Level AI Utilizes Algorithms to Address Challenges in Contact Centers

While working within Amazon’s Alexa organization, focusing on conversational AI, Ashish Nagar identified AI’s potential to enhance productivity within contact centers significantly.

Nagar shared with TechCrunch, “Considering frontline staff, such as those in customer service, represent the largest segment of human capital globally, my vision was to harness ambient computing — AI that seamlessly interacts and listens — to elevate the workforce’s capabilities.”

In 2019, Nagar launched Level AI, delivering an array of AI-driven solutions designed to streamline myriad customer service operations. This platform assesses the performance of contact center employees using criteria such as conversation volume and silence duration, offering valuable feedback for both the management and the agents themselves.

Nagar explains that “Level AI’s technology provides businesses with critical insights into customer sentiment, the quality of service on offer, and strategies for service enhancement.”

Moreover, Level AI has the capability, depending on its configuration, to present prompts to representatives mid-conversation, for instance, a nudge to verify a customer’s identity.

It’s also designed to intuitively understand a customer’s mood and react accordingly, such as alerting an agent to a customer’s dissatisfaction with a delayed shipment. Furthermore, it incorporates coaching functionalities to assist managers in guiding staff towards better performance metrics, like improved response times.

“The AI-powered customer service sector faces several hurdles, including data protection, seamless system integration, maintaining AI’s accuracy and reliability, and mitigating job displacement anxieties,” Nagar notes. “There’s also the challenge of keeping abrechat with fast-evolving AI advancements while upholding ethical standards and adhering to legislations. Level AI is meticulously crafted to tackle these issues effectively.”

Although Nagar is hopeful about how Level AI’s technology will continue to evolve and be utilized, he acknowledges the potential negative aspects of call center monitoring software.

An opinion piece in The Guardian highlights how call centers can turn into “electronic panopticons” where employees are under constant surveillance, with even minor mistakes possibly leading to immediate termination. This environment, coupled with low wages and the emotional strain from interacting with distressed customers, contributes to a notably high turnover rate in the industry, averaging 30% to 45% annually.

Concerns also exist over the privacy implications of technologies like Level AI. Are customers aware their conversations are subjected to sentiment analysis? And do employees have the assurance that their personal information will eventually be erased?

Nagar asserts that it falls upon organizations employing Level AI to devise their data management protocols. “We offer our clients the flexibility to oversee and administer their data as they see fit,” he reassures.

And clients appreciate this adaptability.

Entities such as Affirm, Penske, and Carta have enlisted Level AI’s services, Nagar reveals, with the company’s revenue model based on annual contracts influenced by the count of agents utilizing the Level AI platform. While Nagar abstains from disclosing specific revenue details, he believes the firm is on track to surpass $50 million in annual recurring income within a couple of years.

Given the sizable market for contact center software, an expectation Mordor Intelligence corroborates by valuing the sector at $61.07 billion in 2024 with projections to reach $145.20 billion by 2029, Nagar’s optimism doesn’t seem unfounded. This growth is partly motivated by contact center operators’ desires to reduce expenses.

It appears that venture capitalists share Nagar’s ambitious forecast. Level AI recently completed a $39.4 million Series C investment round, led by Adams Street Partners and supported by Cross Creek, Brightloop, and two returning investors, Battery Ventures and Eniac Ventures, bringing the total capital raised to $73.1 million.

Nagar mentions the new funding will be directed towards broadening Level AI’s outreach to various customer demographics. “Our already substantial impact on enterprise clients will be amplified, enabling us to broaden our reach. With a current staff of 135, we plan to expand our team by at least a dozen within the next six months, continuing to pioneer innovation in our offerings. We’re committed to investing in our technology and personnel to sustain our growth,” Nagar concluded.