Voice Agents are here. Context turns them into real customer value.

Consider three moments that happen every day in consumer businesses:

• At 6 a.m., a driver running late for a delivery window calls dispatch to move his dock appointment. He’s behind the wheel, so an app isn’t an option. Three other drivers are already on hold, and every minute he waits puts the next delivery at risk.
• At noon, a drive-thru has four cars in line and one employee on the headset, who is also taking payment and handing out orders. Guests can only order by speaking, so the line moves only as fast as one employee can facilitate orders.
• In the evening, a storm grounds flights, and stranded travelers call their hotel to hold rooms and push back arrivals. Standing at a gate with a bag in each hand, a phone call is easier and faster than a website. The reservations team has two people and forty calls coming in.
• In each of these moments, voice is the fastest or only way the customer can reach the business. So if voice ultimately serves the customer and business need most effectively, why is it so often not available or, in more recent times, executed poorly?