Customer service reigns supreme in today’s crowded digital marketplace. Brands can stand out from competitors by providing reliable, real-time customer service and prioritizing customer needs. Regardless of the company’s size, customers expect — and in many cases demand — their specific requests be handled seamlessly. One way that brands are meeting the needs of these requirements is by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI).
AI is transforming customer service, and therefore a brand’s interactions with customers daily. From replying to on-site queries to following up on questions on Instagram DM to sending customized SMS text messages, AI is reshaping the customer experience altogether. Below are a few common use cases in different industries, as well as tips for using AI in your customer interactions.
AI Use Cases in Customer Service
There are various use cases for AI in customer service. As an example, AI in automotive industries is revolutionizing how customers make showroom appointments and book test-drives. Instead of calling a dealership and waiting on hold until a sales member is available, AI-powered chatbots can make the appointment within seconds. Through generative conversational AI, customers may think that they are in fact speaking with a live agent as opposed to a software program!
In the food delivery space, AI is improving the logistics of creating delivery routes for takeout drivers. More accurate prediction times are calculated so customers know precisely when their stuffed crust pepperoni pizza will be delivered. Not only does this improve customer satisfaction, but it also streamlines processes to boost the efficiency of local drivers.
Airlines are also utilizing AI to assist customers with urgent requests and provide personalized recommendations during their flights. AI-powered chatbots on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are assisting with rebooking and providing real-time flight information via Facebook Messenger.
Delta Air Lines is using AI to store frequent travelers’ in-flight entertainment preferences and suggesting relevant content during their travels.
Health and wellness-based brands are using AI to manage appointments and schedules. AI can help coordinate different bookings based on staff availability. This can help maximize a staff person’s productivity while also making the customer’s booking experience as easy as possible. AI can remind clients of an upcoming appointment to help avoid any last-minute cancellations.
Tips for Using AI in Your Customer Interactions
Now that you have a sense of the types of use cases for AI in customer service, here are some practical tips to keep in mind as you begin to leverage this technology for your specific industry needs.
Tip #1: Be Personal
Whether you are leveraging AI or not, customers want their needs to be heard. They don’t want to feel like they’re speaking with a bot. Instead, they want to feel like they’re being taken care of uniquely and treated as a human being. For this reason, personalization is key.
Through data analysis, AI can assist in personalizing experiences by looking at past customer behaviors such as purchase history and site interactions. Any former conversations can also be tracked to ensure that conversations are picked back up and customers don’t need to repeat themselves.
In addition to real-time personalized conversations, AI can also provide applicable product recommendations and tailored content. Amazon, for instance, creates a dynamic homepage experience for each Amazon Prime customer based on recent shopping purchases. These recommendations can lead to new purchases and keep customers loyal to specific brands.
Tip #2: Provide 24/7 Support
Long gone are the days of picking up the phone and calling customer service when a problem arises. Customers today are looking for their issues to be resolved ASAP, meaning brands need to be able to provide 24/7 support. No matter the time of day, AI-powered chatbots can augment your customer service team and respond to inquiries immediately.
AI can handle frequently asked questions and point users to specific content to help answer their questions. These chatbots can track packages and provide real-time shipping updates. For any delays, they can let customers know of the problem before it becomes a major issue.
By answering these questions, your customer service department can focus on more complex issues, such as handling broken items during delivery. By passing these queries to human support agents, your customers’ needs are taken care of seamlessly.
This around-the-clock support can be handled via on-site chatbots as well as SMS text messages. SMS is becoming an increasingly popular solution for brands to automate customer conversations and even remind users when a sale is occurring or to reorder a recently purchased product.
Tip #3: Integrate Platforms
On the backend, one way to ensure an easy transition is to integrate any AI-driven tools into existing platforms. Your team has enough to manage besides learning a new system entirely. After all, the purpose of AI is to ease the burden of your employees, not create new hurdles or challenges for them to overcome!
Fortunately, many of today’s AI tools and systems can be easily integrated. CRM (customer relationship management) platforms and customer service portals can likely adapt to new AI technology. This way, all of your prior customer information is saved, and there are no gaps in customer experience or service.
Of course, in addition to integrating platforms, be sure that your team is up to speed on these new advancements. Employees should be well-trained in understanding what AI can handle and what is best kept with the team. As an example, AI can quickly answer FAQs and point leads in the right direction in terms of recommending certain products; however, a loyal customer who has yet to receive an expected package after due time should likely be handled by a human customer service agent.
Support Your Service Team With AI
While AI cannot do the work of your customer service team altogether, it can ease common pain points for both your employees and your customers. Regardless of your industry, AI can create personalized communications that are handled 24/7 across your already executed platforms. Leaning into AI today can help power your team and the future of your business.
