Is it time to re-think how we use AI for customer service?

Over the last decade Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought about a sustained phase of transformation in the customer engagement and contact centre space. And much like the internet boom of the 90s it has been forcing CX leaders to evolve their operation and strategy.

There’s no doubt that AI can be a very powerful asset when it comes to delivering more efficient and personalised interactions - we’ve seen it and done it ourselves, tens of times over. But AI solutions have often been sold, and implemented, as if they provide an instant magic wand, and the results can be… a bit average!

Now with the dawn of next-generation LLM technologies such as ChatGPT, and the relentless development of vendor solutions like Amazon Lex, and Zoom Virtual Agent, it’s time for organisations to take another look at their CX and EX strategy and define exactly how best to take CX AI forward in 2023 and beyond.

Contact Deflection or Self-Service?

One of the most common use cases we've encountered for AI in customer experience is contact deflection. In fact, many of the RFPs we’ve seen over the last 5-6 years have even had contact deflection targets listed. These targets are often driven by a desire to cut costs from the contact centre operation, which is a sensible financial decision, but rarely solves the root cause of the problem. If parts of your operation are generating high levels of customer service contact, the contact centre itself likely isn't the core issue - it will be something else.

Self-service, done well, can be extremely powerful and efficient. It attends to the consumer in their preferred channel, 24/7, on their own terms, and even in their own language. In our experience this is the best place to start when designing and developing your contact deflection strategy. And whilst it could be argued that deflection and self-service are essentially the same thing, the two terms have completely different connotations and invoke a different mindset.

Put yourself in the consumer's shoes: Do you want to be deflected, or do you want to be able to self-serve? Which one sounds the friendliest? Which one implies the best customer experience? It sounds like semantics, but the mindset and focus of the AI designer is critical in creating experiences that truly deliver - both from a customer engagement, and a cost efficiency perspective.

In a recent keynote at UCX Manchester 2023, Groupon's Director of Business Operations talked through their AI journey over the last few years, and admitted that they had rebuilt their chatbot service four times. Huge applause to Groupon for recognising that something wasn't right and acting on it. But there's a lesson in there for all of us: Getting your AI adoption strategy right is essential, because there are huge potential wins, but it's all too easy to end up down a rabbit hole.

Smarter CX AI that delivers

At Acceleraate we've always looked at AI a little differently. Sure, the emergence of LLM technology has somewhat moved the needle in recent months but it still takes too much time and effort to deliver the same quality experience that a human being can. This may come in the future, but we're not there yet.

For us, the core purpose of contact centre AI is (and always has been) to free-up agents to deal effectively with your more complex, high-touch customer engagements. And, what's more, you can achieve this without spending months training large language models. There's no need to boil the ocean, simply get the basics right, and you'll be amazed at the instant efficiency savings you can deliver. For example:

• Automate ID&V & intent detection using NLP and/or biometrics

• Remove low value contact with simple, transactional decision trees

• AI assist your agent workflows and tasks, reducing admin time

• Summarise contact and auto-generate notes for your agents

• Implement conversational analytics to learn and iterate your processes faster

• Integrate AI to your information stores to predict and prevent contact

In Summary

Whilst AI technologies have made considerable inroads into the contact centre arena in recent years, the deployment of the technology is often basic, rarely tuned, and sometimes focused on the wrong outcomes. At Acceleraate we help our clients to think differently when it comes to AI adoption. We focus on solving the root cause of CX problems, which is where meaningful cost savings are generated. Our approach drives up your contact centre efficiency, whilst continually optimising and improving your customer and employee experiences.

For more information on how Acceleraate can support you with your CX, EX and AI strategy, implementation, optimisation, and roadmap get in touch today.