5 steps to transform CX with experiential learning

As a leader and innovator in your industry, you know the secret’s out when it comes to just how powerful AI is for contact centers. After all, 59% of managers or higher-ranking leaders at organizations blending AI with human agents say the approach has been very or extremely effective at boosting customer retention and lifetime value.

What is experiential learning?

Experiential learning is like your company’s secret sauce for making a supercharged, adaptable team. It’s not your typical boring classroom stuff; it throws your employees into real-life situations. They get hands-on, solve problems and learn to think independently. This way, they don’t just learn; they become skill-building, innovation-boosting masters, always striving to do better.

And by weaving this technology into the learning process, contact centers can create a dynamic and interactive environment for agents to practice and refine their customer service skills. But where do you start? How can you use AI to empower your agents and transform your CX? We break it down in five steps.

1. Introduce hands-on training through AI simulation.

Generative AI can provide brand-specific call skills and best practices through roleplay in life-like conversation, screen and chat simulations before agents engage with live customers. For example, agents roleplay with an AI coach using their own words without reading a script. Essentially, AI creates a playground where they practice skills and situations without real-world risks.

2. Analyze live agent calls.

You know what’s the best thing about experiential learning? It’s totally okay to mess up! Yes, making mistakes is actually a great way to set up teams for success. It’s not about failing; it’s about growing. As agents develop their skill set with AI, contact center leaders can quickly analyze all live agent calls against those same call skills, identify skill gaps and deploy automated development plans for continuous agent improvement.

3. Provide instant coaching and feedback.

Just like human-to-human roleplay, agents receive tone, soft skills and required practice coaching. AI keeps an eye on their progress, giving personalized feedback for supercharged learning. While analyzing calls, contact center leaders can provide continuous one-on-one mentorship and coaching with their agents.

4. Enhance agent call skills through micro learning.

With simulated experiences, you encourage trying new things, taking risks and learning from the outcomes even before taking their first call. Failing is just a step towards success, building resilience with a mindset for growth. Agents can roleplay with their AI coach on one call skill at a time — such as listening, empathy and building rapport — to master each call skill through hyper-targeted micro learning.

5. Improve CSAT and increase proficiency.

AI gets teams pumped up, keeps learning in their brains, helps them adapt like superheroes and makes problem-solving a piece of cake. That means top-notch productivity, happier customers and better business results. From new hires to agent upskilling, call simulation can improve speed to proficiency — Zenarate, for example, sees 56% faster agent speed-to-proficiency vs. traditional training. Additionally, 33% of agents have higher CSAT scores with a Zenarate AI Coach Call.

It’s safe to say that AI is a game changer for contact centers. It’s like giving agents a virtual playground to practice and enhance their customer service skills. This not only helps them better understand customer needs but also boosts their empathy and problem-solving abilities. The result? Improved CX delivery, happier customers and increased loyalty. This is of course, is only the start.

To learn more about AI conversational simulation and the do’s and don’ts of experiential learning, we created a guide: “Practice makes experts: Mastering the art of CX with AI conversational simulation.”