Managing product experience lifecycle in contact centers
The product experience lifecycle helps map the customer journey and understand customers’ thoughts. This blog explores how contact center interactions...
The robots are coming. And they’re looking to help make your customers happy. Artificial intelligence has become a tool that contact centers have used with more frequency to work with customers. In a previous article, we delved into whether technology can surpass human intelligence. In this article, we look into how artificial intelligence is improving a customer’s satisfaction when they reach the contact center.
AI aims to mimic human behavior
Take, for instance, the chatbot. These robots can quickly respond to basic requests and questions from customers. These bots use audio analysis and natural language processes to create a seamless experience for customers. Additionally, these robots can learn from previous behavior. Watson, the AI from IBM, is using its ability to adapt by answering customer questions and assisting agents for Genesys, a customer experience and engagement company.
Chatbots fit into a typical image of artificial intelligence. However, there are other forms of AI that can analyze interactions between agents and customers. This analytics programming has moved from reactive – with agents and managers reviewing calls to improve them in the future – to real time to predictive programming. The Wall Street Journal noted how these programs can assist agents by identifying changes in a customer’s tone as a conversation is happening – and importantly, can suggest alternative methods for an agent to interact with a customer. These AI programs have the ability to tell us when something isn’t going according to plan when talking with a customer. This, according to The Wall Street Journal, is because it’s listening for certain conversational markers, much the way an impartial observer would whip his or her head between a couple trading insults, anticipating the fight that will ensue.
Companies like PTP Inc. are looking toward the future of artificial intelligence: They want computers to recognize a customer’s number – or a customer’s voice – and streamline the situation to suit their needs, avoiding unnecessary steps in the process. The contact center that can do this could use AI to differentiate from their competitors.
However, don’t expect your contact center agents to be replaced with computers. PTP noted that AI will continue to be a tool for humans, instead of a replacement, for one simple reason: Computers are not emotional creatures. They can recognize that a customer is talking quickly, but artificial intelligence doesn’t have the capability to display empathy or a sense of humor to ease tension (or to identify the tone involved in things like sarcasm). As a result, the computer can’t help.
The benefit to leveraging AI is the way it can improve companies’ relationships with their customers. If certain organizations are able to do this faster than others, the rewards could be substantial.
How can artificial intelligence improve your customer interactions?
