CX and AI
Written by Support EXP
How can your customer experience remain relevant in a rapidly changing retail landscape? One possible solution is the use of AI—artificial intelligence. This approach can speed up operations and create a more efficient experience for your customers. However, it also comes with possible downsides that you’ll need to be aware of before your embark on your CX and AI journey.
How do CX and AI work together, what’s the impact of artificial intelligence on customer experience, and what are the pitfalls of this approach? We’re covering all these topics and more in today’s article.
Key Takeaways:
- AI + CX is a powerful way to elevate customer relationships.
- AI can be used to help customers quickly and effectively–providing personalized support and an added layer of connection.
- AI helps create a complete picture of your customer including trends, demographics, and likes/dislikes.
- Always use AI wisely and prioritize human connection.
What Is CX and AI?
AI is a broad term for all forms of artificial intelligence—smart technology that analyzes data and predicts results. CX is a separate term for the customer experience—the way a customer feels about your brand, how well they feel you’ve treated them, and whether or not you met their needs.
Combine CX and AI and you get a powerful tool for analyzing customer experience data. Smart AI technology can include chatbots for faster customer service, adaptive analytics that predict customer trends before they happen, and a multi-faceted approach to the customer experience.
How Can AI Improve the Customer Experience (CX)?
Artificial intelligence can improve the customer experience in a variety of ways. It can give customers quicker and more effective help—instead of holding on the phone for fifteen minutes or trying to explain a problem to a chatbot that’s programmed to look for a few specific keywords, buyers can easily get solutions to the issues they face. The combination of CX and AI can also help address labor shortages, reducing the need for trained customer service staff.
On the customer journey management side, AI can help streamline CX by offering advanced analytics and predictions about future customer priorities and what areas to focus on.
However, this powerful technology isn’t a complete silver bullet solution. There are risks to using AI—most notably, the potential loss of human connection. While AI is smart, fast, and effective, it can leave customers craving a more personal experience with your brand. At the end of the day, there’s nothing that can quite replace a real human who’s focused on solving your issue.
With this in mind, we recommend prioritizing a seamless transition for customers between AI and a real representative. If customers are feeling confused, or if the AI technology isn’t helping them, give them an easy option to discuss their problem with a customer service representative.
You should also consider improving your CX and AI by making the customer experience as personalized as possible. Even if you’re using an advanced chatbot, add personal touches like little idioms or referring to the buyer by name. Small steps like these can help customers feel more emotionally connected to your brand, even as you leverage the automation power of artificial intelligence.
Is AI the Future of Customer Service?
AI is increasingly dominating the field of customer service. A 2020 survey found that 68% of companies use AI, compared to just 53% in 2019. The growth of AI-driven CX isn’t slowing, as more and more companies convert to smart chatbots and interactive databases to help customers find solutions to their problems.
Another area where AI stands apart is its relationship to VoC (Voice of Consumer) data. With VoC, customers tell the company what they like, what they don’t, and where their priorities lie. Companies collect this data through conventional channels like surveys.
In contrast, AI often collects information about the customer, synthesizing search trends and demographic information to create a fuller picture of the potential buyer. While this function can be incredibly useful for companies, it also creates possible concerns that could limit the rapid growth of AI as the future of customer service.
Potential buyers care about their data privacy, and advanced technology like AI carries with it legitimate security concerns. As AI collects data about the customer, not just information they’ve shared with the company, it raises significant risks about the safe use of AI. A 2022 CDP report found that nearly 82% of consumers are concerned about AI’s potential to threaten their privacy online.
To maintain a lasting foothold in the CX industry, AI technologies will need to prioritize keeping sensitive data safe and secure.
While CX and AI can be a powerful combination that creates greater personalization and customer experience efficiency, it’s important to use artificial intelligence wisely.
Prioritize the human connection, and be sure to address privacy concerns if you plan to use AI.
Are you looking for a solution to help you navigate the field of customer experience? We can help at Support EXP! We offer advanced analytics capabilities to help you identify and address customer needs.