In today’s competitive business landscape, Business Process Outsourcers (BPO) running offshore call centers are under increasing pressure to deliver exceptional customer service while keeping costs under control. The good news? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the call center landscape, offering a powerful solution to these challenges. But with a variety of AI solutions available, how should BPOs prioritize their investments?

We recently interviewed Ofer Ronen, the Founder and CEO of Tomato.ai, and asked him this very question. Before raising $12.1M for Tomato.ai, Ofer successfully sold two start-ups to Google, and one to IAC. He also played a pivotal role in pioneering Google Contact Center AI, where he helped transform some of the largest call centers with AI, including a couple of Fortune 20 companies, driving over $500M in bookings.

Ofer’s Crawl, Walk, Run Approach to AI Implementation

BPOs shouldn’t rush into implementing the most complex AI solutions first. A strategic “crawl, walk, run” approach is key.

Crawl Begin with quick wins that deliver immediate value. Call summarization and voice augmentation are excellent starting points, as they improve efficiency and customer experience without a major overhaul.

Walk Once initial solutions are established, move on to AI-powered agent assist. This empowers agents and elevates the quality of their interactions.

Run Finally, consider implementing virtual agents for basic inquiries, allowing human agents to focus on complex issues and relationship building.

This phased approach ensures a smooth integration of AI while maximizing its benefits.