AI is becoming inextricably linked to the customer experience, and has been steadily gaining popularity among sales, marketing and customer service professionals. New research from RobertHalf indicates the technology has applications for CRM, customer data platform (CDP) software and throughout enterprise businesses.
The research shows 39 percent of IT leaders are already using AI or machine learning, while another 33 percent indicate they will use it within the next three years. An additional 19 percent of leaders plan to use it within the next five years.
The uptake shows that AI is becoming linked to an improved customer experience and is a vital tool for gaining a better understanding of customers. AI and machine learning are becoming intertwined with the future of work, and are already being used to gather and analyze social, historical and behavioral data to glean deep insights and understanding of customers.
“To deliver truly excellent experiences, all customer-focused business units -- like sales, customer service and marketing -- must work together and efficiently leverage AI tools for common goals," Sven Feurer, senior director of engineering and operations at SAP Customer Experience, told CMSWire. "By doing this, AI has the potential to help brands connect with customers on a more personal level, thus increasing loyalty and securing trust not just for now, but post-pandemic as well.”
AI chatbots for customer service are the top AI solution being deployed today, according to a 2020 survey from MIT Technology Review. Of business leaders queried, 73 percent said they believe AI will still be used primarily for customer service in 2022, while 59 percent think it will also be used for sales and marketing.
“Modern businesses should view chatbots not as a replacement for humans but rather as supplementing the human workforce to help their employees be as efficient as possible,” said Feurer. “Notably, organizations must strike the important balance between self-service and human interaction to deliver the most convenient experience possible. For example, AI-powered chatbots are a valuable tool that can save businesses money while allowing customers to take care of minor issues on their own time. It’s important to remember, though, that chatbots won’t perform as well if they try to understand everything; rather, they should be used to tackle a select number of topics such as invoice management, order tracking and account management. In fact, research shows that chatbots are able to accelerate the handling of queries regarding invoice management by two to three times.”
To provide more information about how AI is shaping the future of customer service and the workforce at large, TMC is hosting its Future of Work event from June 22-25, 2021, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The show will examine how AI and machine learning can improve customer service, the contact center, business applications and more.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
