In the last decade, we have seen a steadfast growth in the way companies use artificial intelligence to build on their business by implementing AI systems to improve services and products. You may be surprised to learn that artificial intelligence has actually been in servitude since 1956 but it is only in recent times that businesses have been really utilising it to change the way consumers engage with brands and the way that brands engage with consumers. This means businesses are now building on a better and more impactful means of customer service.
The introduction of artificial intelligence in customer service has seen the end of generic responses that are not able to understand the complexity of individual consumer needs and requests, ergo, a complex question will be met with a standard answer. Resulting in negative customer experience.
Companies using artificial intelligence are able to offer their consumers more empathic and detailed responses, what’s more, artificial intelligence has improved the way that businesses manage the user end of websites, products, and services.
In this article we are going to examine five ways artificial intelligence will change in customer experience:
Chatbots
Chances are you have used a chatbot before on a website. They have been a part of effective sales and marketing strategies in websites for a while.
Their function is to act as a knowledge tool for customers 24/7 when they cannot access customer service. They are programmed to understand specific phrases via written requests and to provide customers with the relevant response, however, with AI, Chatbots are now self-now learning.
The more information it intakes, the more accurate and detailed the output will become. But it’s not only your favourite retailer that uses chatbots, but you can also use Chatbots via apps like Facebook Messenger to check the weather, flights and bank balances without having to download any additional apps or the bother of wait times speaking to an advisor on the phone.
Because language is so complex technologists are still yet to find a way around the individual use of language (i.e grammar, syntax). Nevertheless, Chatbots are still advancing and have phenomenal potential.
Personalisation
Companies have begun to use AI to give their customers a unique experience because every customer is different with individual needs, AI can now understand this and respond accordingly. For example, if you use a messaging service, AI will respond to customers using their name. Or, if a website visitor appears to have difficulties on your website (e.g. abandoning their shopping cart) you can use AI to pop-up via a Chatbot and assist your customer. To make sure this runs smoothly, ensure you use the best website host that can deliver the speed and bandwidth required to enable AI. MangoMatter has an extensive list of hosting providers we recommend checking out.
Streamlining
With the demands of business growing every day, streamlining your processes not only simplifies the customer experience but also lessens the amount of work you need to put into your processes (e.g. time speaking to customers). Say a customer has an issue and would like to track an order or cancel a subscription, rather the customer and your employees spending time on the phone, the customer can simply use an AI Chatbot to complete their request by simply entering the relevant details, then they will receive a quick response making it easier for them and possible for you to get on with other tasks.
Natural Language Interfacing
Most people use speech recognition technology in some way, whether that be via Siri, Alexa or Google. Now technologists are improving how these technologies understand natural language since we all speak with a variation of phrasing, grammar, and syntax. Old systems required specific phases to complete requests however, users can now interchange commands and still be understood.
Future Potential
The future of AI can truly go anywhere with different industries using artificial intelligence in a variety of ways. Many businesses want to be able to use AI to link offline and online customer experiences, ensuring that their customers receive the same level of customer care throughout their journey with their company. But this could be a good opportunity in public services to improve customer care. For example, a clinic could use AI as a way for patients to book in with doctors, give out of hours support or recommend a patient pathway e.g see your GP or go to the ER/A&E), patients might even be able to request repeat prescriptions and provide feedback of their doctors and nurses. Not only does this improve the patient experience but it also provides the employees, nurses, and doctors with more time.
Artificial intelligence has grown exponentially and can be used to implement better and more intuitive systems, we’ve given you just a few clues to the potential of AI but there are many other ways you can use artificial intelligence to improve your customers’ experiences.