It’s not a great surprise that voice assistants grew in popularity during the pandemic. The prevalence of mobile phones and other voice-enabled devices combined with an increased need for touchless interactions created an ideal environment for accelerated growth and adoption of voice AI. 

According to Juniper Research, 52% of voice assistant users said they used voice assistants several times a day or nearly every day in 2021, compared to 46% before the pandemic, showing an increase in usage and demand for voice-enabled devices. Brands looking to innovate, get ahead of customer concerns, and provide exceptional customer experiences, should consider the benefits of voice assistants for their brand. 

By considering customers’ needs and expectations and working to meet them with emerging technological trends, including voice AI, brands can bring about positive change in a post-pandemic world. Although many companies in impacted industries struggled to survive during the height of the pandemic, allowing for innovation helped them move beyond simply maintaining a presence to showing growth through superior customer services. 

How to meet the needs of a post-pandemic world with voice AI

As many aspects of day-to-day life have changed as a part of the pandemic, consumer habits and needs have also shifted. Voice assistants are helping businesses connect with their customers with greater convenience while offering hand-free interfaces that provide wary customers with greater safety and hygiene. 

Here are a few industries where voice assistants are delivering safer interfaces: 

• QSRs
• Hospitality
• IoT
• Retail

In QSRs, voice-enabled kiosks and drive-thrus are providing hands-free ordering and eliminating the need to touch devices in highly-trafficked areas. Touchscreens are often the source of dangerous bacteria, which is even more troubling when many customers handle food after coming into contact with them. Contactless voice AI interfaces provide an opportunity to increase hygiene and safety in QSRs while creating a frictionless experience for customers.

The hospitality industry also uses voice-enabled kiosks for checking in and out customers as well as voice-enabled smart TVs in hotel rooms that control in-room amenities so guests can avoid touching high-contact surfaces, such as light switches, TV remotes, and air conditioners. The voice-enabled kiosks create a faster, more seamless experience, while the voice-enabled smart TVs can even personalize preferred settings for future stays.

While the IoT industry has already seen widespread success with its in-home smart devices, these devices are expected to expand even more to include public areas, such as elevators and doors.

Touchless payments and voice commerce

Voice commerce and touchless payments saw a rise during the pandemic as opportunities for interactions without contact, bacteria-laden cash, or interacting with another person grew in demand. Even before the pandemic, cash usage has been dropping significantly with a preference toward other digital payment methods. According to the Financial Times, cash use has been declining 15% per year since 2017, and cash payments plunged 35% during the first year of the pandemic in 2020. 

Voice shopping and voice payments offer a contactless alternative while also adding a multitude of other benefits, including diverse shopping locations, advanced filtering capabilities, and personalization. The demand for these advantages is clear, with Statista predicting that voice shopping will reach $40 billion by 2022. Touchless payments and voice commerce have seen immense growth in many industries, including retail, QSRs, hotels, and grocery stores. 

With voice shopping, shoppers can browse and purchase items through voice-enabled mobile apps, smart devices, or in-car voice assistants, where shopping was previously thought to be an impossible multi-task with the need to keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Voice-enabled kiosks in-store can also help shoppers find out product information and locations. 

Voice shopping also has the benefit of advanced filtering capabilities where shoppers can ask naturally and conversationally for what they’re searching for instead of interacting with long and complicated menus requiring a series of types and swipes. For brands building customer loyalty, personalization can help consumers save time and reduce frustration by storing preset filters and preferences or recommending products based on previous search and purchase history. 

With the pandemic came a shift in the mindset, needs, and expectations of consumers. To keep up with the new demands, brands will want to make sure they are continuously innovating with new technologies to ensure they cultivate loyal and returning customers. Voice AI offers many benefits to combat the challenges and needs of a post-pandemic world, including touchless, hygienic, quick, and efficient interactions. Brands should consider the advantages of voice-enabled devices so they can progress beyond just surviving the pandemic but also thriving.

If you want to hear more about what the experts say, check out the webinar, Innovating Your Way to Greater Resilience and Recovery.

At SoundHound Inc., we have all the tools and expertise needed to create custom voice assistants and a consistent brand voice. Explore Houndify’s independent voice AI platform at Houndify.com and register for a free account. Want to learn more? Talk to us about how we can help bring your voice strategy to life.

Kristen is a content writer with a passion for storytelling and marketing. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking, reading, and spending time with her nieces and nephew.