Today’s customer service teams are managing more consumer demand than ever before, but enlisting the support of high-tech tools to keep customers happy has its own user satisfaction struggles to overcome.
‘Customer service’ is an old school term with a new school feel
As we’ve all come to appreciate, quality customer service begets attentiveness, urgency, accuracy, and personalization with every interaction. But with all the technological advancements society has ushered in the past decades, few customers will accept companies’ excuses as to why their buying or user experiences aren’t top-notch.
Despite a sustained desire to elevate the customer experience (CX) in 2023, organizational employees and leaders describe difficulties meeting such high demands. While traditional call centers managed customer outreach during 9-5 business hours, the current workforce is operating in all directions and across multiple platforms in efforts to meet consumer needs of all types.
Over the years, automation has gained popularity among contact center teams and customers interested in minimizing communication touchpoints, ownership of their journey via self-service, and flexibility in when and how they engage with brands and products. Determined to stay on trend and top of mind for customers, organizations across industries have dove head-first into the automation and AI craze, at times uncertain, and where and how advanced tech tools can improve experiences. As a result, everyone is working to understand exactly how technology fits into customer contact.
To stay in the CX game, the switch to digital is necessary and critical
In the current consumer landscape, companies must meet customers where they are. Whether a potential client reaches out by phone, via email, on video chat, or through social media, customer service agents are fielding high volumes of inquiries and navigating a variation of consumer needs - something that won’t be expected to change anytime soon.
Chatbots, predictive AI, and digital platforms have become commonplace in the customer contact industry. Where their usage once set organizations apart, tech tools are now the baseline standard of customer service. Although consumers expect to engage with digital-savvy agents throughout their journey, the pathway toward becoming a digital savant is becoming longer as time progresses.
With each iteration of technology comes a new program, platform, or customer service trend that companies must consider when meeting customer expectations. Understanding and mastery of these techniques as they emerge, develop, and shift is what now sets organizational customer success apart from consumer concern.
Adapting to new technology is a challenge worth taking on strategically
There is a saying in the customer contact world that goes, “AI is for simple issues, agents are for complex ones.” Many companies have taken this approach to bringing advanced tools into their tech stack, proliferating the idea that digital can be a stand-in for customer service agents when addressing certain tasks or customer concerns.
Initially, the “more is more” approach seemed palatable to the masses - the more tools agents could apply to customer engagement efforts to lessen employee burnout, the faster, better, and more personalized and modern the service would be. However, employers, employees, and customers alike have since realized that having some of everything is not necessarily the best of everything.
Eighty percent of employers say digital tools need to allow more customer journey customization. 70% of employees report a new kind of overwhelm as they struggle to understand new systems, source information from various platforms, and keep up with communication. Meanwhile, the same percentage of customers still feel like most inquiries are best solved by phone due to a lack of competence in digital.
These statistics make sense considering the severe learning curve that comes with automation: some agents are not digitally proficient, other customers want communication by mail or to express their concerns via phone, and others still on both sides of the table would prefer to have a chatbot assist them in their problem-solving. When adopting automation or AI into organizational workflows, many people and skill levels must be considered. Additionally, what tech services work for one company or audience might not work for others.
Investing in digital and AI can lead to better experiences - for everyone
Currently, 93% of companies believe that using digital to personalize interactions throughout the customer experience is essential to ensure successful contact center operations. Eight-two percent report using digital technology engagement in their training and hiring strategies is essential, and 60% of those surveyed prioritize specific AI use cases in their workflows.
Organizations are re-considering how they hire, onboard, and train employees to complement these changes. When properly taught, informed, and included in the technology buy-in process, studies show that agent effort is reduced, proactive engagement is increased, and more customer data is available for informed decision-making.
Transparency, inclusivity, and knowledge sharing across employees and departments on digital tools create a positive experience for the customer: digital offerings and automated or predictive features become trusted, reliable, and even amplify the value of the customer journey at every touchpoint.
Despite ambiguities surrounding advanced technology, AI, and machine learning in the contact center space, the more that organizations think critically about their CX strategy and employee experience, the more customers will feel that their experience is at the center of all.
