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Jun 6, 2024
Customer service in the age of AI

When new technology is released to the public, there's the temptation to jump with both feet into the most recent innovation and implement it in every aspect of your business.

In this age that is artificial intelligence (AI) it is possible to think about incorporating chatbots as large language models (LLMs) in your customer services. We've discovered that there is a compromise needs that needs to be reached, for instance Lauren Gilbert, Eyal Avital and Mau Fournier of the Customer Happiness team.

Particularly when it comes to customer service, AI can be beneficial however, it is best to use it in conjunction with a human professional for customer support. "Many people want to delegate all of their customer support tasks to the latest AI tools, however there are always situations where human interaction is necessary. The idea of delegating everything to AI could cause a large portion of your clients feeling as frustrated than they were prior to when they wrote them in," starts Mau.

We'll look at ways and times you might consider incorporating AI to boost the quality of quality of the customer services you provide.

The most important qualities required to provide a positive customer experience personnel

First of all, what exactly does the perfect customer experience look in terms of quality? How can it benefit customers of the company?

"We aim to reflect five of the qualities that comprise PREACH, in order to keep an focus on the customer," starts Eyal Avital. "We want to be Proud, Responsible, Empathetic, articulate, concise and human.

We all agree that empathy may be the most significant of these. "Put yourself in the customers to their place, and show empathy for their circumstances. Tell them that the importance of their company is people who manage the company who help in running it," begins Lauren.

"Empathy is frequently overlooked" Mau adds. Mau. "You need to show empathy in order to be able to comprehend the client's problem as well as demonstrate empathy through your responses in order to make your client feel heard this can aid in lowering their defences when they're angry."

Customers also require help by someone who is knowledgeable about the program to provide the necessary information plus the articulation to explain the program. "When you're working with a program which you are able to trust to run your company and you need immediate help from someone who is familiar with the software inside and out and is able to explain the best way to solve an issue in a manner which is simple to comprehend and actionable, is essential," thinks Lauren.

Customer service isn't just an exercise in box-checking; true kindness is crucial. "Don't only answer their flims question - find out what's of the issue then, the end goal that they're attempting to reach," thinks Mau. "Help them resolve the issue at hand, then keep in touch to ensure that they've been successful in achieving what they wanted. Most likely, people will leave content when they sense that someone in the other room truly wants to find ways to aid their cause," he adds.

Don't forget to consider the importance of speed and clear communication in your interactions. "You must provide quick assistance, and communicate effectively efficiently and concisely," starts Lauren. Eyal advises: "You must be timely in your reply to customers. You can give them an Aplus rating, however when your response isn't prompt for the client's perception they'll be disappointed and view your interactions negatively."

The areas where AI isn't quite enough

It is clear that AI can be beneficial for people who work in a hurry, such as business owners and entrepreneurs but it's not the most efficient option. We think there's several elements of great customer service which AI is unable to replicate.

Personalisation

From our observations up to now, AI is missing the purpose of offering solutions that satisfy the needs of customers. There are a myriad of instances that assist desk programs that will require users to respond to an array of questions prior to getting an automated answer. It is the case that an automated solution can only solve a certain amount of problems because it's not the case that it's a "one solution that fits all" scenario.

"AI is certainly able to show its expertise and offer answers to your queries. They are usually better at this than humans however, their expertise may not be as current and in tune with your field of expertise that humans could be," says Mau. "It could be beneficial when it comes to simple and quick interactions but it won't take on the responsibility of helping and will not follow-up as a human would however, it's at the moment, it's not able to."

Longevity

Even though LLM (AI) applications have improved their tone in their conversations with customers, there's one method to follow. "LLM applications can maintain an appropriate tone however, it's not the same as genuine humanity and compassion. Humans are able to be compassionate and the resolution of an situation is not possible to duplicate," says Mau.

Similar to that, AI is all about the short-term. "LLMs generally have a less attentive mind, and that's a feature of AI tech," he adds. "They will not remember that chat that you had six months ago regarding the issues of your customer, how your content serves them, or even their desire to go to fishing with their families. Bringing these details back to new discussions will ensure that your customers feel as if you truly care."

AI is a great tool that can be used to aid

It's not saying that AI doesn't have benefits for customer service. There's definitely a lot of opportunities to automate, like any other technological advancement - but it's important to understand when to make changes and how to go about it.

"We must make use of AI to work on mundane tasks that could be automated while keeping an option for a human being for many unique requirements," starts Mau. " LLMs can be a fantastic first draft for replies, however, the most effective results are the result of the edits your draft. Incorporate your personal voice into the discussion."

"What used to be the FAQ section of a site can now be dealt with robots or AI capable of resolving simple issues swiftly and continuously. Questions that can't be answered through the single-click and question choices must be then sent to support by an individual," Eyal adds. "Otherwise it can cause customers to become annoyed. It's like those days when people were stuck and then having to call back numbers in order to reach the correct department via the phone."

The integration of AI is a process that continues. "There's an evolution (crawl-walk-run) for integrating bots and LLMs," starts Eyal. "New firms should devote an increased amount of time to their communities, by providing hands-on assistance. As they gain more recognition, they will be able to step away from their usual concerns and focus on LLM."

"AI can help you scale as your career progresses with more members, which are likely to raise many more questions," says Mau. "Many of these will be straightforward questions that AI can take off of your agenda, ensuring that you can focus on the issues that are more specific."

"You could profit from the use of AI as you begin your journey however I'd advise against it. I'd recommend making recourse to more manual support when beginning out. Questions you get in the beginning phases of your career can be an excellent source of feedback that you could use to understand the needs of your audience and how you can improve the experience to better serve them."

Conclusion

The "people-first" strategy we're looking into consideration is effectively combining the expertise of a plethora of professionals with the emotions only a human being can offer. Eyal states that the method we're using of are working helps us in becoming more human. Memberul as a brand "a combination of compassion in sharing resources, as well as creating a fun experience by utilizing emojis and GIFs" make sure that the experience is enjoyable and productive.

Mau has provided some of the comments from a client she had a conversation with, and they said that it was great to speak "to the real person who has an approach that is so compassionate to being of assistance" as well as someone who could give them an individual answer to the specific question. "That client claimed that they received the most helpful service they've ever received!" smiles Mau.

Lauren recalls one customer she contacted to voice concern over member retention. With her knowledge of the industry she works in, as well as particular trends that she has observed in her business we were able offer recommendations on a pricing plan that ultimately increased her customer's lifetime worth.

"You could certainly use AI to assist you in such a situation however, when it comes to making decisions which could have an enormous impact on the company you run, I'd venture to declare that the vast majority of people aren't ready to trust AI for its own decisions or make any other decisions. They shouldn't, in my view".

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