Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML) are words that keep popping up everywhere. They’ve even found their way into normal everyday conversations.
This means that they’re not in the domain of the few but have become mainstream.
AI is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are normally done by humans because they require human intelligence and acumen.
Whereas, ML is a subset of AI which allows software applications to become more accurate at predicting outcomes without being programmed to do so.
ML algorithms use available data as input to predict new output values.
Though they haven’t reached the levels of AI and robots shown in sci-fi movies, they’re still evolving and one day, who knows?
‘BB8, get the car’……….. maybe someday (soon).
AI in customer experience
Various industries and companies have already incorporated AI-powered technologies into their organizations.
A sector that can really take advantage of AI and ML-powered tools is the customer service industry.
Using AI to improve customer experience can be very productive for your company.
AI chatbots can conduct multiple chats at once with your customers while engaging with them on their preferred channel in their chosen language.
It can also connect your customers seamlessly with your customer service agents through live chat features if human interaction is needed or desired by your customers.
These AI features can free your employees to concentrate more on the customers themselves instead of being bogged down by routine tasks.
This extra time dedicated solely to your customers will no doubt enhance your organization’s customer experience and take it to the next level.
The use of AI and ML in customer experience is to enhance the customer journey at all the touchpoints through the use of technology.
Most people don’t even realize that companies they are in business with are using AI to improve customer experience.
Let’s say that your OTT (Over The Top) channel subscription is about to expire.
You’ll start getting reminders about the fact on your phone, your email and maybe even on your Whatsapp account.
You decide to pay for the channel and go to their website where everything is ready for you to fill out.
All you have to do is pay.
AI and ML helped the channel personalize your experience.
It tracked your due date, sent a friendly reminder through the mail or the phone and remembered your past transactions.
This customization happened without you even knowing about it.
It made your shopping experience feel tailor-made for you and effortless.
We’ve just seen the importance of using AI to improve customer experience.
Now, let’s look at some of the ways using AI and ML can help you enhance your customer experience.
AI tools that make your customer service more efficient
8 Ways AI & ML Can Improve Customer Experience
1. Personalized customer service
AI and ML help organizations create better online experiences.
The usage of AI and ML in gathering historical and behavioral customer data can be much more effective than traditional data-gathering software.
The modern consumer expects customization from companies. Unlike customers of even a few years back, today’s customers take customization for granted, especially in online commerce.
Imagine being able to cater to your customers at every touchpoint of their customer journey.
AI and ML let you do just that.
Once you have a customer register with your company, you can guide them through the onboarding process through videos or guided walkthroughs.
Then you can send drip emails to them every often highlighting features of the product or service they purchased.
You can also send them offers of upgrades or other customized special offers based on their product usage.
When you can connect like this on the various touchpoints of your customers’ journey, they will feel connected and valued by you.
2. Customer service analytics
AI and ML can help your company to analyze customer service activities.
Utilizing tools powered by AI, your organization can leverage data and insights generated from chatbots, customer calls and customer feedback and surveys.
All of these insights can then be utilized to improve customer satisfaction and improve efficiency.
3. Faster and more efficient
There are many points on how AI and ML-powered systems are faster and more efficient than traditional systems.
Listed here are some of the significant ones:
- Analyzing data and reporting speed
AI can be very helpful and fast in analyzing data and can also speed up the reporting process.
Large volumes of data can be analyzed accurately and quickly without the margin of human error when done manually or through traditional methods.
- Available 24/7
AI can provide 24/7 service as they do not need rest.
Unlike humans, AI can give consistent performance throughout the day (and night).
Since AI is essentially a machine it will not get tired or bored, so it will be consistent and error-free.
This will definitely improve your organization’s efficiency.
- Process automation
AI has enabled many complex processes to be automated.
Routine customer service queries can now be handled by AI-powered chatbots, reports can be automatically generated and distributed, customer profiles can be generated automatically, etc.
All this automation can help reduce company costs as well as help employees with lesser workloads.
- Better security
AI is helpful in increasing the security of a network, an application, or a website.
Keeping your own and your customer’s data safe from being stolen by hackers should be a priority for all organizations.
A breach in security can have devastating consequences for your organization.
A system that has AI technology implemented into its system is much more protected than one which hasn’t.
4. Monitor key online channels
AI has capabilities to monitor and create posts on various key online channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
The “AI in social media” market is estimated to grow from $633 million in 2018 to more than $2.1 billion by 2023.
Source: Markets and Markets
As AI evolves more and more, it’s getting more powerful in making relevant and accurate predictions about online customer preferences and marketing strategies.
Since AI relies on data to generate insights and predictions, it can use data from monitoring key online channels to grow revenues.
