Generative AI (think ChatGPT and other products) has been the talk of the town over the last 6 months. Discussions ranging from what it could be used for to what it’s impact will be on the labour force and jobs. As ever, lots of scare stories, and even more stories and articles from “thought leaders” who have no experience of actually using the tool. Very few organisations have actually deployed Generative AI solutions in real-world production scenarios beyond individuals writing blogs, snippets of code, etc. At VKY, we have. We’ve built several in fact, all handling unstructured data in contact centres. We had the first one live with a customer within 4 months of the technology being released. It has already handled 10s of thousands of transactions.
The benefits delivered have positively impacted customer experience, streamlined operations, and improved overall efficiency. Based on our experience, here are some key advantages of using this type of technology in contact centres:
- Personalised Customer Interactions: Generative AI can analyse customer data and historical interactions to create personalized responses. This leads to more relevant and tailored conversations, increasing customer satisfaction and engagement.
- 24/7 Availability: Generative AI-powered chatbots can provide round-the-clock support, answering customer queries even outside of regular business hours. This ensures that customers can receive assistance whenever they need it.
- Scalability: As the volume of customer inquiries can vary greatly, AI-powered chatbots allow for easy scalability without significantly increasing operational costs. The system can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, reducing wait times for customers.
- Faster Response Times: AI chatbots can provide instant responses to common queries, reducing the time customers spend waiting for assistance. This leads to improved customer satisfaction and a more efficient support process.
- Cost Savings: Implementing AI-powered solutions can potentially reduce the need for a large number of human agents, especially for routine and repetitive tasks. This can lead to significant cost savings in terms of labour.
- Handling Routine Tasks: AI can handle routine and repetitive tasks, such as providing basic information, order tracking, or password resets. This frees up human agents to focus on more complex and value-added tasks.
- Consistency: AI-driven responses are consistent and adhere to company policies and guidelines. This ensures that customers receive accurate information every time, reducing the risk of misinformation.
- Language Support: AI can provide support in multiple languages, allowing companies to serve a diverse customer base without the need for hiring agents fluent in each language.
- Data-Driven Insights: Generative AI can analyse customer interactions and extract insights from the data. This information can be used to identify trends, pain points, and areas for improvement in the customer experience.
- Reduced Agent Workload: While AI handles routine tasks, human agents can focus on more complex issues that require empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. This improves job satisfaction for agents and enhances the quality of customer interactions.
- Aid in Agent Training: AI can assist new agents by suggesting responses or providing information during training. This can help agents become more proficient and confident in their roles more quickly.
- Continuous Learning: Generative AI systems can continuously learn from new interactions and improve over time. This ensures that the AI becomes more effective and accurate in its responses as it accumulates more data.
- Multi-Channel Support: AI-powered systems can provide a consistent experience across various communication channels, including chat, email, social media, and voice.
While generative AI offers numerous benefits in a contact centre, it's important to strike a balance between automation and human interaction. Some complex issues and emotional situations may still require the expertise and empathy that only human agents can provide. Therefore, many businesses should opt for a hybrid approach that combines AI with human support to deliver the best possible customer experience.
For more information, read our ebook 'Transforming Customer Service with AI and Automation'.