WHERE CHATBOT AND AI FIT INTO THE CUSTOMER CX STRATEGY

 Customer experience also known as CX can be defined as our customer’s holistic view of their experience with the business. It is the sum total of all the interactions leading up to the final business transaction. It could mean interactions on phone, e-mail, chats or on person ones. Every Interaction counts towards customer experience and excellent customer service needs to be delivered every step of the way. When we talk about CX we refer to the collective experience, the totality of all the interactions.

Chatbot is ever growing in the customer CX strategy.AI is the propeller that is helping in enhancing the CX experience, making it popular in the current Indian BPO companies. The phenomenon is just entering the Indian market but has already taken the business outsourcing world by storm.

AI propelled chatbots are all the rage now owing to the fact that they aid companies of all sizes and businesses to build a digital, automated customer service and enhance customer experience. More so relevant in BPO’s and KPO’s where chatbots are currently used with great panache.

Customers need hands on services now a days. Everything a click away. Quicker solutions, quicker resolutions and quicker deliverance is the name of the customer service game. Customers constantly use multiple channels to access customer service. Survey’s worldwide have indicated that customers prefer automated and self-service options as compare to actual personal interactions which tend to be more time consuming and at specific times. However, the automated interactions need to be convenient and easy to understand. The only time customers seek out the human interactions are the ones wherein things are too complicated and crucial to deal with machines.

AI induced technological enhancements are being embraced world over with much fanfare as they definitely do make life easier for all involved as well as make the CX experience more versatile. Customers often look at AI induced technology with suspicion when compared to the human interaction. Hence the best approach is the mixed or hybrid approach with AI induced technology /tools for routine, repetitive customer inquiries and human interaction for more complex and critical situations.

Chatbots are using a combination of natural language processing, voice recognition, traditional analytics. This can get really close to providing some classy CX experience.

AI is the propeller or enabler and not an end in itself .AI is everywhere then why not BPO’s and KPO’s? Just like any sound business planning, firstly the company must have proper CX goals and planning to attain them.

The business ethics, goals and basic culture can have a solid say in AI adoption.

STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR CX VISION 

Need to define your CX vision. This is a must and first step towards AI adoption. Where are we going?  what are our key goals vis-a-vis AI driven technology? These are some relevant questions to be worked on before making the AI driven move.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY CRITICAL MICRO-MOMENTS AND ASSOCIATED SERVICE NEEDS

Businesses need to have detailed understanding of the kind of requirement from the customers end .This is very critical because all things follow this .We are looking at enhancing CX experience and it’s the customer who is at the receiving end  .One false step can make or break the CX .Start by identifying micro moments wherein compliments floated , customers were delighted , empathy ruled .Customers loyalty is earned and what happy interactions built  that trust ?Alternatively what ruined an interaction .Seemingly nice interactions due to a small slip turned sour and ruined a great CX .Look closely at those slips , they can be a great eye opener and study in CX .Disappointments , frustrations leading to a bad CX and compliments and delights leading to a great CX .every emotion counts .

STEP 3: EVALUATE AI TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON DIFFERENT SERVICE NEEDS

Now once businesses have decided to opt for AI technologies, how to choose the relevant one? With so many AI vendors around and so much on offer how to choose the one which suits the business most. More and more Indian BPO’s are opting for AI based technology by synchronising their goals with the essence of the AI tools.

The best bet is to go for a mix of AI technologies that can cater to our specific needs and also prove value for money .How closely the AI technology can align with our specific business aspirations and goals can have the final say.

STEP 4: DEVELOP A CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION PLAN ON HOW AI WILL ‘AFFECT ME’

Customers are at the receiving end of all this exercise hence a proper communication plan needs to be in place .Customers should be aware how the AI induced technology will impact them and what to expect out of them at all .Customers can have a wide spectrum of queries on this namely how this will impact them? What all will be different and how they can access it etc.

STEP 5: PILOT, MEASURE, REFINE, ROLL-OUT

All the automation happening is definitely to enhance CX and not hamper it .AI and chatbots are all but propellers for CX .How this will impact our customers in the long run is still too early to say as this is still in initial stages .But the crux remains the same that chatbots and AI are all embraced with the intent to enhance and not hamper CX in any way .Proper planning , goal setting , visualising , measuring the results and rolling out the best one’s are the idea behind embracing AI tools like chatbots .