How AI Can Enhance Your Customer Experience - SrijibDutta/srijiblog GitHub Wiki

Customers want help right now, and they want it online, by phone, or via SMS—whichever is easier for them. Once the pandemic is over and social distancing orders are lifted, they’ll want support in the store, too.

To compete in today’s customer service environment, your company needs to cater to its customers’ communication preferences. In order to achieve that kind of responsiveness without inflating your personnel costs, you’ll need AI.

AI usage has been increasing for a while now, but the pandemic has accelerated consumer dependence on it. Here are some areas where AI can transform your customer experience:

1. Contact Centers

The pandemic shut down public venues, and people couldn’t go into stores and offices for help. Not only did call volumes surge, but many contact centers were among the operations that shut down.

Contact centers as a service, or CCaaS, took on new importance as customers needed ways to virtually connect with companies. Contact centers became remote, digital enterprises that could connect agents with customers from anywhere in the world. Part of the software that makes CCaaS so responsive is voice recognition technology, or VRT. VRT uses AI to recognize changes in vocal patterns and pauses that show when the caller is feeling stressed or when the agent needs assistance. This ensures that each interaction is as positive and productive as possible.

Whether it’s prompted by CCaaS or a periodic observation, supervisors can virtually listen in on the conversations. They can also use additional messaging features to help the staff member. The caller may never even know the supervisor became involved. And in a case where it’s needed, the supervisor can start helping the client directly.

2. Chatbots

Chatbots haven’t had the best of reputations, as it's hard to sell people on the idea of having a robot solve their problems. Advancements in AI technology over the last few years, however, have made them a much more valuable tool. Already projected to grow in 2020, chatbot use has skyrocketed alongside expanded remote operations. Language-oriented machine learning means bots can now recognize the intent behind questions, making sure no subtext goes unnoticed. This allows the tool to identify the customer’s actual need and direct them to the best resource immediately. Chatbots are now capable of handling routine client assists without human involvement. No longer do they require constant upkeep and check-ins from marketers; now they form a team of their own.

3. Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants, when embedded directly into websites, can help guide the customer experience. More than just chatbots, these assistants can also help improve interactions with employees, partners, and prospects. Many VAs suggest new products. They also have industry-specific uses: VAs in the banking sector can help customers check their balance or deposit a check, for example. They are becoming so mainstream that chatbots, messaging systems, and virtual assistants are projected to lead 70% of customer interactions by 2022.

Some of the most cutting-edge VA technologies are geared toward a company’s service staff. This AI-powered assistant helps employees provide more precise guidance to customers while also improving their use of language and grammar. VAs can build trust and credibility with customers, all while making their experience better.

4. Next-Generation Automations

AI has cracked the door to self-service options beyond your website and contact center. Some deliveries, for example, can now be conducted autonomously. Amazon offers drone delivery in major cities. Nero launched its first self-driving delivery car in 2016. During the pandemic, its AI-powered fleet delivered medical supplies to Covid-19 patients in California. For better or worse, AI technologies in this category aren’t mass-market options just yet. Be thinking about how you can weave them into your customer experience as soon as they’re available.

5. Data-Driven Feedback Loops

An estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is collected every day. AI and machine learning can use that data to improve the customer experience in ways beyond how we traditionally define customer service.

Companies like Amazon are using AI to predict warehouse supply levels. The software can predict order volumes and ensure that supplies are automatically slated for delivery to warehouses before customers purchase.

The more data companies collect, the better they can fine-tune their customer experience.AI can help analysts spot spending trends, for example, converting on-the-fence customers with discounts. It can also identify slow points in a buyer’s journey, helping companies make improvements in areas ranging from site speed to product education.

Technology grows exponentially, meaning that companies often have trouble adopting new technology quickly enough. The trouble is, getting behind in such an area makes it incredibly difficult to catch up.

Covid-19 has shown the world just how vital artificial intelligence is to the customer experience. New AI tools are being developed all the time. Any company that doesn’t get on board now will regret it later.