Are you a business owner looking to improve your online customer service with greater efficiency and lower expenditures? AI (Artificial Intelligence) may be your answer…

What is AI? How is it changing customer service?

Customer service and engagement is in the midst of a revolution. From booking flights to buying
groceries, self-service systems are everywhere.

“Consumers want technology that helps them pay a bill, return an item or book a hotel, among other things,” explains PV Kannan, CEO of [24]7. “They want to do it in an intuitive and conversational way, just as they would with a human.”

Here’s a look at how AI is leading a customer engagement revolution.

Artificial Intelligence

Modern artificial intelligence systems are much more accurate than ever before. Despite their threat of eliminating human jobs, this technology continues to gain a greater understanding of sensing consumers’ mood, intentions and desires without getting distracted by potential hurdles like a thick accent or background noise.

Additionally, newer systems are better-informed, thanks to their integration into IT infrastructure solutions and customer service systems. This means these systems can do more than interpret what users say. In fact, they can also leverage previous communication with users, glean information collected from the user and analyze user preferences. As such, users get an unparalleled personal experience.

Artificial Intelligence can also transform and take customer engagement to the next level. “Imagine the advantage if [customer service agents] had insights into customers’ issues before they even picked up the phone,” explains IBM. “Sentiment analysis of social media, call center logs and other text sources can accomplish this by drilling into the content and context of people’s words. Understanding what they’re likely to ask can genuinely help to improve the service.” 

AI And Customer Engagement In Action

Chatbots are a good example of AI in action. These days, there are an estimated 30,000-plus AI-powered chatbots on social media and even more in smart home devices. Recently, there has been a push for these bots to sell, and the reason is simple.

“AI actually generates more leads than our current marketing methods,” says Neil Patel, a marketing expert. “Businesses that implement AI see 59 percent better close rates for sales, 58 percent increased revenue, 54 percent more traffic and engagement, and 52 percent higher conversion.”

Due to their highly personalized and relevant nature, consumers are becoming more and more open to receiving marketing-related messaging from bots. In fact, these systems not only provide the specific information a customer wants to see, but also can learn how to tailor marketing messages to be as effective as possible. The result is a true omnichannel experience that adapts to each customer with every interaction. You just need a contact center that can accommodate AI.

Cloud Contact Center Solutions

Have you wondered about artificial intelligence in the cloud?

Predictive solutions provided by a cloud contact center and that are powered by AI can increase both customer retention and engagement. In fact, smart contact centers can learn from and develop highly-tailored solutions for customers, as well as process the data it collects to form meaningful insights that can be used to inform day-to-day business operations. Including fraud detection and prevention.

“AI is now helping to predict customer behavior on the phone, to provide recommendations to the customer service reps on how best to deal with [complex queries],” writes Computer Weekly. “However, the computers are not doing all the work, as a human workforce is still needed to effectively and efficiently resolve customer issues.”

A Customer Service Revolution

Artificial intelligence is leading a customer service revolution. This technology not only helps businesses find and engage with customers, but it can also uncover potential leads.

Ultimately, AI can determine the right communication channels for any particular customer, but it takes having the right contact center team in place to bring it all together.