Customer service of the future is powered by Artificial Intelligence.
Gone are the days of manually attending to every query, maintaining databases, keeping records, and following up on alerts, because we have the call center software with us today.
Today’s technology makes it possible for call centers to not only work faster and more efficiently but also identify likely issues before they happen and solve them preemptively.
All of this is possible because of the development of machine learning and deep learning algorithms which scour through the data gathered and find meaningful information to act upon.
As processing power increases and better algorithms keeps getting developed, we are moving towards a future of highly skilled virtual assistants, digital chat-bots that replicate human agent behavior, and intelligent systems that can attend to every need of the essential customer service.
In this article, we will discuss various ways artificial intelligence is being used in customer service and why it has gained so much importance.
1. Increasing volume of customer interaction.
As the number of customers continues to rise, so does the need to attend more calls at peak hours.
It is unreasonable to expect call centers to simply continue hiring more and more agents to deal with increased traffic. This is where AI comes in, taking automated responses and dealing with high traffic.
2. Preemption of issues.
AI can look at the billions of data points gathered and recognize patterns that allow it to detect issues that haven’t cropped up yet, but are likely to come up short.
Companies can then preemptively take care of it before it develops into a problem.
3. Regular monitoring and detection.
AI surpasses human limitations in terms of the volume of data it can analyze in a given time.
Owing to the high processing capacities, it can constantly monitor activities and detect any anomalies immediately; saving the company time and money as well as ensuring systems are up and running always.
4. Messaging applications gaining popularity.
Modern customers are all on messaging apps, so AI becomes useful in integrating chat-bots into those apps, such that you can stay in touch with your customers in the platforms they are most comfortable in.
5. AI requires only one-time training.
Training an intelligent system is a one-time investment, post which it “learns” by itself from the data it collects.
In the long term, the return on this investment is hugely profitable for the company, because the system makes performance levels rise significantly.
6. Shields against employee attrition.
Employees can take the help of AI to churn out better metrics for their individual goals.
This helps to keep them motivated to work on, reduces employee attrition, and fosters better morale in the team, all of which contribute to sustained success.
7. 24×7 support.
AI systems can work round the clock, delivering the same level of performance no matter what time it is or how long it has been running.
This negates the scheduling problem associated with human agents, wherein you have to consider when they are at their most productive level.
8. Consistency and reliability of service.
Artificial intelligence ensures consistent service.
There is no sudden drop in performance because all activities are determined by the same data sets.
Moreover, the performance is reliable because as an administrator, you can check out exactly what its learning algorithm is.
9. New innovative technology is rapidly developing.
Technology is the most dynamic field in the world.
With innovative developments every other day, AI systems are helpful because they can update their modules as and when better modules come along, without affecting the rest of the operations in the call center.
10. Quicker resolution of issues.
Systems depending on human intervention are prone to human negligence.
AI systems resolve issues much faster because their processing takes place immediately and processes are scheduled so that each process gets its due turns.
11. Allows employees to focus on more complex problems.
By taking care of the routine problems that come up repetitively every day, AI systems free up human agents to be able to focus more on the complicated problems that AI cannot resolve.
Thus, better care is provided to all queries.
12. Self-service operations.
According to various independent surveys, millennial customers are 60% more satisfied with a simple self-service option than an agent to resolve their problems.
AI helps build such self-service options, be it in terms of FAQs, tutorials, interactive weblogs, etc.
13. Personalized approach through data interpretation.
By collecting data about each customer, AI can build a more personalized approach for them, instead of a one-size-fits-all solution.
This improves the quality of service being provided and gives the customer a more efficient solution.
14. Highly scalable initiatives.
AI systems by nature are highly scalable since they are arranged in a hierarchical structure.
Adding new nodes does not require modifications to the existing system, so companies can rely on similar levels of service regardless of the number of parallel processors.
15. AI engages customers automatically.
AI can be more engaging than a human agent because it keeps a track of every customer in its database and regularly initiates conversations with them.
Not only does this serve as staying in touch, but it is also an opportunity to let your customers know of new deals, offers, etc which would drive business.
16. Defines customer behavior patterns.
Analysis of data allows AI systems to understand customer behavior patterns which can subsequently be used in the development of better marketing strategies that cater to these behavioral patterns, pushing up conversion rates and boosting sales.
17. AI can offer real-time support.
Day or night, AI systems are always ready to provide real-time support in the form of chatbots or assistants to the customers.
This, in turn, raises customer satisfaction levels and helps to resolve their issues as soon as possible.
18. Minimize customer attrition rates.
As mentioned earlier, features like real-time support and personalized solutions keep customers happy with the service provided.
As a result, customers are far more likely to stay loyal to your brand, thus bringing down your customer attrition rates.
19. Provides multi-channel communication.
Artificial intelligence can take into account multiple streams of communication such as websites, messaging apps, social media, etc., and provide consistent service through all of those channels, which would be virtually impossible for human agents to accomplish.
