Between ~2018 and ~2020, I was on a couple of podcasts talking about customer service, technical support, the beginnings of AI and what the future might look like. This morning, I played with
谷歌
's NotebookLM and giving consideration to the ongoing evolution of AI. Just out of curiosity, I fed some summaries into the tool and asked for a Briefing. Below is what kicked out, but what struck me most is that companies continue to struggle with the same exact challenges. Whether the concern is customer support, customer success, professional services, or any other customer facing relationship, the fact of the matter is we haven't evolved enough.
Some companies are starting to get there, but what I believe is that it is crucial to take a hard look at the entirety of the Customer Experience (CX) and Customer Journey. With the new AI led capabilities from established companies like
Zendesk AI agents (Ultimate)
,
Khoros
, and
Salesforce
as well as smaller ones like
SupportLogic
or startups like
Ariglad
,
Reclaim.ai
(Referral Link
) and hundreds of others today, rethinking the way you're working with your customers is of critical importance.
Before I leave you with the Briefing (completely unedited) from NotebookLM, here's a few more "next step" thoughts starting with the few words:
What if you used AI to ....
- Built your customer success strategy based on AI by developing ideas, content and strategies by using ChurnZero
's Customer Success AI(TM).
- Automated your entire collaborative capabilities between your sales and success teams using Superhuman
(Referal Link - free month
) for email and leveraging both their AI and Team AI capabilities together?
- Create your QBR decks and leverage the data that you already ahve to tell a story (
Matik
)
- Build your L&D organization around creative learnings whether through scraping content you already have (
Arist
) or by building interactive learning without needing the voiceover (
Colossyan
or
Synthesia
Some of these I've started dabbling in, but honestly haven't found a place where I've been able to invest the time and money to make it happen -- yet!
And if you're looking for one that's more radical that I haven't seen software built for yet?
- Build an entire customer journey with high and low points by scraping email, sales opportunities, sales engineer demo recordings, customer cases, surveys, professional services project coding, and customer success data together to give you insight to the places where you're injecting risk.
If you've seen this latter somewhere, let me know! Always looking to learn.
Without further ado ... NotebookLM's Briefing Doc from ~5 years ago.
Briefing Doc: The Future of Customer Support in the B2B SaaS World
- This briefing doc explores the evolving landscape of B2B customer support, drawing upon insights from Philippe Mesritz, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the SaaS industry.
- It delves into the strategic use of technology, particularly AI-powered chatbots, to enhance customer experience while emphasizing the enduring importance of human interaction and empathy.
- The document also underscores the significance of proactive customer engagement, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement in building a customer-centric organization.
1. The Rise of Digital-First Customer Support:
- The digital transformation of customer support is well underway, with customers increasingly seeking support through online channels.
- Quote: “Think about your customers’ digital experience as the first solution, the first frontier and the thing your company wants to solve for.” - Philippe Mesritz
- B2B companies must prioritize their digital customer experience by providing seamless and intuitive support across all digital touchpoints.
2. Chatbots: Striking the Right Balance:
- While chatbots offer numerous benefits such as 24/7 availability, instant responses, and increased efficiency, it's crucial to use them strategically.
- Quote: “AI isn’t fully intelligent yet. We’re a long way out from perfect, so you have to be able to allow customers to break out of the system and talk to a human. Otherwise, it’s frustrating and it’s not a great experience.” - Philippe Mesritz
- Chatbots are most effective when handling simple, transactional queries or providing initial guidance. Complex issues or those requiring empathy are best addressed by human agents.
3. The Evolving Role of Customer Support Agents:
- Chatbots are not here to replace human agents. Instead, they will free up agents to focus on more complex and value-adding tasks.
- Quote: “What humans are really good at is that critical thinking component, versus the bot which is more automation, more capabilities and more speed.” - Philippe Mesritz
- Agents will increasingly play a role in training and managing chatbots, analyzing customer data, and building relationships with key accounts.
4. The Power of Proactive & Empathetic Support:
- B2B companies must move beyond reactive support and embrace a proactive approach by anticipating customer needs and providing solutions before they become problems.
- Empathy remains a critical element of excellent customer support. B2B companies must ensure their support teams are trained to understand and respond to customer emotions effectively.
- Quote: “When it comes to relationships and building that loyalty, that’s where humans like to have other humans around them.” - Philippe Mesritz
5. Data-Driven Customer Success:
- Data analytics plays a pivotal role in understanding customer behavior, predicting churn, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- B2B companies must leverage data to track key metrics, measure the effectiveness of their support strategies, and personalize customer interactions.
Philippe Mesritz’s Background:
- Philippe Mesritz has a proven track record of success in leading and transforming customer support organizations in the B2B SaaS industry.
- His experience at companies like Khoros and Community Brands provides valuable insights into building customer-centric organizations.
- He emphasizes the need for strong leadership, a clear vision, and a commitment to continuous improvement in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
The B2B customer support landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by technological advancements and evolving customer expectations. By embracing digital-first strategies, strategically implementing AI, empowering support agents, prioritizing proactive and empathetic support, and leveraging data-driven insights, B2B companies can create exceptional customer experiences that foster loyalty and drive business growth.
There are a few referal links in this article where I receive either a free credit or time. These are tools that I personally use on a regular basis.
