Expectations vs Reality
There are competing views on what it means to add AI to a contact center. On one side, you may have been told that AI is the answer to all of your issues, and all you need to do is implement some form of it, and you will start to see results. Sadly, this is just not the truth. While AI is able to help in specific areas and situations, integrating artificial intelligence into your system does not automatically mean that you will see improvement in your KPIs.
On the other hand, there are concerns that integrating AI-powered tools and technologies will lead to job losses among human agents, eliminating their roles in contact centers. This is also not the case. AI can be beneficial in some areas, but it simply can’t replicate the connection you build through a human-to-human connection. It might be helpful to have a chatbot direct you to the right place, but the interactions you’ll replay in your head are the ones like when you talked about how you’ve really been struggling, and having to make this call is another stressor weighing you down. This conversation led to your customer support agent talking you through the steps to solve your problem, showing you empathy along the way, and you left the call feeling a little lighter and ready to move forward. AI can’t replace that.
What AI Changes
Although it can’t replace personal connections, there are key areas where AI can add value.
- Speed
- It can handle large datasets and process them in a short time. Even the most experienced mathematicians need to take the time to look through datasets and work through the right code to implement to find the patterns and label them for inspection. With AI, you are able to feed these same datasets and receive results in a fraction of the time.
- Consistency
- When they get towards the end of the workday, and they’ve dealt with several difficult customers, agents tend to reach the end of their patience, and they might find themselves getting snappy. AI doesn’t have the same experience of getting tired, frustrated, or fatigued. As long as it has adequate resources, it can approach every problem with the same energy as the last.
- Access to knowledge
- As customers reach out to your contact center, AI can provide you with information about them right in front of you. This allows you to provide them with quicker resolution and a personalized experience.
- You also have the option to view helpful points on how to help them more efficiently, such as steps related to their issue or sentiment analysis to show where their frustration could be building, so you can soothe it in the moment.
What Doesn’t Change
- Complexity
- Even though processes become simpler, that doesn’t mean that issues will become less complex. You’ll still have simple problems that customers contact you for, like password resets or updating contact information, but there are still lots of issues that will require empathy and patience, two areas that AI does not excel at.
- Decision making
- For decision-making, AI has a specific set of rules it is trained on and expected to follow. The programs behind the AI are designed to follow these rules to a T, and they don’t necessarily understand the deeper meanings behind them or why they exist. Some tickets that customers open need that gentler touch that isn’t found with a fixed set of rules. In these situations, the need for actual agents won’t be changing anytime soon.
Implications
There are two situations to consider regarding the possible implications of integrating AI into your contact center: when it’s implemented well and when it is not.
When It’s Done Well
Incorporating AI into your contact center in a way that still promotes personal connection and enhances your support, rather than taking it over, leads to more efficient ticket resolution, higher brand loyalty, and increased customer retention. This would look like your customers being directed to the right place earlier on with intelligent routing systems, not having to repeat themselves multiple times with the use of easy-to-access information in front of agents from the start, and finishing the call feeling like they matter to your company, which they do.
When It is Not
If you jump on the current trend of integrating AI without doing proper research and following proven procedures, you might find yourself with fewer satisfied customers and bottlenecks that were once small becoming more prominent and requiring attention. Even though AI helps speed up interactions, if you are speeding up the wrong interactions, you might be encountering more customers who feel dismissed and like you don’t care about their experience. Also, if security concerns are not properly addressed when integrating AI-powered tools, you risk harming your customers by leaking their valuable data.
How The Office Gurus Can Help
If you’re interested in bringing in AI to help out with your contact center, but you’re worried about possibly messing something up or not having enough information on how to do this well, The Office Gurus are here to help. We have been working in BPO services for nearly two decades, finding the balance between connection and state-of-the-art technology. Our AI-powered CX technology is built to reduce costs, increase conversions, and improve customer experience across every interaction. We also value protecting the data of both your company and your customers, with security and compliance being fundamental to how we operate. Reach out today to learn how you can integrate AI into your contact center with the right partner.
