Your New Year’s Resolutions for AI
As the year comes to a close, it is time to get prepped for 2017. Gartner has predicted that artificial intelligence will be a top strategic technology trend for next year, so if it is technology you are unfamiliar with or intimidated by, it is time to take a deep breath and get acquainted! AI technologies like virtual customer assistants (VCAs), chatbots, and voice self-service are poised to make transformational differences in businesses’ customer service. So how do you integrate these services into your business? Just like challenges we face in our personal lives, we can set New Year’s Resolutions for our business in its adoption of AI technologies. In fact, you can even think about them in the same terms as your personal goals. Here’s your three New Year’s Resolutions for introducing AI to your business.
Resolution #1: Save money.
Saving money is one of the most common new year’s resolutions, and that applies to business as well. Customer service reps are one of the biggest expenses in today’s call center. Intelligent automation technology will not fully replace the role of live agents in 2017, but it can automate many of the conversations and transactions that agents are handling now. Your business can save more money over the long term by devoting some current resources to AI that will automate more of your customer service communications.
Resolution #2: Make better connections with people.
Humans have the ability to express empathy, compassion, and understanding that even the most advanced of technology cannot replicate. When technology can handle many of the transactional capabilities, from simple to more complex, this gives the opportunity for live agents to spend more time with customers that need the extra attention. When a customer is extended this type of service, it enriches the customer experience. But it is only possible with advanced technology that can handle those higher complexity tasks that don’t require empathy or compassion.
Resolution #3: Learn New Things
A new year grants a new opportunity to learn more about yourself, your surroundings, and your customer! One of the key benefits of AI is its ability to learn. Especially when data about your customers is available, smart machines can make educated decisions about best ways to handle customer inquiries. Similarly, these decisions get better over time as the AI continues to learn new pieces of info. With advanced reporting capabilities from the technology, you too can learn about your customers’ needs and preferences! Ultimately, this leads to more personalized and effective customer experiences.
Gartner’s prediction is one that we’ve been prepared for dating back to 2009 when SmartAction first launched IVA®. If you think that AI has a place in your customer experience initiatives for 2017, drop us a note at info@smartaction.com and we can help you determine where and how advanced automation would best be utilized. Happy New Year!
