Customer research
APPLICATIONS
“ Using AI , or natural language processing ( NLP ), companies can automate certain responses – for example , frequently asked questions – while routing more complicated queries directly to human agents who can provide a more personalised response ,” comments Desai .
By consistently improving , chatbots seem like a perfect choice for many as they look to improve the customer experience , as Vijai Shankar , Vice President of Product & Growth Marketing at Uniphore , explains : “ The technology allows customer service contact centres — many of which operate with limited resources — to easily hold a one-to-one conversation at scale , and to manage spikes in customer call volumes . Chatbots , in particular , can be used to help ‘ triage ’ calls and resolve low complexity issues , thus lowering costs of customer service .”
Customer research
Research by Retail Customer
Experience featured interviews from 15 global customer experience leaders from the likes of Microsoft , Genesys , eBay , Infosys , Deloitte , Boston Consulting Group and Sage . It found focus on empathy and human connection were two keywords often mentioned within the interviews .
Complementing the customer journey with chatbots There are , however , some concerns about this technology , as , despite the introduction of AI , chatbots cannot replicate human emotion or empathy – something that many customers crave , according to Accenture .
An Accenture report found 58 % more customers prefer to solve urgent issues by calling for support rather than using other channels . The report also says having compassionate customer service can have a positive effect on brand perception and customer loyalty , which an AI-powered chatbot would struggle to provide .
AI-powered chatbots were first seen as a solution to some customer service challenges . Nevertheless , research suggests businesses are beginning to reconsider their automation strategies following shifts in consumer demands .
“ The technology allows customer service contact centres — many of which operate with limited resources — to easily hold a one-to-one conversation at scale ”
VIJAI SHANKAR VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCT & GROWTH MARKETING AT UNIPHORE
68 August 2022