The Evolving Role of AI in Customer Experience
AI is changing how CX teams deliver customer experiences. The real challenge for CX leaders is ensuring AI enhances rather than erodes human connection. Our AI for CX MicroCourse will equip you and your team with the knowledge and skills to embrace AI while staying true to what matters most: your customers. How can we prioritise the human touch, while using AI to improve customer interactions and support staff?
Using AI for Routine Tasks
AI’s ability to deal with everyday, routine tasks is one of its greatest benefits. Companies such as Revolut use AI chatbots to handle a large volume of customer requests and quickly escalate tough cases to humans. This frees up teams while also providing customers with faster response times.
By automating routine tasks CX professionals can:
- Improve First Contact Resolution (FCR) by making sure that the right questions reach the right people.
- Boost Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores by quick response times and more accurate resolutions.
- Enhance team productivity, allowing employees to spend more time on more meaningful tasks.
Improving Personalisation With AI
Understanding the behaviour and preferences of customers through machine learning is one of the benefits of AI. For example, Irish financial institution AIB uses AI to personalise product recommendations, ensuring customers are shown options that are most relevant to their needs and interests.
The benefits of AI personalisation are:
- Better Net Promoter Score (NPS) due to better customer experiences.
- Improved customer loyalty due to personalised recommendations and being proactive.
- Better segmentation allows teams to focus on high-value customers.
Overcoming AI Fears:
To prevent negative issues arising such as bot fatigue, CX leaders should ensure staff are not using AI to replace the human connection.
Effective strategies for AI integration include:
- AI to Human Transitions: Letting customers effortlessly move from AI to human staff.
- Empathy Training for CX Teams: Teaching staff to use it to enhance human interaction rather than replace it.
- Clear Customer Communication: Being open and honest about AI’s role during customer interactions will keep their trust.
Case Studies:
Telecom company, Vodafone UK, used AI chatbots to deal with straightforward customer queries, which reduced response times by 60%; however, they made sure to have staff ready to deal with more complex enquiries. As a result of this, Vodafone improved their CSAT scores.
AIB, an Irish financial institution, combined AI-driven analytics with AI-based algorithms to identify customers who had a genuine need to expand their banking business. This allowed their CX team to target high-impact touchpoints where they could have the greatest effect, this resulted in an increase in both NPS and customer loyalty.
AI to Empower, Not Replace
AI should be used to enhance customer experiences, not replace them. If we use AI for routine tasks, to further enhance personalised experiences all while making sure the human element is a priority, the organisation will increase customer loyalty and overall success.
For CX leaders who must stay ahead of the innovation curve, the answer is to balance technology with the human touch so that AI works to enhance, rather than dilute, high-value customer relationships.
Explore this Topic Further
To expand your knowledge on this topic, watch our thought leadership webinar ‘Embedding AI In Your Organisation’ to see what AI expert David Conway, Senior Associate Director with KPMG UK, can teach you.
Interested to see how L&D leaders should navigate AI’s impact? Check out our blog on ‘How L&D Leaders Can Future Proof CX Training in the Age of AI’.
