Understanding and compassion. These are two traits that most customers crave from the brands they prefer. According to a recent Wunderman study discussed in the Adobe Experience Cloud Blog, nearly eight out of ten buyers want companies to care about them. While making your buyers feel cared for throughout their shopping journey is important, it’s especially critical when they’re unhappy. This is where AI can greatly help you and your team members.
AI products, such as CRM platforms or niche plug-in solutions, can make it easier for your brand agents to resolve customers’ concerns quickly without losing the personal touch. The reason is simple: AI can rapidly handle any processes that can be automated. This enables customers to get closure (and satisfaction) faster and allows your team to create customer service “magic moments.
Even if you’re a small business owner with a limited budget, you can successfully incorporate AI into your customer support workflows. Below are some ways AI can be an asset when irritated customers call, email, DM, or text.
1. AI chatbots can enable self-service
Not all customer concerns are best served by human representatives. Many problems can be fixed with a little assistance from an AI chatbot. For example, chatbots can be trained to fetch customer information, issue refunds, and set up returns. Essentially, your brand’s chatbot can become a 24/7 extension of your customer service department.
Of course, you might wonder if your customers want to engage with chatbots. It turns out they do. Research from Zendesk shows that three-quarters of customers find chatbot technology convenient. Perhaps more surprisingly, around two-thirds say they’d rather converse with a chatbot than a person. Consequently, you’re not taking risks by incorporating AI chatbots into your service options.
2. AI can fetch key data for support representatives
Your team members are responsible for resolving customer complaints as soon as possible. An AI system engineered to serve in an assistive capacity can be a terrific resource. For instance, an AI product that “listens” and interprets what a customer wants can instantly fetch data fields for a human agent. That way, the agent doesn’t have to search for answers.
AI listening software can also be part of your customer support training and development program. Many AI products on the market can transcribe conversations and identify keywords from those discussions. Supervisors can review agent transcripts and look for ways to enhance their employees’ ability to show more compassion or reach a resolution quicker.
When employees are empowered to do a better job, they often feel a stronger confidence and a desire to keep improving, earning recognition such as annual branded swag like individualized glass awards.
3. AI can give you a competitive edge on social
A large portion of your customers use social media regularly. It’s no wonder that Sprout Social found that buyers rank social media as the top way they want to interact with companies. However, you can’t afford to hire someone to sit and wait for DMs to come in. But you can afford to invest in AI integrations designed to enable AI customer service engagements.
With AI bots working in the background, you can more effectively address all customer issues that come your way. This includes customers who may not contact you directly. AI-based social listening and monitoring software can alert you when someone is talking about your brand. These alerts can become springboards for you to have an immediate conversation and turn an irked customer into a loyal, happier fan.
It can be a little overwhelming to figure out how to optimize your customer service and support operations. Just don’t forget to consider adding AI tools to your mix.
