Customers are a crucial component to a company’s success, as they not only purchase the products and services offered, but also impact the reputation of a business. A company’s reputation relies on the quality of their customer service, as good service translates to a positive company appearance and beneficial word-of-mouth promotion from customers. On the contrary, poor service leads to a detrimental appearance and negative reviews that harm reputation.
A way service is judged by customers is through communication with a business. One of the channels customers are able to communicate is via calls. Some of these companies have an automated service in place to direct a call to the appropriate person or attempt to resolve the issue through programed answers. Others simply allow staff members to directly answer calls. However, issues arise from these phone answering methods as either there is no answer, a long wait, or incorrect/insufficient automated assistance. Nowadays customers expect quickness in service and easy availability of information.
A solution to this is the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI), to assist with calls. These systems allow AI bots to communicate with customers over the phone to reduce wait times through quick responses and provide accurate information and assistance. Further benefits of AI bots include saving employees time by reducing the period spent on answering calls, and instead allowing them to address other company needs. They also deescalate issues by not letting emotions interfere with serving customers, for instance handling an angry client. These bots can also work alongside staff to assist with searches to resolve customer issues and retain information faster.
A big improvement from traditional automated calls is that AI technology can understand customer emotions and speech for enhanced communication and appropriate help. Google has recently ventured into this creation by launching Contact Center AI, which features bots that have conversations through Dialogflow with customers in a personalized manner to address their needs efficiently and directly. It can also be used to assist staff receiving calls for faster support. Overall, switching over to AI bots saves businesses money while enhancing customer service.