Is Human Customer Support Nearing Extinction?

In 2024, digital comfort is a norm, and I have often wondered if human customer support is even required. With a glut of self-help options and individuals adept at using them, do people still need human support?

Being the avid history buff that I am, I decided to study how Customer Support has evolved. The earliest accounts I found spoke about in-store customer support! I find it hard to imagine—going to a store, queueing up, and waiting (only to solve a problem you likely didn’t create).

But then the world changed.

60s - 70s: AT&T changes the way people think about Customer Support

Back in the 70s, AT&T introduced phone based support helplines, reducing those frustrating wait times and eliminating the need to go to the store. Agents specially trained to solve problems made things smoother and simpler. What a change! Especially one that has lasted 40+ years (where Calling-in still remains a prominent support channel).

2010s - Present day: Support becomes self-serve

With the rise of cell phones and digital literacy, support transactions started shifting to chat in the early 2000s.

The next seismic shift was triggered by the likes of Uber and Lyft, who eliminated support on phone, and replaced it with self-serve help (augmented further with chatbots today). Publicly available research often suggests that this has made things easier, and today's consumers find their experiences with brands better.

But, phone based support has remained sticky. A 2020 Salesforce survey revealed that buyers (especially Millenials) utilize around nine channels for support. Phone calls continue to be the most preferred communication method, followed by email, chat, SMS, video chat, and social media based support.

Self-serve smart support has been around for 10+ years, and it has not materially changed the way buyers seek support. There may be an interesting lesson in this 40 year journey - support evolves, but channels rarely die.

Business Travel industry - A laggard in Customer Support?

While many brands have aggressively pursued self-serve support, the business travel industry continues to rely on phone calls or emails even today to support buyers.

Is this ideal? Buyers don’t think so. According to a Zendesk study, 85% of consumers want companies to anticipate their needs and offer seamless experiences. Zendesk also reports that nearly half of customers would switch brands after just one bad support experience.

Despite the obvious, the travel industry hasn’t been able to meaningfully switch to self-service support. Why? Travel continues to have unpredictable challenges, like freak weather disruptions, that make speed critical. This makes users reluctant to seek self-serve support, and thus, the dependence on calls and emails persists.

Leveraging Tech to Increase Empathy in Travel Customer Support

All of this means human support is still a big deal. So, when we hire Customer Support agents at ITILITE , we seek more than just answering machines. Problem-solving skills, empathy, and the knack to see things from the customer's side are must-haves.

We have augmented the efficacy of our Agents with Technology. For example, we use sophisticated task prioritization algorithms to ensure the right agents are paired with the right tasks and that the Agents don’t spend inordinate amounts of time just finding information. The result of these talent + tech hiring practices? Today, ITILITE is at the forefront of the business travel industry, offering top-notch customer support that's absolutely free for our customers.

Using AI for a Greater Customer Experience

I'm really excited about the future of customer support in business travel. Thanks to advances in AI, we're on the brink of a major transformation. I believe that Customer Support efficiency will improve by 50%+ within the next two years. With the percolation of transcribing tech and Gen AI, agents will be armed with a crisp summary of interactions across channels, and they can only focus on solving problems.

While I think advancements in AI will change the way Customer Support is offered (quite like AT&T in the 70s), I'm a firm believer that humans will always have a role to play. Especially in business travel, a sharp, well-trained, and empathetic agent could transform a buyer’s experience. The goal remains unchanged: to give travelers a smooth experience, even as technology evolves.