Finally, Customer Satisfaction Is Improving

According to Capterra, a division of Gartner, in the past two years, customer satisfaction scores have improved for 63% of U.S. businesses. And there’s a reason. According to Laura Burgess, a research analyst at Capterra, we’re living in a time when customers expect more, and in many cases, they are getting it. Thanks to multiple communication channels, such as the phone, email, chat, social media and more, customers can receive faster service and, in some cases, an instant response.

Recently, I interviewed Burgess for Amazing Business Radio, and she shared some fascinating insights into the world of customer service and experience. Here are some of the bigger topics we discussed in our interview:

• Technology Is the Reason: Burgess said, “Technology is playing a big part in improved customer satisfaction. While you’ve got the physical human support side, you’ve also got software tools and AI that are helping customers with smaller queries and issues.” This is becoming a huge part of a company's strategy: getting technology to handle smaller issues so agents can support customers one-to-one with larger, more complicated issues.
• You Can’t Eliminate the Human Touch: There will be issues that require an emotional connection. Empathy and care are needed to build relationships. A digital experience, even if it works, can leave a customer feeling detached with no emotional connection to the company.
• Customers Will Wait, But Not Too Long: Some customers go straight to the phone to get help, while others try self-service options first. Regardless, when the decision is to reach out to the customer support department to talk to a live agent, customers will wait. According to Capterra’s research, customers typically wait between one to five minutes, but about a third have said it can take 10 minutes to an hour before they speak to someone. This is where AI helps, handling smaller support issues and freeing up agents for bigger problems. The key is to get customers to take advantage of AI for this very reason.
• More Companies Must Adopt AI: Capterra found that just over half of U.S. businesses (53%) now use AI-enhanced customer service software. But what about the other half? And what about companies using outdated technology? Until there is a tipping point where most, if not all, companies deliver a minimally accepted level of self-service solutions, customers will worry about the experience they are going to get that day: will it be a good one or a bad one?
• Find the Balance: Burgess suggests identifying the areas in which AI and humans perform best and leveraging them. The research indicates companies and brands must communicate with customers about their AI support. The most common ways companies inform customers about using AI support include:

· Offering a choice between AI or human-assisted interactions (47%)

· Notifying customers of the policies or terms of service (46%)

· Providing a notice or labeling during customer interactions (39%)

• Back Up Digital Support with Human Support: If the company pushes a self-service solution, it must be backed up by the ability to connect with a live agent. Burgess says, “We’re trying to make the process quicker for the customer. If it’s not going smoothly, then there is someone standing by.” AI and self-service solutions are great—until they don’t work. That’s when the seamless transition to a live agent can turn a potential rant into a rave.
• AI Will Create New Career Pathways: Burgess is bullish on AI’s career opportunities. While AI will eliminate some of the reasons customers need to talk to a live agent, there will be new careers in AI management within an organization’s customer service and experience strategy. In addition, she emphasized that the human-to-human connection is important to enhancing relationships.
• · The Final Comment: The final question I ask in almost all of my interviews is for the guest to share one final “nugget of wisdom” the audience must remember. Burgess shared a perfect answer, a reminder that for the company investing in and adopting AI customer support, there are three big benefits: increased productivity, reduced call volume and, perhaps most importantly, higher customer satisfaction scores. And who doesn’t want that?

Shep Hyken is a customer service and customer experience expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author.?Learn more about Shep's virtual?training programs and follow #ShepHyken for more customer service and experience insights.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com.

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