams like yours.
Check out this QA audit checklist you can steal!
Cresta
Cresta is a major player in the industry. With that comes the price tag.
However, it is important to check them out as their capabilities reach across calls and chats. Most real-time agent guidance software is focused solely on calls.
Cresta’s focus has always been on coaching agents. Whether it be AI-driven or having your manager send a message while you’re in a conversation with a customer.
There are pros and cons to the “whisper” and “barge” as we used to call during calls.
Uniphore
Uniphore offers a unique touch as they focus on automation and conversational AI. However, they do offer a real-time agent assist piece that helps live agents.
With technology like this, it allows for a seamless handoff between virtual and live agents.
Uniphore does mention its dashboard and analytics platform, but this is a common feature with all real-time agent guidance software.
Level AI
Another company that heavily focuses on speech analytics then, later on, added real-time capabilities for agents.
Level AI customers are mostly in the contact center world, whereas other companies have seen success across multiple industries.
They are one of the few companies that have integrated ChatGPT as an add-on option utilizing their APIs.
Genesys
Genesys (and the others below) are in a whole other category when it comes to contact center software. Think dialers and omnichannel solutions.
However, they do offer an agent assist solution which is why they should be considered if you’re a larger company looking to make a big decision.
One of the key features of Genesys is its intelligent automation capabilities.
The software can automate certain tasks during customer interactions, such as data entry or form filling, freeing up agents to focus on more complex customer queries.
Five9
As mentioned above, only look at Five9 if you’re in the market for a system overhaul.
Five9’s technology is similar to Genesys, with a focus on the handoff between virtual and live agents.
They are also further along in analyzing customer sentiment and emotions. While this is still widely inaccurate across platforms, Five9 seems to be one of those leading the pack for that development.
Talkdesk
Talkdesk provides agents with a range of tools and resources to help them during customer interactions. From AI to agent assist to cloud software, TalkDesk prompts the omnichannel software experience.
They bundle their agent assist software with most customers to help them improve their overall customer interactions.
As mentioned, if you’re looking for an agent assist software that can be added to your current technology stack, then stick with one of the first five options.
If you’re looking to revamp your contact center software as a whole, check out what options six through eight can do for you.
If you’re unsure of why agent assist and agent guidance software are so important when it comes to improving the overall customer experience, all we can do is point you to the facts:
- CX Today highlights why agent assist software is so important
- CMSWire describes the top tech trends in contact centers
- See how Abstrakt’s real-time call guidance software stacks up
