The Future of Call-Centre Pricing: AI Revolutionizes Customer Interactions
Companies operating in the call-centre and business messaging sectors are anticipating a significant shift in their pricing structures. Experts are suggesting a move towards outcome-based pricing models and bundled services, moving away from the traditional pay-per-message or pay-per-seat methods. This change is largely driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, which is increasingly taking over voice and text conversations, thereby reducing the need for human agents.
Disruption of Traditional Pricing Models
Ivan Ostojic, the chief business officer at Croatia-based Infobip, highlighted that call centres continue to rely on pay-per-seat pricing. However, he warned that this model is at risk of disruption as AI technologies drastically cut operational costs.
A New Bundled Approach
Ostojic envisions a pricing structure akin to telecom models, where service providers predict user consumption and create bundles that include various services—from SaaS or AI to communication channels. This bundling aims to stabilize costs, protecting clients from sudden price fluctuations.
The Rise of CPaaS Companies
Communication-platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) providers like Infobip are now exploring innovative use cases where the cost of implementation justifies the potential benefits. As AI agents automate workflows, industry experts predict that multi-channel conversations—spanning SMS, voice, WhatsApp, RCS, and in-app notifications—could be packaged into comprehensive bundles.
Variable Pricing Models
Tanla Platforms, a company specializing in customer communication tools, is also adapting its pricing models. Deepak Goyal, the chief business officer, stated that their pricing varies based on several factors, such as the complexity of each use case and the degree of AI integration.
Value vs. Cost
Interestingly, although AI deployment can be more expensive compared to traditional, structured chat solutions, clients are often willing to pay a premium. Goyal explained that the added value generated by AI technologies compensates for these extra costs.
Innovative Campaigns Using AI
For instance, Tanla ran a highly successful campaign for a retail brand that encouraged customers to upload images of broken appliances via WhatsApp in exchange for exclusive coupons. Despite the high costs of multimodal AI image recognition, this campaign achieved redemption rates soaring to 30 times.
Adapting to Generative AI
Gautam Badalia, CEO of Route Mobile, indicated that generative AI solutions are still in their nascent stages and have yet to establish a suitable pricing structure. He emphasized the substantial costs associated with generative AI interactions given the various engines available today.
Evolving Pricing Models
As AI agents unlock new applications within customer services, it is expected that pricing models will evolve to become more outcome-based. Currently, the pay-per-message model remains predominant in AI-enabled interactions.
Case Study: Insurance Industry Innovation
Route Mobile has successfully enabled an insurance company to implement an AI agent that communicates with users via WhatsApp. This AI system helps understand customer profiles and needs, allowing for more accurate policy suggestions. This innovation aims to eliminate human errors and prevent potential mis-selling.
The Future is Bundled and Flexible
Ultimately, as the landscape of call-centre operations shifts due to AI advancements, the expectation is for pricing structures to become more versatile. Bundling services based on predicted user consumption will likely be favored, making it easier for companies and their clients to manage costs.
Conclusion
The emergence of AI in the call-centre industry is steering companies toward more innovative, flexible, and outcome-focused pricing models. As traditional pay-per-seat pricing faces disruption, the future will likely see a blend of technologies and services encapsulated into bundled offerings that cater to evolving customer needs.
Questions and Answers
- What are the traditional pricing models for call centres?
Traditional pricing models for call centres often include pay-per-message or pay-per-seat systems. - How is AI impacting these pricing models?
AI is reducing operational costs, leading to a shift toward more flexible and outcome-based pricing structures. - What is a CPaaS company?
Communication-platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) companies provide cloud-based tools that facilitate multi-channel communication for businesses. - What was an example of a successful AI campaign?
Tanla ran a campaign where users uploaded images of broken appliances via WhatsApp in exchange for coupons, achieving high redemption rates. - What is the most common pricing model for AI interactions currently?
The pay-per-message model remains the most common pricing structure in AI-enabled interactions.
