Why Conversation Agents Should Be Part of Your Customer Service Conversation

There was a time when self-driving cars, virtual-shopping closets and video-phone calls were unforeseeable and something only from pure imagination/fiction. But fast forward to today — we now have Microsoft Teams to make video calls with our colleagues, FaceTime for friends and family and conversational agents (chatbots) to provide customer support on our favorite retail sites. And now your own organization can incorporate these “gadgets" into building its very own virtual agent — innovating your customer experience.

Let’s talk bots and dive deeper into this ever-changing Artificial Intelligence (AI) experience, the multichannel conversational agent, or as some like to call it, a chatbot.

What does “conversational agent” really mean? In simpler terms, a conversational agent is an AI program that communicates with individuals by providing guidance, information, or text and verbal commands. You can find chatbots of all functions — from the retail to the financial industry. The chatbot’s capabilities service customers while helping companies cut costs and increase efficiencies.

Think about your previous encounter with a chatbot (you may not have realized you were communicating with a machine). During your experience, were you trying to cancel a subscription service? Or maybe you were looking to make changes to your bank account online or through an app? I find these tools incredibly useful as both a customer and businessman. Instead of endlessly waiting on the phone, I am able to solve problems or achieve desired outcomes by the touch of a button and a quick conversation. This real-time, at-your-fingertips experience is what keeps clients engaged and coming back.

Insight’s Digital Innovation team was recognized as the 2018 Microsoft Worldwide AI Partner of the Year for its innovative use of AI to improve financial services. The AI solution we built with TD Ameritrade helped the U.S. trading firm better connect with its customers by providing a solution that transformed its customer experience. This bot communicated with consumers through almost every popular means of social platforms, including Facebook Messenger, WeChat and Alexa.

Why did this bot prove so successful? Companies across a handful of industries, such as financial services, are starting to realize the importance of translating their services into engaging solutions that relate with the latest generation of investors — millennials.

Conversational agents could be the answer to your customer-service needs. These useful and powerful virtual agents can help your company’s workforce check-off the boxes on a wide spectrum of tasks. As these agents evolve, they will enable business owners to adapt and innovate quickly.

This new age we’re entering is a blend of digital and physical customer engagement, also known as “phygital.” These virtual agents will continue to evolve as the future of the customer experience evolves. 

What experiences have you had with a chatbot? I would love to hear your stories and share them with my team so we can continue to enhance the solutions we deliver.