AI got you thinking about changes to your team?

Hi folks,

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There are a lot of conversations around the structural shifts AI is bringing to customer service orgs right now – for instance, Larry Barker , Senior Customer Experience & Operations Manager at Teamshares , sparked a good LinkedIn conversation on the topic that encapsulated a lot of the excitement and concerns among CS leaders.

I’ve had several conversations with customers about how to know when it’s the “right time” to take certain actions, like moving team members off the frontline to focus on tasks like knowledge management or initiating budget discussions for new headcount.

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While I’m always happy to help, giving specific suggestions is often tricky because every situation is different. Something I find myself always coming back to, however, is how important it is to know what you’re getting into before initiating any form of team change. As tempting as it is to jump straight in with AI and start seeing results, taking some time to prepare for a fundamental new way of working will only benefit you and your team.

Here are three key considerations to get you started.

AI implementation requires dedicated resources

This sounds obvious, but often we're hearing from teams who believe implementing AI can be a side job, an additional responsibility in someone's existing role. The reality is different – it requires focus and dedicated resources to implement successfully.

How you approach this will depend on your context. If you’re a bigger team working on a complex product, you can look at establishing a full-time team focused on rolling out AI early on. If you’re a smaller team, you might consider making it a focus for one or two people for a period of time, or maybe making it a part-time project that everyone on the team gets involved in.

No matter what, it needs to be prioritized for you to get the best results. So, factor resource allocation in early on as you start planning your implementation strategy.

New ways of working will be uncomfortable at first

Things are changing fast, so it's easy to get caught up in the immediate impact of AI – but remember that this is the first step in a complete transformation in how you provide customer support.

As your approach to work changes, you’ll need to let go of old processes and ways of measuring success. For example, shifting teammates off the frontline to focus on automation will likely lead to a drop in your resolution rate. That’s a sacrifice you have to be okay with making in the short term as you prepare for more efficient long-term gains.

Working through the unknown will be uncomfortable at times. Clearly defining why you’re doing what you’re doing, and revisiting this shared goal as a team can help keep everyone motivated when things feel shaky.

CS leadership is going to look very different

Restructuring is not just about the shape of the team, it's about the shape of the roles in that team. And that goes for CS leaders too – be excited to embrace the new opportunities that lie ahead.

Getting the chance to focus on scaling and heading up our Automated & Proactive Support team rejuvenated how I felt about my career. After 15+ years in Support, I was suddenly met with a range of new challenges I’d never encountered before, which has helped me discover new areas of interest, further develop my leadership skills, and strengthen the relationships I have with my team.

As a leader, you’re not just along for the ride – you’re leading the charge and doing double the learning, so buckle up and prepare for an intense phase of growth. I can say from experience that it’s simultaneously thrilling and daunting, but it’s an incredible way to further your career.

We’re all learning as we go. Life would be much simpler if adopting AI came with an instruction manual, but it would also be way less interesting.

Keep on keeping on – you’ve got this.

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