Customer Experience and AI: Why You Need Both in Your Business Strategy

Companies are facing more pressure than ever to differentiate their customer experience. But in today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, how can you gain an edge? Artificial intelligence might be the answer you’re looking for.

Boost personalization and take your customer experience to the next level. Find out how.

Nearly half of consumers (49%) said they would more frequently shop at an online location that incorporates AI, according to a study from PointSource. It is evident that customer experience and AI are interlinked. This creates a unique opportunity to become more competitive in the eyes of consumers.

Take a deliberate approach to integrating customer experience and AI

A thoughtful, specific plan is critical to successfully integrating customer experience and AI. This is no easy task. A lack of design acumen led to most businesses failing with their AI conversions in 2017, according to the Digital CX Trends 2018 Report.

Create a personalized experience

Increased personalization is one of the most valuable outcomes of combining the customer experience and AI. By applying machine learning to data on customer behavior, you can use AI to generate information on individual customer preferences. When customers receive promotions, support, and attention that is specifically tailored to them, they feel more valued. AI can also facilitate more efficient, secure communication, tailoring interactions based on individual preferences. For instance, you can let customers use fingerprints and facial recognition to access their account and place orders. Voice detection and natural language processing technology will enable them to chat with automated customer support. The result is higher engagement with your brand, more customer loyalty, and higher satisfaction. And the more your customers engage with you, the more information you’ll have for further analysis.

Emphasize security to ease customers’ concerns

You’d be wise to proactively address the security risks associated with certain aspects of AI, such as voice recognition. Customers may be concerned that their voice could be manipulated, so you’ll need to safeguard users from being hacked. Even a minor breach of personal data can damage a customer’s perception of your brand. So remember to prioritize trustworthiness and security as core competencies.

Use AI to assist, not replace employees

Staff often fear AI will take over their jobs. If you want to implement AI technology, ease employees’ concerns by emphasizing how it will streamline services, not replace them. AI helps you provide the enhanced efficiency your customers are demanding. But they also want a human touch when dealing with a company. Replacing human interaction completely would cause customer experiences to suffer. This notion was supported by Michael Chui, partner at the McKinsey Global Institute. He believes: “There’s almost no part of the economy which potentially couldn’t be disrupted by AI. We are all going to have to change what we do. And so, the biggest challenge we have is not really mass unemployment.” The onus is instead on rethinking and restructuring our work environments. For example, a computer generated response from a chatbot couldn’t handle a complex, nuanced customer service problem the way a dedicated customer service team could. AI in its early stages should handle simple requests. Everything else should be left for trained professionals.

Discover the tool that sets your customer experience apart.