Manufacturers and companies are more and more turning to AI-powered customer support to cut back prices and improve effectivity, however the majority of contributors in a brand new survey from buyer expertise and enterprise course of outsourcing agency Purchase BPO have had loads of time to make their AI-driven customer support useful and passable, As firms, they threat alienating a big portion of their buyer base if the client expertise is compromised.
When requested how possible they’d think about a distinct model after a irritating expertise with an AI chatbot, 70 % of customers surveyed stated they’d take their enterprise elsewhere after only one dangerous expertise. Corporations solely have one shot at getting it proper—underlining the significance of mapping out a powerful AI deployment technique.
The agency’s new 2024 AI in Buyer Service Survey, based mostly on analysis performed by Pollfish, sought to discover shopper sentiment insights and the way firms can proactively map out their AI buyer expertise methods. Pollfish surveyed the experiences of 600 U.S. customers aged 18+ who contacted an organization for help points over the previous 12 months.
Key findings embody:
- 70 % of customers would think about a distinct model for his or her subsequent buy after only one irritating expertise with AI-supported customer support.
- Shoppers are 2.5X extra optimistic about their expertise chatting with people versus AI-powered bots.
- Half of customers really feel negatively about firms relying extra on AI for buyer help, citing downsides reminiscent of the dearth of non-public contact, decreased accuracy and longer decision occasions.
- Shoppers are prepared to place their cash behind their preferences, with 57 % of chatbot followers saying they’ve chosen a service or product as a result of they knew it provided chatbot help, and 72 % of these with a human choice saying the supply of human buyer help factored into their shopping for choices.
- Many chatbot followers would fairly full an disagreeable or inconvenient activity as an alternative of talking to a human buyer help agent, with 29 % saying they’d fairly file their taxes, 29 % saying they’d fairly assist a pal transfer out of a sixth flooring residence with no elevator, and 26 % saying they’d fairly clear the bathroom.
- 40 % of customers are assured in AI’s capability to deal with easy points in addition to a human, and 49 % stated they’d really feel extra snug utilizing AI-powered help if they’d the flexibility to change to a human agent at any time.
To maximise AI’s advantages whereas avoiding its pitfalls, the researchers advise that firms use it judiciously for the suitable duties—and do the identical for human brokers as nicely.
- Don’t be afraid to make use of AI to handle easy requests: 40 % of customers had been assured in AI’s capability to deal with easy points in addition to a human, presenting a simple alternative for firms to streamline a portion of their help workload.
- Use AI to reference previous points–however don’t go too far in predicting future points: 61 % of survey respondents favored the concept of AI remembering previous points to be able to streamline future contact with buyer help, nevertheless 50 % responded negatively to AI getting used to foretell issues earlier than they occurred.
- Use AI to escalate points: 55 % of customers responded positively to figuring out that AI may detect frustration with sentiment evaluation and assist route them to a useful resource or human agent to assist with extra advanced points.
- Present clear paths for purchasers to request a human agent: 49 % of consumers stated they’d really feel extra snug utilizing AI-powered help if they’d the flexibility to change to a human agent at any time.
“Unlocking the facility of AI is important for firms to realize a aggressive edge, nevertheless the way forward for distinctive customer support requires hanging the suitable steadiness between AI and human help,” stated Scott Stavretis, CEO of Purchase BPO, in a information launch. “By fastidiously mapping out an expertise that blends AI and human help seamlessly, manufacturers can meet prospects the place they’re and ship persistently excellent service throughout all touchpoints.”
Learn extra in regards to the research right here.