20. More precise insight.
AI negates the possibility of human error, thus bringing in far more precision and accuracy to the insights being provided, and hence can deliver better results.
21. Uninterrupted service.
An AI system is scattered across various terminals, so technical failures are more or less covered.
Unless there is an exceedingly high volume at that given moment, the system can provide uninterrupted service even if certain terminals report faulty.
22. Eliminates all human bias.
No matter how goal-oriented we try to be, the issue of inherent human bias can creep up on certain occasions and affect performance.
AI systems do away with this possibility and provide better objectivity in results.
23. Immune against negative human emotions.
Agents can get angry, frustrated, or disappointed, and that can affect the next conversation they have.
AI provides a way out of these negative emotions affecting performance, and thus elevates customer service quality levels.
24. Overcome any language or dialect barrier.
For an organization serving international customers, language and dialect can be a barrier to fruitful conversation.
This problem is also taken care of with AI systems that operate according to the behavioral patterns of the customer in question.
25. Better assessment of conversion metrics.
Determination of the correct metrics is as important as fulfilling them, to find success.
With AI-powered customer service, you can determine metrics by gauging every indicator and checking what works for you.
26. Continuous learning from gathered information.
AI systems are dynamic and continuously improving as more and more data is collected, because it fine-tunes its preconceived results as and when new data flows in.
27. Provide proactive alerts.
Sometimes the purpose of automation is to remind an agent to provide human intervention. In such cases, proactive alert systems are important to act as reminders so that work is done according to the time set.
28. Easily integrates with other existing software.
Artificial intelligence is built to seamlessly accommodate other telemarketing software to ensure a comprehensive approach.
Other telecommunications software can easily be integrated without needing modifications.
This is helpful because companies do not want to overhaul their entire systems and disrupt their work.
29. Cuts down on costs for hiring and training.
Training employees can be a cost-heavy endeavor, especially given the high attrition rates in the industry.
AI systems require one-time training, so it makes them far more cost-effective in this scenario.
30. AI makes big data far more accessible.
Human agents cannot deal with the sheer volume and variety of big data, and thus miss out on a host of opportunities.
With AI, you can successfully handle this data and open up further possibilities to grow your business and provide better service.
31. Provides real-time analytics.
Managers and administrators can see real-time analysis of conversations, pitches, and actions, and then decide accordingly whether to persist with the same strategies or modify them to suit the results in a better way.
This helps to minimize damages in case wrong strategies are implemented.
32. Keeps all operations strictly customer-centric.
AI systems are trained to look at problems from the point of view of the customer.
Therefore, their operations are more customer-centric than actual agents who may or may not be as relatable to the customer, or produce results well enough.
33. Identifies business context and works to fit it best.
AI without a context is just artificial, not intelligent.
In Incall centers, AI-first identifies the identity and goals of the organization, the strategies previously adopted, and their results, and then work to fit similar strategies and draw out even better results.
34. Predictive personalization.
In the case of new customers, there is no way for human agents to know their preferences and provide any personalization, but AI systems can draw information about them from any available public database, and then style the conversation to suit their needs.
35. Makes optimal use of available technology.
AI works with the tech it has to produce the best possible results.
In the process, the utilization of available tech is optimal, and this brings out the best possible outcomes.
36. Internally updates knowledge base.
Call centers work on a collaborative knowledge base that everyone has access to.
AI systems continuously update and enhance this knowledge base, thus proving useful for other employees who reference it as well.
37. Quantifiable results from AI implementation.
It is easy to produce quantifiable results in terms of specific actions yielding specific results, which is not the case with human interactions. Because of this, AI systems can be edited to suit needs better and more promptly.
38. Improves agent job satisfaction.
Agents love working with the right tools in their hands.
In the case of AI, they have the power to distinguish between characteristics of different customers and come up with ideas accordingly. This massively boosts morale and increases job satisfaction.
39. Builds brand loyalty and trust.
Customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that provides good quality of service and takes the initiative to stay in touch even after a sale has been completed.
AI does just that, hence ensuring that more and more customers stay loyal.
40. Increases the first call resolution rates.
First-call resolution is a metric that companies strive to do better.
Using updated knowledge directories and deep learning methods, AI systems can bring up first call resolution rates by up to 50%, proving to be the most useful resource in call center technology.
Thus, we can see how big an impact AI can bring into the customer service arena, this AI has an important place among call center solutions.
Although artificial intelligence is already being used in some capacity to run operations around the world, in the future we can expect it to take up much greater roles, especially in call centers and in call center software solutions, to deliver more personalized precise, and relevant service.
So, if you wish to avail the benefits of AI, make sure you use the best call center software.
The tips provided in this article will surely help your company implement AI right, and cause it to scale up and grow into an even bigger organization.