Embracing AI: From Curiosity to Strategy in the Workplace

AI is no longer just a buzzword; it's a strategic tool reshaping industries and revolutionizing workflows. In fact, according to Google Trends Data from 2023 search engine interest in “how to AI” is twice that of “what is AI” in the U.S. This shift signifies a significant transition—AI is moving from being a mere curiosity to becoming an essential strategy for businesses across the globe.

At Clean Club Calgary, we've been leveraging AI in multiple ways since our inception. It has become a great resource for our team to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and improve decision-making. In truth, AI has become as indispensable an asset as our microfibre cleaning cloths as it allows us to focus on what we do best: clean!

Below are a few areas in which AI has supported me as a small business owner and the larger team at Clean Club Calgary.

Brand Messaging and Marketing

AI has transformed our marketing efforts by helping us create clearer messaging for our advertisements and promotions. In particular, because English is my second language, AI offers insights and suggestions that would better connect with our clientele where the majority have English as their first language.

Additionally, AI has given me tools to properly respond to Google reviews - particularly if there are negative ones. They rarely happen, but when they do, it’s helpful to use AI as a sounding board to create a response that’s respectful, direct, and focused on a positive outcome.

Moreover, with the amount of information that business owners consume - always looking to grow, take in more information, how to be a better leader, etc. - we become overwhelmed by the amount of information we’re supposed to take in. Fortunately, through summarization algorithms such as ChatGTP, we’re able to take in high-level information (such as the overall plot points of a business book), digest it quickly, and take comfort knowing that we are aware. The AI summary allows us to determine if we want to do a deeper dive into the information or simply move on. It’s a time saver for any business owner looking to stay on top of information trends.

HR for the Small Business Owner

In HR, AI has proven invaluable in our hiring process. Not the ins and outs of operational processes within HR (for this, we often look to HR professionals, such as Wendy Giuffre ).

Rather, we use AI to help with our hiring processes as they continue to evolve. Here, AI helps us to generate qualifying questions and automate initial screenings of candidates so we can efficiently identify suitable individuals for further hiring consideration.

Further, when there are hard conversations to be had, AI assists in framing conversations with employees and fostering constructive dialogue to resolve issues, which gives you a basic path for broaching these conversations without harming the working relationship with your employees.

Improving Internal and External Communications

AI also supports our efforts in communicating with a highly diverse team, many of whom are ESL (English as a Second Language) members. This helps me translate directions, processes, etc. into their language, which allows for greater clarity in the responsibilities and expectations that come with being a Clean Club Calgary team member.

In customer service, AI has enhanced our ability to address inquiries and manage feedback, ensuring timely and personalized responses. It enables us to engage with customers proactively, fostering stronger relationships and enhancing our overall reputation. AI has added to the customer experience of our service.

Reducing AI Skepticism

All this said, there is still quite a bit of skepticism surrounding AI. However, it's reminiscent of the skepticism that greeted previous technological advancements, such as the Internet and automobiles. Just as these innovations eventually became integral parts of our lives, AI holds immense potential to enrich and enhance our daily operations.

Like any other technological advancement, we - the users of AI - are responsible for using it ethically and in a manner that serves our business, team members, and customers. Here’s where I value the insights from other business owners using AI in their companies. I had the opportunity to join a panel hosted by Jobber about AI Tools and Apps for the service industry. If you struggle with incorporating AI into your business, I recommend watching this panel discussion. In it, we cover how to use AI for automation, customer interactions, and handling day-to-day tasks, all while keeping things “human.” After all, all business is really in the service industry. You can watch the full panel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDNPfoaJxT0

As Clean Club Calgary continues integrating AI into our operations, I would love to hear your thoughts on how AI has impacted your workplace. Share your thoughts in the comments below or send me a direct message. Together, we can ensure that AI ethically shapes the future of work.