8 Ways to Use AI in Customer Support for your Business

Zfort Group is a full-cycle IT services company focused on the latest technologies. We have 20 years of experience in building innovative and industry-specific software artificial intelligence customer support products our clients are truly proud of. AI excels when it’s being used to drive efficiencies, which is why it’s so helpful in making customer service more efficient.

The doom-mongers who claim that AI will make human customer service agents redundant are very wide of the mark. In fact, every introduction of a new customer service channel has actually increased the number of queries. Demonstrating this, 48% of consumers have increased artificial intelligence customer support the number of contacts they have with brands, compared to five years ago, while 16% more than doubled their number of interactions. Brands, therefore, need to heed Forrester’s words and plan for a balanced, blended future when it comes to customer service.

Direct customers to the right agent the first time with AI Skills-based Routing

AI chatbots are computer programs developed to simulate human conversation through natural language processing and artificial intelligence algorithms. These chatbots possess the ability to understand user queries, provide relevant responses, and learn from interactions to improve their performance over time. Our research shows that 63% of consumers said companies need to get better at listening to their feedback, while 60% of consumers would buy more if businesses treated them better. In today’s business environment – where omnichannel interactions are the norm – that can only really be achieved by augmenting human customer service agents with AI.

By analyzing large volumes of data, businesses can have access to detailed insights into their ventures. This allows them to understand customer demographics, purchasing patterns, and engagement levels. Furthermore, these insights help them in tailoring marketing messages, recommending relevant products, and creating personalized content that resonates with their target audience.

Insights

Using AI in e-commerce can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Imagine receiving product suggestions that are actually relevant to your needs, making it easier for you to find what you’re looking for. This personalized shopping experience can keep customers coming back for more. Customers are happy because they’re getting a more tailored experience, and retailers are happy because they’re seeing increased sales and loyalty.

Many experts paint a picture of human customer service agents being replaced by the likes of chatbots and smart assistants. Within customer service, we’ll start to see “conversational process automation”, in which there’s a seamless, AI-driven integration of conversations with backend systems and processes into the contact centre. Shoppers increasingly expect frictionless experiences that move seamlessly between online and in-store.

Leveraging AI Chatbots for Personalized Customer Support

Using an AI chatbot will normally deflect about 60-90% of your chat messages from Live Chat, so there are still questions you want your Live Chat agents to answer. Generative AI can use the agent’s shorthand input and craft the perfect customer email every time, ensuring your agents save time, and your customers still feel like they’re valued. AI Skills-based Routing takes your customer service to a whole other level. For example, when using LeadDesk’s AI chatbot, Finnkino reduced their live chat wait time from 104 seconds to 33 seconds.

• Not only does this lighten the load on your team, it empowers the customer into researching before calling next time and provides data for your team to discover which issues are most popular.
• By doing so, businesses can spread out the costs over time and ensure that they are getting a good return on investment.
• When a chatbot can’t help, then there is always the option of using other customer communications channels – including live chat.
• Despite much debate over the logistics of legislation which will see AI become commonplace, its benefit to retail and other sectors will oversee a complete overhaul of customer service.

It’s also noteworthy for being an example of machine learning customer support thanks to its ability to learn from one customer and to use those learnings to boost the conversion rate for another. Another key use of artificial intelligence for customer service is to power self-service platforms, which software-as-a-service companies often use to carry out sales functionality. Tapping into the right tool and scaling your conversation capabilities helps to boost lead acquisition, increase sales and enhance the customer experience (and brand loyalty) at every touchpoint. As a customer you can now enjoy access to customer service 24/7 and, at the same time, get the right help needed with the minimum of fuss or delay, but what happens when your client base grows bigger? The more clients who call your helpdesk, the longer it takes them to reach a representative. Another example of how AI can improve customer experience is through personalization.

Using intelligent routing, customers are prompted to self-diagnose their problems in a way that suits them. Microsoft’s artificial intelligence takes these portals beyond simple search and hope scenarios, to a tailored, natural language interface. Retailers that expand AI and mobile wayfinding – and ensure any employee can help customers with any question – enable customers to find answers and shop on their own terms.

’ found that that 80% of businesses say they already use or plan to use chatbots by 2020. When a chatbot can’t help, then there is always the option of using other customer communications channels – including live chat. We are in a new age of digital customer service where on-demand help is expected 24/7, 365 days a year, often leaving customer service agents feeling stretched and exhausted.

AI can track every interaction across a multitude of touchpoints – including voice and text, on owned and third-party platforms – and discern effort and emotion. AI can then route calls to agents and flag that full, holistic history, letting you know who’s most in need of assistance, and what their issue’s been about. The introduction of AI-enabled speech recognition and natural language processing technologies brings a new level of finesse to customer interactions. The emergence of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants has initiated a significant shift in customer service paradigms.

Customer service has always been a cornerstone of business success, as it directly influences customer satisfaction, loyalty, and brand reputation. Businesses should communicate clearly with customers about how their data is collected, stored, and used. Implementing transparent data handling practices, such as providing clear privacy https://www.metadialog.com/ policies and obtaining explicit consent, can help establish a strong foundation of trust. By being open and honest about data practices, organizations can differentiate themselves in the marketplace and build lasting customer relationships. For instance,  a customer seeking fitness gurus could interact with an AI chatbot.

Bots are about to get better at customer support than humans

AI helps them to optimise their content for a particular audience by creating visuals that are tailored to the preferences of that audience. With its ability to generate visuals quickly and accurately, businesses can use this technology to their advantage and make content that’s fitting for their brand. Businesses are now able to easily create high-quality visuals for their website, social media posts, and other marketing materials using AI. This is especially beneficial to small businesses that have limited time and resources and can’t purchase or capture their own visuals. As businesses continue to adapt to the rapid advancement of technology, automated content creation has become an increasingly popular solution for marketers seeking to maximise their efficiency. Furthermore, AI requires continuous learning and refinement to stay up to date with evolving customer expectations and emerging technologies.