Build your business for AI in customer service

- How do you build a business case for AI in customer service? Let's go over a few essentials, and then look at a power tip for winning the support and buy-in you'll need. A persuasive business case should include the following components. First, clear objectives. Your case should articulate the specific challenges that AI will address. For example, increasing efficiency or improving personalization. Second, return on investment, ROI, analysis. Illustrate side-by-side the projected cost of staffing, training, management, usage costs, and maintenance expenses before and after AI implementation. Then quantify any additional benefits, such as repeat business or new customers. Third, include an assessment that lists potential risks, such as data security threats and customer privacy concerns, along with an outline of mitigation strategies. Demonstrating preparation for these issues will boost trust in your proposal. Fourth, pinpoint the AI technologies and providers most applicable to your goals. This could be chatbots for round the clock customer support, predictive analytics for forecasting consumer behavior, language tools that enable communication with a wide range of customers or others. Finally, include an implementation plan that outlines how AI technologies will be implemented, and the timeline for rollout. Show the necessary steps to ensure smooth integration with existing systems and processes. By addressing these components, your business case will be robust and compelling. Now, anytime you improve customer service, you're potentially making a positive impact on three levels. Efficiency, customer satisfaction and loyalty, and strategic value, meaning cross-functional value. What does customer service learn that can help the broader organization in improving and innovating products, services, and processes? Here's the power tip. Illustrate the impact of AI capabilities on all three levels. Many business cases I've seen focus on just one. Oh, this is going to increase efficiency or that will improve customer experience. The most effective cases consider all three levels. For example, a government agency I've worked with is using AI powered voice biometrics to identify and authenticate callers based on their voice. Once identified, the system can automatically pull up relevant information, and get them to the right skilled agents or self-service resources. So their business case was based on efficiency. There have been benefits, though, on all three levels. At level two, customer satisfaction has improved as AI helps customers navigate what was a bewildering array of options. This has meant fewer complaints, fewer transferred calls, and far less stress on service employees. And at level three, the insight that these tools provide on what customers need and the resources that are helping the most is empowering the agency to improve processes and services across the board, really across the wider organization. When your business case considers all three levels of value, you'll win the support you need and excitement for eight year AI initiative.