Customer experience has become more streamlined and efficient with the rise of AI and automation tools. They can be used to power AI chatbots, customer service platforms, generative AI, etc. AI-driven customer support isn't meant to replace humans, rather it should help to complete tasks and resolve tickets faster. Automation tools can process big data in real time and make it easier to analyze for better products/services, targeting, and customer service.
According to a Hubspot survey, 79% of customer service professionals say AI and automation tools are important to their overall strategy. There are several benefits of AI in customer service to both companies and customers. It can reduce the workload of agents and prevent burnout as well as ensure that customers receive timely support. 62% of customer service professionals say that AI/automation tools help them understand their customers better.
What are some ways AI improves customer service?
Customer service expectations are evolving every day and have become demanding for companies. This is because the majority of customers want personalized experiences, omnichannel support, fast response times, etc. To keep up, customer service teams need AI-powered technology. Below are ways AI helps to improve customer service.
1. Chatbots / live chat that is available 24/7.
Many customers don't like having to wait for an agent to respond to their request. So it's better if you find an option that can provide support all around the clock. This is useful when agents are busy or when it's off working hours.
Since chatbots/live chat are programmed to respond immediately, 68% of customers enjoy the speed at which chatbots answer. They can be used to answer simple queries, collect user feedback, and connect to an agent.
2. Help desk ticketing systems that can automatically tag, prioritize and route queries.
A helpdesk ticketing system can turn requests into tickets and also help to track, organize, and prioritize them. It can also categorize tickets and route them to the best agents for such issues. It also unifies all interactions in one place.
A ticketing system is a tool that often comes with customer support software. Agents are able to collaborate and resolve tickets easily. It can also streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and personalize conversations.
3. AI self-service tools
According to the stats, 81% of all customersattempt to take care of issues by themselves before reaching out to a support representative. This shows that many customers are willing to find answers to problems by themselves.
Companies provide AI self-service tools that can direct customers to find solutions themselves, such as blog content, video tutorials, and knowledge bases/resource libraries. This helps to reduce the influx of support tickets.
4. Generative AI
Some generative AI tools that are widely used include ChatGPT, DALL-E 2, Bing AI, Bard, etc. Businesses can also use generative AI to spin up text, images, and other media to optimize and provide better customer service.
Rather than use canned responses, generative AI can help to create relevant customer replies for both agents and chatbots. They can write FAQs, and knowledge base articles, and make AI self-service tools smarter.
5. Automated workflow and integrations
Customer service apps that incorporate AI technology are a must-have if you want to provide good support. It allows agents to respond to queries across channels on a single workspace. This helps to boost support agent productivity.
AI service software can track interactions with customers, update the status of tickets, and send reminders when a ticket has been lost or forgotten. You can also integrate with other SaaS apps(CRM, payments, marketing, etc).
6. Personalized support.
Companies need to understand what customers prefer so they can meet their needs. With AI customer service, you can collect various types of customer data(demographics, behaviors, preferences, search patterns, opt-in data, etc).
Businesses can use such information to recommend those products and services that are relevant to the customer. It also helps agents to provide tailored supportaccording to a customer’s needs, preferences, past interactions, etc.
7. Predictive insights.
Apart from customer data, a business needs to collect and analyze market trends data. It allows you to be aware of past and present trends in order to predict future trends. AI analytics in customer service helps to gather quality data.
Customer service teams don't have to collect data through manual methods anymore. They can use the AI analytics toolsthat are available in the customer service software. They are useful for collecting, organizing, analyzing and reporting on data to help you improve customer service.
Conclusion
AI-powered customer service tools are helping customer service teams to provide more improved support. It allows companies to satisfy the ever-changing customer service expectations. Customers are also happier when AI and automation tools are used to provide fast and reliable support. It's definitely a win-win situation for both parties.
