How May We Help You? AI and the New World of Customer Experience
AI in Customer Experience
Among the more dreaded features of old-school customer interaction technology is the familiar voice-menu tree, the robotic recorded voice that instructs customers to:
“Please say ‘customer service’ or ‘pay my bill.’”
(Followed all-too-often by):
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Please repeat your instruction.”
(And then):
“I apologize. Please remain on the line for a live agent. The current estimated wait time is…”
(Hangs up.)
One of the emerging use cases for what we think of as artificial intelligence involves a better way to manage inquiries -- and keep customers happy. AI applications that address customer needs and/or customer experience (CX) can make enormous differences in the tenor and quality of interactions, whether performed entirely via AI-powered chatbots or used to supplement live interactions managed by agents.
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AI Enhancements for CRM and Customer Interaction
The new breed of CX apps often work as extensions to existing customer-relationship management software -- familiar tools like Salesforce or Zendesk. These underlying CRM tools can be powerful in their own right by putting customer data and interactions at your fingertips.
But newer AI solutions take these tools to a new place by overlaying AI-generated information that applies a welcome human touch and sense of personal authenticity to various interactions. (It’s no surprise that CRM developers are in on the generative AI game). Salesforce, for example, has developed a bolt-on tool, Salesforce Einstein, which brings “conversational AI” to the forefront.
Plenty of providers are looking to assist small businesses in the CX realm. Here’s a useful compilation of AI-powered customer experience tools that are meant to enhance customer support published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
How to Ask AI for Recommendations
You can also use an AI chatbot of your choosing to ask for a list. Try a prompt like this:
“Please list up to 10 AI-powered customer experience software programs that are well-regarded for use in small businesses.”
It’s often a good idea to make your inquiry even more specific, asking, for instance, for a list of “I-powered customer experience software programs suitable for landscaping companies, or pet care, or whatever you’re into.)
Pro Tip:
Be cautious about inputting any proprietary information about your company or a candidate when using AI tools, as once it’s submitted, it becomes part of the wider data that can be publicly accessible (unless using a custom AI tool that’s private for your company).
Customer Service AI Tools
For the most part, these types of applications distill information from multiple sources to create rapid-fire, helpful solutions for customers. One example is Tidio’s suite of help desk and CX tools that promise to free up service agent time by offering up generative AI responses to common customer inquiries.
These and other AI tools work some of their magic by taking into account not just the verbatim language from a customer request, but contextual clues that can offer some insight into the mindset and even the tone of your customer’s “ask.”
Another example is the Zia application developed by Zoho Desk. A companion interface to popular business tools like Salesforce, Zia and other similar apps considers both internal customer records -- your bank of previous interactions and service “tickets” -- along with contextually relevant content from outside your business.
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Contextual Customer Experience Examples
Why bother to roam the online data landscape in search of contextual information? In part, because this sort of outside-the-box reply signals a genuine interest in your customer’s experience that transcends the more limited feel of an isolated, mechanical transaction inquiry.
For-instance: The outdoor enthusiast who asks about the delivery status of a camping stove order for a weekend trip to Utah’s Canyonlands might appreciate knowing that the weather forecast in the area for Saturday looks fantastic. Alternatively, a quick recap of highway conditions for the upcoming jaunt might register as a helpful tip.
Could either reply be generated by an agent on the phone? Sure. But it would probably require some hunting and searching on your part, possibly while your customer waits in silence.
The Growing Role of AI in Small Business CX
- Inquiries that require no human interaction
- Or those that occur in concert with live service agent interaction
On the latter front, one of the selling points for AI CX tools is their ability to provide ready prompts and informational nuggets to live, human agents who are conversing with customers.
Interest in AI technology for CX advancements is running a wide gamut. Chances are your high-speed business Internet provider already is well-versed in the emerging AI/CX world, with tips and tools to help maximize the intersection between reliable connectivity and the world of instant-response AI.
For small businesses or startups in particular, the benefits can be big. AI-generated conversations and/or prompts for service agents can give a “big company” feel to your CX endeavors.
Chances are you’re already well aware that customer satisfaction tends to lead to customer loyalty. In that regard, the power of AI can amplify and upgrade interaction quality in a way that lends itself to repeat business. And there’s nothing “artificial” there about the impact on your bottom line.
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