This is a guest post from Janine Hunt, Client Partnership Director at customer service outsourcer Kura.

Data shows that 35% of businesses have adopted using AI in some way for their day-to-day running. Whether it is to improve cyber security or give your customers a better experience, AI has been creeping its way into our processes over the last year.

Janine Hunt, Client Partnership Director at Kura, says: “Whether you’re for or against AI, this latest development in technology seems to be here to stay. And for many businesses, it can be a great tool to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and provide quicker service lines. But knowing how your customers truly feel about AI and how they would like to interact with it is essential for knowing the right balance for your business.”

How is AI being used across customer service

AI-driven chatbots

Chatbots are one of the main ways we are witnessing AI come into communication with our customers. In fact, 50% of people who say they have used a chatbot recently used it for customer service. Chatbots are a great way for customers to get quick answers to their frequently asked questions without having to scroll through your site for the answers or ask another human.

This cuts down time for both customers and customer service advisors. However, chatbots aren’t always the best approach when a customer is looking for a solution to a problem revolving around your business, your services, or your products.

So, with the varying problems and complaints customers can have, knowing the best scenario to use your AI assistance and when to invest in customer service outsourcing is important. While it might be useful for quick answers as a pop-up on your site, after-care might be better reserved for humans.

Janine says: “Sometimes customer complaints are complicated, beyond what a computer can comprehend, and customers simply want to be heard out. In both instances, AI-driven chatbots cannot be the solution. While they can be a means of answering queries quickly, providing the empathy that only a well-trained advisor can provide is just as important when it comes to customer after-care.”

ChatGPT-generated content

Another use of AI is through generated content. This is information your customers are likely to receive at the beginning of the customer experience as they explore or learn more about your site. Chat-GPT can be a great tool for creating fast content, but it doesn’t always provide the personalised or in-depth knowledge that your customers would want.

While it can offer generic advice, a ChatGPT-created piece of content is not necessarily going to understand the specifics of your audience. So, whether you’re creating blog posts or personalised emails with your language model-based chatbot, making sure you’ve combed over the content with your customers in mind can ensure a happier, more tailored experience.

Digital experiences

Customers can also connect to your business through your product offerings with virtual rooms. Companies such as IKEA have an AI-powered digital experience model, which allows customers to see the size of furniture in their homes. This is an advancement in technology which improves the customer experience as they can interact with products before sale.

This augmented reality means that customers are more likely to choose products they like, that fit in their space. This can help reduce the likelihood of returns or complaints when the product arrives. Other businesses can also use this design to allow their users to test their glasses and clothing before purchase – giving your customers the best convenience AI can offer.

Is AI being accepted?

While AI has been used by 46% of adults under 35, it isn’t necessarily the way forward when businesses want to connect to their customers. Customer service is crucial for developing a good connection between customer and business, so making sure you have the human touch is vital. In fact, 90% of people still want human interactions for their customer service rather than using a chatbot – making it clear that the human touch is the way forward.

And for some businesses with older or less technologically abled customers, having AI-driven contact points could be isolating your audience. In fact, almost half (48%) of people who believe technology makes life more difficult for them don’t have a positive outlook on AI – which might even drive these customers away from your site if your company is too technology-dependent. Making sure you’re still able to offer more traditional means of connecting with your customers and offering customer support can ensure you’re not losing out on this valuable business.

So, while AI has many uses for customer service and across the customer experience, they are better kept within businesses. There is a preference for technology from younger and most technologically abled customers. Still, even then, there is a preference for queries and customer support to be handled by a human, not a robot.

This is a guest post from Janine Hunt, Client Partnership Director at customer service outsourcer Kura.

About Janine

Janine Hunt is the Client Partnership Director at customer service outsourcer Kura. Janine has worked in the contact centre industry for over 20 years and has worked in many senior posts with both national and international Business Process Outsourcing organisations.

Image credit: Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash