AI Unleashed: Talk the Talk: How Conversational Analytics is Changing Customer Experience - IntelePeer

Episode 12: Talk the talk: How conversational analytics is changing customer experience

Paula Rivera:
Welcome back to AI Factor, the podcast where we explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work, connect, and innovate. I’m your host, Paula Rivera, senior director of Public Relations at IntelePeer. Today’s episode is part of our AI Unleashed series where we dive into real-world applications of AI with the people making it happen. Joining me is Derek Boudreau, our VP of AI and data product management, to talk about conversational analytics. From improving customer service to driving smarter business decisions, we’ll explore how this powerful tool is reshaping the customer experience. Derek, welcome.

Derek Boudreau:
Hey, Paula. Glad to be here.

Paula Rivera:
Glad to have you. Before we jump on in, I’d like to start up with this little segment I cleverly call AI in the news. So Silicon ANGLE actually just published an article about the NFL’s use of data and analytics. The article notes that the NFL’s unified data ecosystem rests on five pillars: data governance, data engineering, data solutions, operations, and end-to-end delivery. Derek, in your opinion, which teams should use more data and analytics to improve their performance on the field?

Derek Boudreau:
Oh, man. So this is a good one. And for 2025, I think it’s a little early still. I think historically, if you look at, I think it’s well known that folks such as the Steelers and Tampa Bay, and unfortunately my New England Patriots are also some laggards in the use of data and analytics. So I’m hoping specifically New England is getting better at doing so and we see the results on the field.

Paula Rivera:
Well, I appreciate the fact that you’re a Pats fan. I, being an improper Bostonian, am also a Patriots fan, so I’m going to keep you on for the rest of this show, Derek.

Derek Boudreau:
Well, I knew I had to call.

Paula Rivera:
So out of the five pillars, which one do you see being most difficult to deliver on?

Derek Boudreau:
They’re actually all challenging in their own ways, but I would say most recently the one that’s uniquely so is the governance. And there are a few reasons for that. The primary is that just the ever-increasing amount of data that is available to us. And so it’s becoming just even more important to have the necessary governance processes in place to control that data securely, to be able to make that data and keep it in forms that are useful for the business. And as businesses are under ever-increasing pressure to make use of that, I think governance is really becoming the most challenging of them all at this point.

Paula Rivera:
So I find that interesting and I’m wondering about guardrails. If they’re not careful, could AI hallucinate its way into fantasy football and start giving bad information back?

Derek Boudreau:
Well, possibly. And I think just data governance in general is about just preventing just that, preventing the bad data from influencing the outcomes in undesired ways. So I think that definitely, guardrails fall within the data governance framework and making sure that the data you’re using is providing the necessary guidance it should.

Paula Rivera:
Excellent. Conversational AI, let’s get down to the basics. What exactly is conversational analytics?

Derek Boudreau:
So what I like to think of conversational analytics as very simply is it’s a feedback loop that turns these raw customer interactions—think chats, texts, and phone calls—into oftentimes you hear actionable insights. I prefer to think of it even more specifically as decision fuel. This information allows us to use conversations as impact levers that we can use to make and measure change all about using the voice of the customer.

Paula Rivera:
Why is conversational analytics becoming such a critical tool for businesses today?

Derek Boudreau:
It’s been around for decades; however, it’s only recently been accessible due to advancements in technology, enabling wider access to insights for more businesses looking for edges and differentiation. As we get access to more interaction type data, being able to use conversational analytics to make improvements in business will continue to drive its criticality.

Paula Rivera:
Can you share any examples of the types of conversations it analyzes?

Derek Boudreau:
Absolutely. Conversational analytics spans across different domains and types of conversation such as SMS, chat, email, and voice conversations. Any type of conversational medium is suitable for conversational analytics.

Paula Rivera:
Could you walk us through the key steps of how conversational analytics work?

Derek Boudreau:
The four main pillars are capture, process, analyze, and continuous improvement. 1) Capture how to make use of the data, 2) Process involves converting data into a form that can be analyzed, 3) Analyze allows understanding business impacts, and 4) Continuous Improvement uses this data for making enhancements.

Paula Rivera:
So is conversational analytics about identifying patterns?

Derek Boudreau:
Yes, it helps identify reasons for calling or customer intents which can be vital. For instance, a spike in calls on a particular issue would signal something that needs to be addressed urgently.

Paula Rivera:
What role does sentiment analysis play?

Derek Boudreau:
Sentiment is an important indicator of customer experience, helping businesses understand trends based on how agents handle customer interactions or the effectiveness of products.

Paula Rivera:
Conversational analytics can definitely lead to operational efficiencies, correct?

Derek Boudreau:
Absolutely, by providing database evidence to make faster decisions rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence.

Paula Rivera:
Derek, could you talk a little bit about SmartAnalytics and how it supports high-volume customer interactions?

Derek Boudreau:
SmartAnalytics leverages our platform to analyze voice call data, providing insights into the entire customer experience from interaction through analysis, thus delivering key insights about customer experiences. It's built to capture the entire experience.

Paula Rivera:
Thank you, Derek, for joining us today and sharing your insights. Conversational analytics is a powerful tool for transforming customer experience and driving business growth. To learn more about how IntelePeer can help your organization unlock the power of SmartAnalytics, visit intelepeer.ai.