Contact centre agents often spend the first few minutes of each call going through identification and verification (ID&V) – i.e. confirming the customer’s name, date of birth, account number, or other personal details. While this is essential for compliance and security, it’s also time-consuming and adds to the average handling time (AHT).
But what if that part of the call could be done before the agent ever answers the phone?
That’s where a pre-call voicebot comes in – an automated system that speaks with the customer at the start of the call, collects key information, and passes it securely to the agent. It’s a powerful way to reduce handling time, improve customer experience, and free up your agents to focus on resolution, not repetition.
Reducing AHT with VoiceBot-Driven ID&V
Using a voicebot for ID&V means customers are guided through a short, secure conversation before reaching an agent. The voicebot might ask:
· “Please tell me your full name.”
· “What is your date of birth?”
· “Can you confirm your postcode or policy number?”
Each customer answer is then cross-checked with the customer database and a ‘verified by bot’ or ‘not verified by bot’ tag is added to the inbound call on presentation to the agent. Within DigiDesk, the agent has a ‘Verified’ screen to let them know which customer answers were verified or not verified, thus reducing agent handling time further.
Benefits of Pre-Call ID&V VoiceBots
· Reduced AHT – Removing ID&V can reduce average call time by 1–2 minutes per call.
· Improved agent morale – Agents spend more time solving issues, less time on repetitive tasks.
· Faster call resolution – Agents don’t repeat ID&V steps already handled by the bot.
· Consistent compliance – The voicebot follows your defined ID&V scripts accurately, every time.
Other Uses of Pre-Call VoiceBots
In addition to ID&V, a voicebot can also be used for other pre-call solutions to save agent handle time and improve the customer experience. For example, a pre-call voicebot can also ask why the customer is calling. This can be as simple as:
“In a few words, please tell me what your call is about today.” The customer might respond:
· “I need to update my address.”
· “I’ve got a question about my bill.”
· “I want to make a payment.”
Using speech recognition and natural language processing, the voicebot can extract the intent and route the call intelligently. For example, sending billing questions to the billing queue, or passing payment requests to a self-service IVR. When routed to a live agent, DigiDesk can display the nature of the enquiry on the agent’s screen, so that the agent is immediately prepared to deal with the customer enquiry. We can even build in a short delay for the agent to review, ahead of connecting the call.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Using a voicebot for ID&V and pre-call enquiry capture is a simple but powerful way to:
· Reduce agent handling time.
· Improve agent morale.
· Create a smoother experience for both customers and agents.
With contact centres under pressure to do more with less, voicebots offer a smart and secure way to improve both the customer and agent experience. If you are interested in finding out more about pre-call VoiceBot solutions with DigiDesk Please get in touch with us to arrange a demo!
