10 Ways AI Can Improve the Customer Experience: From 24/7 Support to Personalized Recommendations

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The last few weeks have seen a whirlwind of Artificial Intelligence (AI) releases. We have collated some of the immediate AI-enabled improvements to CX. The rate of change?continues to accelerate, and several of these 'improvements' have been hastily deployed and created even more problems than they solve. So here are ten things you can immediately do with AI to produce better customer experiences and deliver those elusive Successful Customer Outcomes.

1.????Offer 24/7 customer support with AI-driven self-service:

Extend customer support 24/7?with AI-driven self-service: AI-powered chatbots can assist support, answer common questions, and assist with simple queries. This can help reduce wait times and improve the customer experience. It reduces pressure on the call centres at busy times and ensures more opportunities to deliver successful customer outcomes.

For example, Bank of America’s chatbot, Erica, can help customers with a variety of tasks, including checking account balances, transferring funds, and paying bills. Take the most common simple tasks and let AI help around the clock.

2.????Provide quicker resolutions:

Provide quicker resolutions and stop asking customers the same questions over and over again. Let AI?help identify and resolve customer problems quickly. For example, AI-powered tools can analyse customer feedback to identify common issues and provide potential?solutions 'in the moment'.

This can help reduce the time it takes to resolve customer issues, reduces business costs, remove customer stress and improve the overall customer experience. A US insurer has reduced claim cycle times from an average of ?20 days to 18 hours.

The benefits for the business include reduced fraud, fewer disputes, lower legal fees,?lower IT costs, improved retention, increased referrals, revenues up, improved satisfaction and significantly better employee motivation.??

3.????Reduce errors:

AI can help reduce errors by automating repetitive tasks and providing real-time feedback. Helping?customer service representatives?quickly identify errors in real time and provide recommendations for improvement.

A German automotive company enables its employees with Action in the Moment capabilities to solve problems in real-time.

4.????Route incoming calls or messages to the right agents:

AI?can route incoming calls or messages to the right agents, reducing wait times and improving the customer experience and delivering Successful Customer Outcomes.

A European?Utility company, 90% of queries can be directed immediately to the appropriate department or representative. None of those, press 1 for this, 2 for that, 3 for the other and 4 if you have forgotten 1,2 and 3. Doh.

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5.????Deliver personalised recommendations:

AI can help deliver?personalised recommendations based on customer data.?

Amazon’s recommendation engine uses AI to analyse customer data and provide personalised product recommendations.

6.????Anticipate customers’ needs and potential issues:

Anticipate customers’ needs and potential issues: AI can help anticipate customers’ needs and potential issues by deep diving into and analysing customer data.

Understanding Needs before they occur is the hallmark of successful CX.

Emirates researches customer behaviour to identify patterns and anticipate future needs. They undertake an ongoing real-time needs assessment of their frequent business travellers to suggest improvements to their experiences that reduce friction.

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7.????Track conversation history for seamless interactions:

AI can track conversation history for seamless, friction-free interactions.

For example, AI-powered tools can analyse customer interactions to identify patterns and provide personalised recommendations.

A French fast-moving fashion retail company develop customer summary histories ‘in the moment’ and indicate likely options to fulfil customer needs.

8.????Analyze customer data to predict and prevent churn:

Analyse customer data to predict and prevent churn:?AI can analyse customer data to predict and prevent churn.

AI-powered tools can analyse customer behaviour to identify patterns and predict which customers are at risk of churning. Watching and listening to customers can now be a 24-7-365 activity.

9.????Use chatbots to handle simple queries:

Use chatbots to handle the most simple queries: AI-powered chatbots can help handle simple queries, reducing wait times and improving the customer experience.

H&M’s chatbot can help customers find products, check prices, and place orders.

10.?Use AI to analyse customer feedback and improve the customer experience:

Use AI to analyse customer feedback and improve the customer experience:?AI can help analyse customer feedback to identify areas for improvement.

Analysing?customer feedback at speed to identify common issues and provide solutions immediately. The Four Seasons hotel chain pool big data and seek out problems as they are occurring, and instigates needed actions, oftentimes before their clients are aware of a problem.

Conclusion and Words of Warning.

As with any business improvement and innovation, start by figuring out the right thing to do. Don’t fall into that trap of automating a mess.

All that produces is more costs, less efficiency, lousy customer experiences and ultimately failed operations.?

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