Life is filled with micro-annoyances, and one with a well-deserved reputation for causing consumer dissatisfaction is automated customer service responses. Many of us have spent fruitless minutes trying to deal with automated systems that simply don’t have the empathy or sophistication to deal with problems in the same way that a human being would, that is, quickly and efficiently.
In fact, according to the Cogito Survey on Human Interaction in Customer Service, 86% of consumers prefer speaking to a human agent rather than dealing with automated responses. However, the incredibly rapid evolution of AI may be changing the perception that automated responses are simply canned and show no real understanding of the challenges being faced by the caller.
Can AI solve the call center challenge? Jeff Roberts, Founder and CEO of Innovation Vista, suggests a tentative yes but emphasizes that humans must remain involved. He believes the combination of AI’s data processing capabilities and human complexity management is essential for business success, not only in call centers.
Our AI Overlords?
Surf to almost any tech or current affairs site and you are almost certain to come across articles with headlines reading something like “AI Dooms Humans to a Life of Sloth,” or “AI’s Uncontrolled Evolution is an Existential Threat.” The reality, at least in the business environment, is very different according to Jeff Roberts.
“AI isn’t human intelligence,” says Roberts, “Human beings are great at responding to subtle emotional signs that are conveyed during a conversation. Even the most advanced algorithms can’t do that, at least now and for the foreseeable future. If AI is at a loss, then it’s time to get a human being on the line. Fortunately, AI is now advancing to the point where it can at least detect emotion – and bring a skilled employee into the customer satisfaction loop.”
According to Roberts, AI can significantly add value to an organization’s customer service, and even increase levels of customer satisfaction, if organizations are aware of the technology’s limitations and the role that human beings play in the process of getting the customer the answers they need.
“When it comes to tasks such as managing basic customer queries related to order status, delivery tracking, simple account management tasks, and initial troubleshooting, AI has already proven its value across a wide spectrum of industries. We see rising capabilities driving even more value; in particular we predict that AI’s ability to automate note-taking will reach a threshold of feasibility to take over that function completely, as it listens in to customer service conversations. That would be an exciting efficiency for customer agents, and it would free them to focus 100% on the conversation without having to type out the key take-aways. That’s bound to increase customer satisfaction generally,” says Roberts.
In a nutshell, AI is growing more and more effective at handling Level 1 queries from human representatives, freeing up their time for more important tasks and playing to one of AI’s core strengths; increasing efficiency and dealing with drudgery.
Return on Investment
For all the hype, AI is not a panacea. Although it is developing at whiplash speed, implementation must still be carefully considered.
“One of the factors that must be accounted for when the business is thinking about an AI solution is whether or not it makes sound business sense, As with almost all technology, it’s easy to fall for the hype, and those business leaders who are early adopters need to be very careful about the return on investment from AI.”
Jeff Roberts emphasizes the need to evaluate automation opportunities within businesses. He states, “At Innovation Vista, we look at business metrics to determine if multiple employees are spending significant time on the same tasks weekly. If a task takes five minutes once a week, it’s not worth automating. However, if many employees are engaged in repetitive tasks for hours daily, that presents clear opportunities for automation and efficiency.”
He further explains that this approach necessitates a careful analysis of return on investment. “We don’t want to automate everything; we need to focus on areas where the benefits outweigh the costs. By identifying high-volume tasks, businesses can streamline operations and boost overall productivity.”
Opportunity Costs
The costs of not implementing an AI system in a business can be significant, particularly regarding data accuracy and operational efficiency. Jeff Roberts highlights that businesses often face challenges related to data inaccuracy, which can lead to extensive rework and quality control issues.
“Without AI, companies can struggle to achieve near-perfect accuracy on the first attempt, resulting in wasted time and resources. This inefficiency not only hampers productivity but also affects overall business performance,” says Roberts.
Roberts has seen firsthand how failing to adopt AI can impact revenue generation. Companies may miss out on valuable deals or customers due to a perceived lack of capability or inability to meet specific requirements. Roberts points out that understanding the dollar value associated with these missed opportunities is crucial. By analyzing lost deals and potential revenue increases enabled by technology, businesses can recognize the importance of investing in AI.
This exercise of ‘strategic visioning’ allows companies to envision substantial impacts, such as a $10 million opportunity requiring a $1-2 million investment, demonstrating that even conservative estimates can yield significant returns. Ultimately, businesses that embrace AI and automation are better positioned to disrupt their industries and gain competitive advantages that their rivals cannot match.
However, Roberts is quick to point out that AI is only as good as the data it receives.
“It’s a case of garbage in, garbage out. At Innovation Vista we believe strongly in the concept of a holistic view of how AI should be implemented, and one of our focus areas is to ensure that the data that the client is using is sound and that the AI solution is designed to produce outputs that add value to the business. If you look at the process of getting value from AI there are a lot of intricacies, it’s not plug-and-play, no matter what anyone says.
Explore why Jeff Roberts is recognized as a leading authority on AI strategy by visiting his LinkedIn page, checking out the Innovation Vista website, or gaining unique insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of business AI on the Innovation Vista YouTube channel.
