In an article in CustomerThink, Joanna Moser, global Solution Principal at the analyst firm Medallia shares her thoughts on the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in contact centers. She emphasizes the critical balance between AI and human intelligence in optimizing customer experience (CX).
AI in Contact Centers
One of AI’s most effective use cases in contact centers lies in automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks. For instance, AI can automate post-contact summaries, freeing agents to handle more complex work and reducing the risk of human errors in manual reporting. AI can also automate the next steps following a call, such as creating a support ticket for further troubleshooting or routing a call to the right agent.
The Role of Human Intelligence
While AI can automate many tasks, human intelligence remains vital in areas that require empathy, trust-building, and data interpretation. Contact center agents excel at adapting their conversation and tone based on individual customer needs, a nuance that AI has yet to master. Additionally, many customers prefer human interaction when discussing sensitive details, underscoring the importance of maintaining a human touch in customer service.
AI for CX Optimization
AI technologies can significantly enhance the pre-interaction experience, potentially reducing the need for contact center outreach. AI-backed text and speech analytics can analyze interactions at scale, uncovering common reasons for customer contact and enabling improvements in FAQs, self-service tools, and agent training.
Experience orchestration technology can create dynamic customer profiles, predicting customer problems and providing relevant support when necessary. Digital experience analytics can monitor customer behavior on digital channels, identifying moments of frustration and intervening before issues escalate.
Smart callback technology can also be deployed to avoid long hold times and allow for more strategic contact center staffing. These technologies align with the insights provided in the Gartner Generative AI report, emphasizing the need for AI tools that are accurate, easy to understand, and scalable across the organization.
While the adoption of AI technologies such as GPT is crucial, it’s equally important to ensure these tools support key business objectives. A balanced approach that leverages both AI and human intelligence can help contact centers optimize their operations, improve customer experience, and drive profitable revenue growth.
For more insights on AI and its applications, visit Teneo’s Learning Hub and download the Gartner report on how to pilot Generative AI.