By analyzing data from key online channels and predicting which leads will take action, it can automatically target them with customized marketing messages.
5. Gather customer feedback
Besides acquiring new customers, it’s equally important to nurture your existing customer base and try to keep them happy.
Improving customer loyalty should be a goal of any organization, but this is easier said than done.
In today’s market where customers are spoiled for choice, they are very fickle when it comes to staying loyal to a company or brand.
You’ll have to offer an exceptional customer experience which can be achieved through carefully designed feedback exercises.
Feedback exercises enable you to gather insights into the positive points of your organization as well as identify gaps that need to be filled.
Customers can give feedback through various channels like phones, in-person, social media platforms, online chats, etc.
Handling and analyzing all of that feedback data manually or through traditional systems can be very challenging.
AI and ML integrated systems can effectively and quickly analyze data from any channel and provide predictions and insights to enhance the customer experience of existing customers.
6. Data-driven customer insight
Optimizing the customer experience through data-driven insights is important for your company to focus on.
Data-driven customer insights derived from data generated by the customers’ historical, behavioral, and feedback interactions can build a ‘single view’ of the customer.
This ‘single view’ can help you better understand how the customers’ purchases, interactions and behavior will impact their future actions.
Sharing this ‘single view’ of the customer throughout the different departments of the company will enable you to target them more effectively with the right message at the right touchpoint.
This will definitely improve the quality of your company’s customer experience.
Image source: www.mobility.siemens.com
7. Streamline workflows
As stated before, AI can help your company automate processes by:
- Reducing the time and effort needed for doing monotonous and time-consuming manual tasks like entering customer data.
- Help you predict outcomes with its predictive analytics which can also help you to predict potential risks.
- Help you streamline your company’s workflow even more by providing sound analysis which will be free from human bias and error.
- Help you to keep track of your employees’ performance through its reporting and analytical features which will show you only the metrics that matter.
- You can design it to automatically assign customer service agents as and when required so that a customer query is never left wanting.
- Share the workload with your customer service agents.
This will enable your agents to have more meaningful and quality interactions with the customers.
8. Prevent employee burnout
AI has the ability to improve the employee experience by automating monotonous routine tasks.
Automating repetitive processes like filling out forms, customer demographics, scheduling meetings, and reminders, etc. can save a lot of your employees’ time and effort.
This will give them more time and opportunities to concentrate more on essential and complex tasks.
This freedom that AI can give your employees will help alleviate their stress levels and let them effectively manage their time.
This will lead to a better work–life balance for your employees.
A motivated employee can only contribute positively to your company’s customer experience.
Now that we’ve looked at 8 ways of using AI to improve customer experience, let’s look at some more benefits of AI.
Areas where AI can enhance your processes
Benefits of using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
There are many benefits to be had from the use of AI and ML, listed below are some of the more significant benefits.
- Handle large volumes of data
- Predict customer expectations more accurately
- Reduce AHT (average handle time)
- Offer proactive support through 24/7 chatbots availability
- Predict and adapt to changing future trends through monitoring of key online channels
- Track and monitor the performance of your employees easily
- Gives your customer service agents more time to focus on complex queries
- Personalized products/services
- Makes everyday life easier through virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Bixby, etc.
With these points, we come to the end of how AI and ML are benefiting individuals, organizations and various industries.
Now that you know using AI to improve customer experience is extremely beneficial, it would be a wise decision to integrate AI and ML into your organization.
The more you delay, the more your competitors will have an edge over you.
Leverage AI and ML to enhance your customer experience
Use AI and ML to understand your customers better by taking advantage of their real-time decision-making abilities and predictive analytics.
You can create an extremely personalized customer journey for your clients by enhancing and personalizing all of their various touchpoints across all channels.
Kapture can help you take full advantage of the analytical and predictive powers of AI and ML by offering various tools.
It can help you to automate your agent’s repetitive tasks, assign tasks to the most suitable agents, filter and prioritize queries and provide a 360° customer view.
It also helps your service agents to chat with customers in a language of their choice on a channel of the customer’s choice.
A KMS (Knowledge Management System) powered by AI assistants, customizable FAQs, and self-serve services enable your customers and agents to find answers easily.
An LMS (Learning Management System) also allows your service agents to be trained and updated with the latest skills and training prevalent in the customer service industry.
AI and ML are constantly evolving.
It’s up to you to discover new ways and means to leverage these dynamic technologies to benefit your organization.
About the Author | |
 | Elvis Richard Cormuz |
| Elvis hails from Darjeeling and has had vibrant work life experiences – a musician, social worker and freelance translator/transcriber, his hobbies include music, movies and reading. | |
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